It is learned longtime Marvel executive Dave Bushore is exiting the company after a 15-year tenure, which follows those earlier rumors of Kevin Feige firing producers.
Bushore, who held the position of VP of Franchise Creative & Immersive Development, leaves after having directed and executive produced the What If …? — An Immersive Story experience for the Apple Vision Pro, which recently won a Creative Arts Emmy for outstanding innovation in emerging media programming.
The project also garnered international acclaim, debuting at the Venice International Film Festival, marking Marvel’s first trip to the prestigious event.
Bushore shared his excitement about the Venice experience, telling THR, “Being invited to Venice was mind-blowing. Being there and seeing the embracing of this new type of content, and the people coming through doing the experience, filmmakers and ambassadors, that was a really cool thing.”
He added that his future plans involve exploring new worlds and pushing the boundaries of media and entertainment by merging storytelling with technology.
However, amid Bushore’s departure, a major rumor recently surfaced claiming that Marvel Studios has been quietly “cleaning house,” firing producers and creatives labeled as “activists” after the failure of Phase 4.
According to Chris Gore, founder of Film Threat, Marvel insiders revealed that Kevin Feige and his team have recognized that Phase 4 failed to resonate with fans.
“I do know people who work at Marvel. They have cleaned house. They quietly, months ago, fired all the producers that could be labeled activist,” Gore explained on The Critical Drinker’s YouTube channel in early August, adding, “Kevin Feige recognizes… ‘we tried it, it didn’t work.’”
The poor box office performances of several Phase 4 projects, including The Marvels, combined with Disney’s $4 billion streaming loss, have led to increased scrutiny. Projects on Disney+ like She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Secret Invasion also struggled to find success, while newer releases such as Deadpool & Wolverine have revitalized the MCU franchise.
Gore also pointed to Marvel’s renewed focus on established characters like Deadpool and Wolverine, who have proven to be fan favorites, as a key to their recent successes.
“He’s talking about Phase 4. It didn’t work. No Kang. None of these side characters that don’t have the legacy of classic characters. And if Deadpool & Wolverine proves anything, you’ve heard that phrase ‘male and pale is stale’ — that was spoken aloud across studios, but if you look at box office this year, I would say male and pale is money. And that’s the phrase that I think people should more adopt,” said Gore.
Despite his exit, Bushore remains positive about his time at Marvel, stating, “I’m going to miss the people, the characters, and the ideas that get thrown around in the hallways… But I’m ready to bring that energy and big ideas to some new kinds of stories in town.”
Dave Bushore is also listed on IMDb as “vp franchise creative & marketing: Marvel Studios” on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange, and “interactive marketing executive: Marvel Studios” on Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Iron Man 3, as well as “executive producer: Marvel Studios” on Doctor Strange: The Score-Cerer Supreme and Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe.
