Walt Disney Co. has bounced Marvel Entertainment chairman Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter.
The 80-year-old comics titan, who has long been a prickly presence within the Burbank entertainment company, got swept up in a broad cost-cutting move that began earlier this week. Disney confirmed Wednesday that Perlmutter had received his pink slip.
When Disney purchased the comic book publisher Marvel in 2009, Perlmutter instantly became one of the largest individual shareholders in the entertainment conglomerate, giving him rare powers. Disney afforded the Israeli American billionaire a wide berth to help shape Marvel strategy and projects, including "Iron Man" and "The Avengers" — movies that have generated billions of dollars in box office receipts for Disney.
