Bob Iger Talks Marvel Sequelitis and Star Wars’ Movie Future

During the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Bob Iger participated in a Q&A and was asked about his notable acquisitions during his previous term as Disney’s CEO. On the current slate of Marvel and Star Wars projects, Iger discussed that the franchises future are always on his mind, “I think a lot of all of them—they’re all my babies, in a way.” he was quoted as saying by Deadline from the event’s stream.

What’s Happening With Star Wars Films?

In the wake of Kevin Feige’s Star Wars project and Patty Jenkin’s Rogue Squadron being shelved, Iger admitted that Disney and Lucasfilm were pushing the franchise too quickly at the start describing that “maybe the cadence was a little too aggressive,”. Considering the effects of the low turnout in the box office for Solo which Iger called “disappointing” and the fraught fan and critic reaction of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and Star Wars Episode IV: The Rise of Skywalker, which he added gave Disney pause, hitting the breaks on the saga was clearly the path ahead.

Focus is now being shifted onto their Disney+ Lucasfilm titles, with The Mandalorian and Andor proving “extremely successful,” Iger shared. Don’t worry through, he also affirmed that Disney and Lucasfilm are still developing Star Wars films like Taika Waititi’s starring vehicle and Rian Johnson’s way-off- in-the-future series. He noted that and “we’re going to make sure when we make one, it’s the right one. So we’re being very careful there.”

What Are Disney’s Plans With the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

As Phase 5 continues to unfold, Bob Iger remarked that “there are 7,000 characters—there are a lot more stories to tell. What we have to look [with] Marvel is not necessarily the volume of Marvel stories we’re telling, but how many times we go back to the well on certain characters. Sequels typically work well for us.” but added. “Do you need a third and a fourth, for instance, or is it time to turn to other characters?” he shared doubt reining it in after the lukewarm responses to Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Iger affirmed, however, “There’s nothing in any way inherently off in terms of the Marvel brand. I think we just have to look at what characters and stories we’re mining. If you look at the trajectory of Marvel in the next five years, there will be a lot of newness.” Makes sense, with the Black Panther and Captain America mantles being passed on along with the introduction of new heroes like Shang Chi, Ms. Marvel, America Chavez and Ironheart coming into the fold, Iger looks to the future of newer faces, “We’re going to turn back to the Avengers franchise with a whole new set of Avengers.” he added.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.