Nelson Peltz owns a big part of Disney, and he recently shared his big plans for the company with the Financial Times.
Peltz told the Financial Times that he believes Disney is making too many movies that focus on sending a message rather than just being fun to watch. He noted that ‘The Marvels’ and ‘Black Panther’ are two of them:
“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? Why can’t I have Marvels that are both? Why do I need an all-Black cast?”
‘Black Panther’ made a lot of money but also was nominated for a super important movie award: Best Picture. However, ‘The Marvels’ didn’t attract as many people to theaters as expected. Peltz uses this as one of his reasons to argue that Disney needs to change how it decides what movies to make.
Disney Disagrees With Peltz
Disney thinks Peltz’s views explain why he shouldn’t have a say in their work. As per Reuters, Disney’s spokesperson said:
“This is exactly why Nelson Peltz shouldn’t be anywhere near a creatively driven company.”
Fans have mixed feelings about Peltz’s ideas. Some on Reddit worry he might not understand what makes Marvel movies special. Others say his ‘The Last Airbender’ didn’t respect the original story’s culture. But some think if a story needs a group of heroes to be all women or all Black, then that’s how it should be.
Peltz wants to be one of Disney’s decision-makers. He is currently asking for a spot on the board. He’s not alone; he and another former Disney employee think they can help make Disney even better. However, Peltz says he’s not trying to kick out Bob Iger. Instead, he believes he can help him make Disney more successful.
Disney’s annual meeting is scheduled for April 3.
