According to sources of Hollywood Reporter, Jep Loeb, Head of Marvel Television, will be leaving the company in the following weeks. “Loeb has been working on a transition plan to exit the company and is expected to formally announce his departure by Thanksgiving” sources say.
With Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. ending, it seems like a good time for Loeb to exit. Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. was the first live-action show that Loeb was credited as an executive producer. He would later be credited as an E.P. on Agent Carter, Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist.
One of Deadline’s sources said, “Jeph has been thinking about making a change for a while, and now seemed the right time to take that step.” This could be in regards to Kevin Feige earning the title of Chief Creative Officer at Marvel. This new title makes Feige the gatekeeper of storytelling for Marvel’s film and television divisions. Every story Marvel produces from now on will have to get the stamp of approval from Feige.
While Loeb had much success with Marvel, he has also had quite a few failures. His series New Warriors was picked up straight to series in 2017 and dropped months later by Freeform. A joint project with Hulu, Ghost Rider, was recently dropped after also being picked up for series earlier this year. The most rememberable flop to date is the Inhumans series. After failed launch in Imax theaters, the show went on to be widely criticized and not picked up for a second season. A review from USA Today described the show as, “The dialogue is stilted, the costumes are too literal, the sets are drab and the action scenes are poorly directed and hard to follow.”
After nearly a decade with Marvel, Loeb is in the market for an overall deal with another company. Loeb has written comics for Dark Horse, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Marvel Comics. He’s also credited as one of the screenwriters of the 80’s classic movie Teen Wolf. His biggest credit outside of Marvel is the co-executive producer for NBC’s hit Heroes.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Marvel has declined to comment.
Photo credit to Raymond Flotat.