Variety is reporting that Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb is expected to step down from his role at the studio “in the coming weeks,” after nearly a decade on the job, where he oversaw numerous TV projects, from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Runaways, that brought the company’s superheroes to life on a weekly basis.
The move comes after Disney elevated Kevin Feige to Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer, where he’ll be in charge of not just the company’s film studio, but all of its television, animation, and comics. That wasn’t a huge surprise, given the success that he’s had overseeing Marvel Studios, elevating the brand to produce some of the biggest blockbusters in cinematic history.
Since 2010, Loeb has overseen Marvel Television, developing a huge slate of projects like Agents of SHIELD, Netflix’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Punisher, Luke Cage, and The Defenders, Runaways, Cloak & Dagger, Legion, The Gifted, Inhumans, Agent Carter, and others.
Loeb’s exit comes amidst major changes in Disney’s strategy for television and streaming video. Marvel Television has faced numerous challenges in recent years, notably the high-profile failure of Inhumans, but also tighter budgets for streaming services like Freeform and basic cable. The studio also faced a blow when Netflix’s franchise of Marvel shows were slowly cancelled, one after the other, after Disney announced its own streaming platform, Disney +.
Because of the company’s internal divisions, there’s been little crossover between the shows and their feature-film siblings, something that will change with Marvel’s upcoming Phase Four slate of projects, which includes projects like The Falcon and Winter Soldier, Loki, WandaVision, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel. Those projects will more closely link with Marvel’s film offerings, in some cases utilizing the same actors and characters.
