Rumor: Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb to Exit Company – Could Disney Be Consolidating Marvel?

John F. Trent |

Oct 22, 2019

A new rumor details that Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb will exit the company following the reports that Kevin Feige would be taking over creative control of everything from under Marvel Studios.

The rumor comes from The Hollywood Reporter who sources detail that “Loeb has been working on a transition plan to exit the company and is expected to formally announce his departure by Thanksgiving.”

Their sources add that Loeb “had been prepping to leave well before the Oct. 15 news that Kevin Feige had been elevated to Marvel’s chief creative officer.”

Report: Marvel Comics and Marvel TV to Report to Kevin Feige Under Marvel Studios Banner

This rumor comes after a number of reports that Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige would assume creative control Marvel’s publishing, creative, and editorial decisions. Those reports indicated that Marvel Entertainment President Dan Buckley would report to Feige and Marvel Studios.

Deadline specifically reported, “It is expected that all the creative execs in publishing will report to Buckley.”

Not only would Marvel Comics report to Feige, but so would Marvel TV and Marvel’s animated division Marvel Family Entertainment. Deadline noted, “all of the company’s key creative executives across film, TV and publishing will report to [Feige].”

They added, “Feige’s oversight will extend to the overall creative direction of Marvel’s storytelling and content creation platforms.”

Not only does Loeb’s rumored exit comes after reports Feige would assume the role of Chief Creative Officer, Marvel, but it comes after Marvel TV cancelled the recently announced Ghost Rider spin-off show starring Diego Luna that was expected to air on Hulu.

Loeb’s Legacy

Loeb was instrumental in bringing Marvel superheroes to Netflix. He oversaw three seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones and two seasons of Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Punisher along with the crossover series Defenders.

He also had a hit show in ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which has run for seven seasons.

Loeb also brought the mutant-centric show The Gifted to Fox and Legion to FX.

Other live action shows under Marvel TV and Loeb include The Runaways and Cloak and Dagger.

Loeb did have a massive blunder in bringing the Inhumans to live-action as it was quickly cancelled after only a single season.

Rrecently Marvel TV appeared to be winding down it’s live-action shows with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ending after its seventh season. All of the Netflix shows were recently cancelled, and Fox and FX ending The Gifted and Legion.

The only shows still on the docket were The Runaways and Cloak and Dagger along with the recently announced Helstrom series. They also had four animated shows expected to premiere on Hulu under the Offenders banner.

Needless to say, Loeb was instrumental in bringing Marvel superheroes to TV and especially giving us a more realistic or street-level look at superheroes in the Netflix series.

What Does this Mean?

It appeared Disney was shifting their focus to Marvel Studios tie-in shows on Disney Plus with a bevy announcements from Kevin Feige that include Loki, WandaVision, Hawkeye, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ms. Marvel, Moonknight, and She-Hulk with rumors swirling about an Ant-Man show.

However, Clownfish TV believes Loeb leaving Marvel TV and Disney signals that Disney is actually consolidating and downsizing Marvel in general.

Kneon states, “It looks to me like Disney is paring down Marvel. They are going to streamline Marvel. That means all of Marvel.”

He adds, “I’ve been saying it for years, years. That Marvel Comics is not completely safe. It’s very possible, I still firmly believe this that Marvel Comics could be, the Marvel superheroes could be outsourced to another comic book publisher that Marvel might stop publishing comics themselves. It might be years away. But putting Kevin Feige in like this is not a good move for comic book fans.”

Kneon continues, “Disney is looking to cut corners now. They are focused 110% on Disney Plus. They just had another box office bomb this weekend. Maleficent did not do well. They are not doing that well with the parks last couple quarters. They are going to start to look to trim things. Marvel Comics, what are they bringing to the table? Are any of the newer storylines something they are going to make movies out of? Because it seems like they are going back 10 years or they are creating stuff wholesale.”

He then states, “[Disney has] pulled the plug on companies that were profitable, they just weren’t profitable enough.”