3. Creating Better Working Relationships
Marvel Studios may make successful films, but their behind-the-scenes work is a little less than stellar. As the great folks over at
Screen Rant pointed out a while ago, the directors and the studio have had some falling outs, beginning with Jon Favreau leaving after the mess that was
Iron Man 2. Since every Marvel Studios production is part of the shared universe, they need to be crafted to fit the mold Marvel has in mind. A director has to make the movie Marvel wants them to make, not they movie they want to make. Even Joss Whedon had some guidelines when writing the script for
The Avengers. The issue of creative freedom was something I addressed when I examined my skepticism about a
Justice League film. But it's not just directors leaving that Marvel has to worry about. The actors are causing a stir as well. Edward Norton had a
public breakup with the studio in 2010, but now the other Avengers are beginning to assemble to fight for Earth's Mightiest Salaries.
Deadline recently dropped a bomb on the Internet detailing messy contract negotiations between the studio and the principle cast members, all of whom are NOT confirmed for 2015's
The Avengers 2. I highly recommend you read their full report, but it basically breaks down like this: the cast (who are rallying around "big brother" Downey, Jr.) want more money for the sequel and the studio is strong-arming them, threatening to recast and sue. The cast members are daring them to do so, as they appear to be happier working with other studios (Deadline's report highlights Chris Hemsworth's relationship with Universal as an example). Kevin Feige obviously needs to find a way to solve this. His studio has built a reputation of being stingy and controlling, which is counterproductive to a healthy filmmaking environment. While it may be difficult to give directors more creative freedom (due to the needs of the shared universe), there's no need to play hardball with the actors. They're an important part of this. Speaking of Marvel Studios actors...