There have been murmurings that Marvel is considering bringing back original cast members like Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson. It's a long shot — and would be very expensive for a studio notorious for hiring actors on the cheap — but the move would lend a star quality to the franchise that Majors lacked.
"He wasn't around for that long in the mainstream; for many audiences, he was still a rising star," the producer who spoke anonymously said.
Other Marvel properties could also benefit from more attention if the Avengers are put on the back burner, potentially helping to solve the quality-versus-quantity problem Iger has mentioned.
Thanks to its 2019 Fox acquisition, Disney now has the rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Fan favorite Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the former series, will return to the big screen next year in "Deadpool 3," which will continue the beloved Ryan Reynolds-led franchise.
Angela Bassett, who just last Spring was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gave a powerful acceptance speech that celebrated all the Black actresses who have won Oscars to date, beginning with Gone With The Wind’s Hattie McDaniel in 1940 who had to come from the back of the room to accept hers. Regina King, who is one of those women, served as the presenter for her old friend, even reminding her they appeared on the NBC sitcom, 227, that King was a regular on as a young kid. Bassett ended her speech by quoting Lena Horne, “It’s so nice to get flowers when you can still smell the fragrance”. I caught up with her after the show as she was holding her shiny new Oscar and told her it looked like the engraving had a lot to say (it actually says “Honorary Award to Angela Bassett who has inspired audiences around the world with her powerful and fearless performances”). She hadn’t read it yet.”I am gonna need my glasses for this,” she laughed. She ran her hands down the Oscar and told me her late mother would have loved this moment. “She always took me to the movies. We would sit through four in a row sometimes. She loved the movies.”