#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 Smar

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! * This episode is brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness. LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. For a limited time, you can get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase. This special offer is available here: DrinkLMNT.com/Tim. * This episode is also brought to you by Vuori Clothing! Vuori is a new and fresh perspective on performance apparel, perfect if you are sick and tired of traditional, old workout gear. Everything is designed for maximum comfort and versatility so that you look and feel as good in everyday life as you do working out. Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet at VuoriClothing.com/Tim. Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but you’ll also enjoy free shipping on any US orders over $75 and free returns. * This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer. Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 900 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim. * [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. [1:39:45] Animated feature films. [1:41:14] Not just another pretty suit. [1:47:20] Five stars for Favreau. [1:48:48] Why hasn't David done more PR until recently? [1:53:24] The surprise success of Iron Man. [1:59:45] Wheeling and dealing with Bob Iger. [2:08:50] Ron Burkle. [2:10:35] Finalizing the big sale to Disney. [2:14:36] Recommended reading. [2:15:17] Building new mythologies and legacies in a post-MCU landscape. [2:21:12] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. 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