Marvel Boss Nearly Quit Over Iron Man Star's Civil War Role
Behind-the-scenes drama at Marvel Studios reached a breaking point when budget disputes and creative differences over a major superhero's involvement threatened to derail one of the MCU's biggest films.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige came dangerously close to walking away from the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe during the making of Captain America: Civil War. The conflict centered around Robert Downey Jr.'s expanded role in the film and the fierce opposition from Marvel Entertainment's former leadership.
Budget Battles and Creative Control
The trouble started when Ike Perlmutter, who ran Marvel Entertainment at the time, clashed with Feige over the film's growing expenses. Civil War was essentially an Avengers movie disguised as a Captain America sequel, featuring a massive ensemble cast that the Russo Brothers expertly managed. However, this ambitious scope came with a hefty price tag that made Perlmutter's notorious penny-pinching instincts kick into overdrive.
Downey Jr. had successfully negotiated for more screen time in the movie, which made perfect sense given that the story revolved around the ideological battle between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. But more screen time meant a bigger paycheck for the actor, plus backend profit percentages and performance bonuses if the film outperformed previous Captain America movies.
The Final Straw
Perlmutter's Marvel Creative Committee had already caused headaches throughout the production process. Known for his extreme cost-cutting measures - which had previously led to Terrence Howard's departure from the Iron Man franchise - Perlmutter angrily demanded that writers remove Downey Jr. from the script entirely. This created an impossible situation for Feige, who understood that the actor's presence was crucial to the film's success.
When Perlmutter and his team pushed for even more budget cuts, Feige reached his limit and threatened to resign. His ultimatum came at a time when Disney CEO Bob Iger was already questioning Perlmutter's leadership following the mixed reception of Avengers: Age of Ultron, which despite earning over a billion dollars, failed to meet the studio's creative and financial expectations.
Corporate Restructuring Saves the Day
Iger recognized Feige's value to the company and implemented a major corporate reorganization that removed Perlmutter's influence over Marvel Studios. The new structure allowed Feige to report directly to Disney executives, bypassing both Perlmutter and the Creative Committee entirely. This wasn't the first time Feige had battled the committee - he had previously fought to keep Captain America: The First Avenger set in the 1940s when executives wanted to move it to modern times.
Perlmutter's controversial decisions had created numerous problems for the MCU over the years. His alleged racist comments about replacing Terrence Howard, his resistance to female characters like Black Widow, and his interference with projects like Ant-Man had consistently undermined creative vision in favor of short-term cost savings.