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#676: David Maisel of Marvel Studios Fame — Never-Before-Heard Tales of Hollywood Dealmaking, The Art of Aiming Big, Lessons from Power Broker Michael Ovitz, Combining Business Smarts with Street Smarts, The Making (and Importance) of Iron Man, Selling to Disney for $4 Billion, and Much More

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Jun 7, 2023

Guest

David Maisel

David Maisel, former chairman of Marvel Studios and founder of Mythos Studios, shares fascinating insights from his groundbreaking career. He discusses the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the strategic decisions behind Iron Man. Listeners learn about the complexities of Hollywood deal-making, especially the $4 billion sale to Disney. With anecdotes about Michael Ovitz and the delicate balance between business and creativity, Maisel reveals what it takes to succeed in the ever-evolving entertainment industry.

02:33:01

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ANECDOTE

Cold-Calling Ovitz

David Maisel cold-called Michael Ovitz, then the most powerful person in Hollywood, for a job.
He sent a resume and got a short interview, landing a secret project analyzing Universal Studios.

insights

INSIGHT

Ovitz's Power

Michael Ovitz's power came from controlling talent, strategic PR, and understanding Hollywood's workings.
He combined business acumen with street smarts and an incredible work ethic.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

A Week at McKinsey

Despite a Harvard MBA and consulting experience, Maisel wasn't initially hired by Ovitz.
He accepted a job at McKinsey, but Ovitz called days later with an offer, which he immediately accepted.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

The Essential Role of Electrolytes on Low-Carb Diets

04:00 • 2min

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Navigating Hollywood: From Consulting to Creativity

06:17 • 20min

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Passion for Comics and Industry Insights

26:14 • 13min

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Navigating Hollywood's Power Shifts: From CAA to Disney

38:52 • 3min

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Behind Disney's Strategic Acquisitions

41:35 • 7min

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A Journey into Broadway: Merging Business and Art

48:12 • 5min

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Behind the Scenes: The Producer's Journey

53:13 • 16min

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Financing Marvel's Vision

01:08:47 • 20min

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The Birth of Iron Man

01:28:28 • 13min

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Balancing Creativity and Finance in Film

01:41:07 • 19min

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Strategic Negotiations in Entertainment

01:59:46 • 24min

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Creative Sparks and Weekend Inspirations

02:24:01 • 6min

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The Versatile Comfort of Viore Apparel

02:29:51 • 3min

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Stranger in a Strange Land

Robert A. Heinlein

The novel tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human born on Mars and raised by Martians after the deaths of the crew of the first mission to the planet. When Michael is brought back to Earth as an adult, he struggles to understand human behavior and culture. With the help of characters like Gillian Boardman and Jubal Harshaw, Michael navigates human society, critiques its institutions, and eventually starts his own movement, the 'Church of All Worlds. ' The novel explores themes of individual liberty, self-responsibility, and challenges to traditional social and religious norms. It is known for its complex characters, philosophical discussions, and its impact on the science fiction genre and the counterculture movement of the late 1960s.

Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 900M+ users, LMNT electrolyte supplement, and Vuori comfortable and durable performance apparel.

David Maisel (@maiseldavid) is the founder of Mythos Studios and the former founding chairman of Marvel Studios. In 2003, David pitched Marvel on his idea of Marvel financing and producing its own movies in a connected cinematic universe. He went on to executive produce Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Angry Birds Movie. In 2009, David arranged the sale of Marvel to Disney for $4 billion.

David is currently the Founder of Mythos Studios, an IP entertainment studio. The Ekos Genesis Art Collection, all 1/1 original hand-crafted digital art, is the first offering in the forthcoming Ekos Universe.

Please enjoy!

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[09:25] Michael Ovitz.

[17:00] How David became Michael's right-hand man.

[25:12] Creative interests.

[26:14] When David fell in love with comic books.

[28:34] Early Hollywood lessons — learned and taught.

[35:43] Resources for people aspiring to work in the entertainment industry.

[39:20] How Marvel enters the picture.

[48:11] A detour to Broadway theater.

[54:51] Making the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

[1:28:26] Why start the MCU with Iron Man?

[1:31:56] Decisions between development and deployment.

[1:36:18] Biggest challenges.