Oh, how things have changed since 2008. That was the year a little movie named Iron Man with a then struggling star named Robert Downey Jr. was released in theatres. It was, of course, a big hit and 12 movies later, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still going strong.
The man who, rightfully, gets lots of the credit for that is Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. But he didn’t do the whole thing by himself. Back at the beginning, he and others were assisted by a man named David Maisel. Maisel was a crucial element in securing Marvel’s claim to characters such as the Avengers, working out deals with studios like Paramount and Universal and, finally, helping Disney take over the reigns, at which point he bowed out.
The Hollywood Reporter has an in-depth, fascinating profile on Maisel. If you have a few minutes to learn about a side of the origin of Marvel Studios most people don’t know about, click the below link.
Top: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in the first Iron Man. A lot has changed since then. Image: Paramount