Walt Disney Co on Friday said that remarks by activist investor Nelson Peltz criticizing the company for making movies dominated by female and Black actors is evidence that he shouldn’t be on Disney’s board.
Peltz, whose fight to join Disney as a director has become one of the year’s most bitter and closely watched board battles, in an interview with the Financial Times said Disney’s films have become too focused on delivering a message, and not enough on quality storytelling. He specifically took issue with “The Marvels” and “Black Panther.”
“Why do I have to have a Marvel that’s all women? Not that I have anything against women, but why do I have to do that?" Peltz said in the interview, published on Friday. "Why can’t I have Marvels that are both? Why do I need an all-Black cast?”
Asked about Peltz’s remarks, a Disney spokesperson responded: “This is exactly why Nelson Peltz shouldn’t be anywhere near a creatively driven company.”
Are you though? I stopped watching before infinity war and haven’t watched anything marvel since, outside of the one series I actually had interest in.
And yet I’m still inundated by advertising for each movie, making me keenly aware of the thing I don’t want constantly rammed down my throat. I’ve come to expect it at fast food restaurants, but I can’t even shop for groceries without Marvel trying to push something at me. I’m not actively watching Marvel movies, but they are still part of my life whether I want them there or not.