Marvel is reducing the amount of content it’s making each year. The change has been pretty obvious to those of us who follow production announcements and filming schedules, but CEO Bob Iger officially confirmed as much this past week when he announced during an earnings call with investors that the Mouse House would be cutting back to two series a year and either two or three movies. Fans have had plenty of takes, but none have been funnier than the one offered up by Colin Jost on Saturday Night Live this week.
The longtime Weekend Update anchor is, of course, married to Marvel star Scarlett Johansson. He occasionally makes jokes about her career or their relationship, sometimes in a very direct way and sometimes in an if you know, you know kinda way. The latter was what we got last night when he explained why some people might be upset about there not being a Marvel movie to kick off the summer movie season for the first time since 2009…
This year marks the first time since 2009 that a Marvel movie has not kicked off the summer movie season, which better be a one time thing because a lot of people rely on Marvel movies to pay for the ferries they bought.
For those of you who may be out of the loop and wondering what this could possibly be referencing, Colin Jost owns a ferry. He partnered with Pete Davidson and another investor named Paul Italia to buy a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry named the John F Kennedy. They promptly renamed it Titanic 2 and announced they were in the early stages of a long-term plan that would convert it into a live event space with comedy, music and art.
That was more than two years ago. It’s still not ready, though recently, we learned the group’s aspirations have gotten even bigger. It has now reportedly morphed into a $34M project using an architect to redesign the space that will reportedly eventually feature hotel rooms, multiple restaurants and six bars. In short, it’s not the type of thing you’d do on a humble Weekend Update anchor salary.
As for Marvel, many fans have mixed feelings on the decision to scale back. It’s no secret that Marvel has lost a bit of its luster over the last half decade or so. Fan response to the content hasn’t been quite so positive, and box office numbers would indicate many casual fans have stopped making an effort to see everything. Some point the finger at a reduction in quality, while others point the finger at the sheer volume the studio was releasing.
This reduction in the schedule should allow the studio to be more invested in each individual project, and it should, hopefully, help turn the finished productions into appointment viewing again. At least that’s the plan from Disney. Hopefully they can execute it a little faster and with a bit more direction than Jost’s Staten Island Ferry project.
SNL will return next week with upcoming host Jake Gyllenhaal and musical guest Sabrina Carpenter. You can catch it on Saturday evening on NBC or via other streaming options.