Alan Taylor Contradicts Kevin Feige Regarding Marvel Directorial Control

It’s long been said that Marvel Studios controls and has more say so over their movies than the directors working on the films.

There has been reported issues with Jon Favreau and the Iron Man movies, which also includes Mickey Rourke butting heads with Marvel over his character, Whiplash, in Iron Man 2.

We can also most recently point to The Avengers: Age Of Ultron as Joss Whedon let it be known lots of scenes were cut from the movie at the request of Marvel, with most notably being Tom Hiddleston’s scene. Marvel even said Hiddleston wasn’t available for Avengers 2, but when Whedon spoke with Hiddleston, Hiddleston stated he was all up for it.

We can also throw in the Edgar Wright Ant-Man situation as Marvel brought a new director on board with Peyton Reed reportedly because Wright’s version wasn’t as “connected” to the Marvel Universe and didn’t feature “Avengers.”

Now the latest is regarding comments made by Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige in regards to WB’s Greg Silverman stating that Warner Bros. allows directors to fullfill their visions, while meaning Marvel does not, and comments made by Thor 2 director Alan Taylor.

Here’s the Q&A with Feige via THR:

Warner Bros.’ Greg Silverman told THR that the difference between the DC/Warners movies and Marvel movies is that Warners allows directors to fulfill their visions. How do you respond?

FEIGE My response is: Look at the movies. Iron Man and Iron Man 2 are as Jon Favreau films as you can see. Kenneth Branagh has his stamp all over Thor. Captain America: First Avenger is very much a Joe Johnston film. The greatest example of that, look at Guardians of the Galaxy withJames Gunn. And the one I always point out is Avengers. We knew the general structure when we sat down with Joss [Whedon]. But I don’t want you to think we gave him a story. We gave him a “Here’s where we think the movie should start, here’s where we think this character should come into it; it would be fun if something like this happened in the middle and in the end a hole opens up and aliens pour out into Manhattan.” So arguably, there were many pieces in place, and yet now that everyone has seen the movie, it’s completely a Joss Whedon film. He was able to take all the elements that were handed to him – that were studio-imposed, if you want to look at it that way – and make it his own. We wouldn’t have hired any of the filmmakers we’ve hired if we just wanted somebody who would do what we say.

Alan Taylor, while doing press for his latest movie Terminator: Genisys, contradicts Feige’s statements about working on Thor 2. While Taylor does say Marvel did give him freedom to direct the movie; however, when all the footage was completed, Taylor says Marvel wouldn’t let him go with his version of Thor 2.

Via UpRoxx:

When I spoke to you for Thor: The Dark World, I got the underlying tone that it wasn’t the greatest experience for you making that movie.

[Terminator: Genisys and Thor: The Dark World] were very different. I’ve done two and I’ve learned that you don’t make a $170 million movie with someone else’s money and not have to collaborate a lot. The Marvel experience was particularly wrenching because I was sort of given absolute freedom while we were shooting, and then in post it turned into a different movie. So, that is something I hope never to repeat and don’t wish upon anybody else. This was not like that. The story we started telling is essentially the story we finished and are bringing out into the world. But there was a lot of collaboration, as there is going to be on something this big.

With Thor: The Dark World, I did get the impression you were promoting a movie that you didn’t think was the movie you made.

[Laughs] I’m hoping I wasn’t that candid?

I was reading in-between the lines.

Okay, well, you’re probably good at reading body language over the phone. I’m not good at hiding stuff like that.

You seem happier this time.

The finished movie has a lot more in common with what we started with, so that’s great. The experience of making it with this cast, shooting in New Orleans, was quite fun, despite the grueling schedule. But, yeah, if we were to have drinks somewhere, I have plenty to complain about. We’ll do that next time.

Back while promoting Thor 2, Taylor also told HP the following about problems with Marvel, which sounds like Thor 2 was meant to have more action from the start.

Though, there’s a lot of exposition at the beginning. But after about 45 minutes, it really comes together.

Yeah, I think that is sort of the structure that was found in post. The early versions of the movie that I have tremendous affection for, there was a lot less exposition up front. And it was sort of… kind of discovered it along the way — and the decision was made. It’s a common dynamic, I think, to sort of front-load everything you need to know so that, precisely, the audience can sort of relax and have fun for the latter part. That was sort of the tug-of-war during post.