The Tim Ferriss Show

#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

Jun 7, 2023

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

Episode guests

David Maisel

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Quick takeaways

David Maisel recognized the potential of Marvel's characters to appeal to a specific demographic, leading to the creation of Marvel Studios.

Maisel's experience producing the Broadway show Fosse solidified his passion for storytelling and merging creative and business skills.

David Maisel's vision to build a studio that could produce and distribute its own films led to the formation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Maisel's journey taught him the importance of working with creatives, understanding shareholder value, and merging creativity with strategic business thinking.

The success of Iron Man solidified Marvel Studios' position and led to the eventual sale to Disney, capitalizing on potential long-term growth.

Deep dives

The Formation of Marvel Studios

In 2003, David Maisel, under the guidance of Michael Ovitz, started conceiving the idea for Marvel Studios. He believed that there was a gap in Disney's customer base, specifically targeting males between the ages of 12 and having kids. Maisel recognized the potential of Marvel's characters and their ability to appeal to this demographic. Despite a rejection in the past, Maisel saw the value in the Marvel IP and recommended that Disney acquire the company. However, the idea was not well-received and Maisel was eventually let go from Disney. This sparked his desire to create his own studio.

Financial structuring and creative vision: A behind-the-scenes look at Marvel's MCU

01:34

Understanding Motivations for Successful Deal-Making

00:40

The Role of Studios in Movie-making

01:31

Lessons learned from Michael Ovitz's tenacity and street smarts

01:27

Intro

4min

The Essential Role of Electrolytes on Low-Carb Diets

2min

Navigating Hollywood: From Consulting to Creativity

20min

Passion for Comics and Industry Insights

13min

Navigating Hollywood's Power Shifts: From CAA to Disney

3min

Behind Disney's Strategic Acquisitions

7min

A Journey into Broadway: Merging Business and Art

5min

Behind the Scenes: The Producer's Journey

16min

Financing Marvel's Vision

20min

10.

The Birth of Iron Man

13min

11.

Balancing Creativity and Finance in Film

19min

12.

Strategic Negotiations in Entertainment

24min

13.

Creative Sparks and Weekend Inspirations

6min

14.

The Versatile Comfort of Viore Apparel

3min

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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.

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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.