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Billionaire Blasts Marvel’s “All-Black” Cast

If you have been following the Disney news lately, then there’s a good chance you may have heard of the name Nelson Peltz. Nelson Peltz is a billionaire, the founder of Trian Fund Management, and an activist shareholder at The Walt Disney Company. He is also the person attempting a hostile takeover of Disney’s Board of Directors. It is not the first time he has tried to gain more power at Disney, but this is as close as he has ever come.

disneyland paris proposal fail
Credit: Disney

There are a lot of people working hard to make sure that Peltz has absolutely no control over the Mouse House. Disney CEO Bob Iger — who is being targeted by Peltz — has the backing of other activist investors, like Blackwells Capital Management, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, Lucasfilm President George Lucas, and even the family of Walt Disney.

Mr. Peltz has been accused of having a vendetta against Disney, mainly because of his close relationship with Ike Perlmutter. Perlmutter was fired by Marvel last year, and did not take it well. He said that he felt targeted because of his support of former President Donald Trump and the fact that he thought Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was right in his fight with Disney.

Ike perlmutter and marvel logo
Credit: LinkedIn/Marvel

Related: Will Disney Become “Anti-Woke” If Latest Coup Attempt is Successful?

Mr. Peltz seems to have the same views as Mr. Perlmutter, and recently let it be known. In speaking about Disney’s failures with the Financial Times, two Marvel films came up — The Marvels (2023) and Black Panther (2018). He said that Disney was focused too much on sending a message and not enough on creating a good story.

“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?”

Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, and Teyonah Parris in The Marvels
Credit: Marvel Studios

Related: Disney is Woke, and It Should Stay That Way

After the interview, a Disney spokesperson said that kind of bias is exactly why Peltz and Trian Partners should not be allowed anywhere near Disney’s Board of Directors. Disney is dedicated to creating more stories and characters that reflect the world we currently live in. Peltz seems to want to go back to a time when television was dominated by white men.

While The Marvels was without a doubt one of Marvel’s biggest flopsBlack Panther was wildly successful. The film has a 96% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and made more than $1.3 billion. It is the sixth highest-grossing film of all time, and was the first Marvel film to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Black Panther Wakanda Forever
Credit: Marvel

And audiences clearly didn’t have an issue with an all-black cast when it came to the 2022 sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That film made almost $900 million at the box office.

Peltz having an issue with female and black dominated movies isn’t the only controversial thing he has said lately. Just a few days ago, Peltz admitted that he was a bully, but didn’t see the problem with it. He said that all billionaires are bullies. However, many people might not want to see Disney controlled by someone who happily calls himself a bully.

What do you think of Peltz’s comments? Let us know in the comments.

Krysten Swensen

A born and bred New England girl living the Disney life in Southern California. I love to read, to watch The Golden Girls, and love everything to do with Disney and Universal. I also love to share daily doses of Disney on my Disney Instagram @BrazzleDazzleDisney!

One Comment

  1. It would be a beyond words if someone like him was allowed to have anything whatsoever to do with Disney

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