Avengers: 9 Major Things Marvel Just Revealed In Vanity Fair

4. There Was Previously Conflict

The feature talks about the issues that the MCU has had to overcome since its formation. Kevin Feige's anxiety comes up (though it seems like a positive driving force for the movies as much as a hindrance), and so do the departures of both Joss Whedon and Edgar Wright, in a period described by James Gunn, Anthony Russo, and Evangeline Lilly as a messy “divorce”

There's also some focus on Ike Perlmutter's influence on the MCU and the value of him being moved sideways in 2015. The feature calls him "a shadowy but essential figure in the world of Marvel" but says he "clung to outdated opinions about casting, budgeting, and merchandising that ran counter to trends in popular culture." It was down to him that the decision to to scale back production of Black Widow-themed merchandise in 2015 was made - he apparently believed that “girl” superhero products wouldn’t sell.

Shows what he knows.

And James Gunn talks up early conflicts on Guardians of The Galaxy as a product of Perlmutter's influence and the Marvel “creative committee”, a group made of writers and "toy people" who read every script and gave writers and filmmakers feedback. It doesn't sound like Gunn's a fan, and why should he be? Unthinkably, the group suggested that Guardians should ditch the 70s music that the film’s hero loves.

Never listen to committees.