Marvel has announced a leadership change that will see Marvel Studios executive Brad Winderbaum expand his role to include comics and franchise in addition to television and animation. David Abdo will move over from Disney to become general manager of comics and franchise.
Dan Buckley, the longtime head of comics and franchise, will depart after a nearly 30 years combined with Marvel. Buckley will remain through mid-2027 to support the transition. C.B. Cebulski, current Marvel editor-in-chief, will report to Abdo.
“Brad’s exceptional creative leadership and David’s deep experience in operations and digital innovation will be a powerful pairing as we begin building out the next 90 years of Marvel’s comic book legacy,” said Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios and Chief Creative Officer of Marvel. “Brad brings a proven ability to lead creative teams and craft ongoing, episodic narratives that resonate with our fans around the world, while David offers a strong track record of operational excellence and strategic growth. I’m excited for what they’ll be able to do together.”
Buckley first joined Marvel in the early 1990s and held roles in product development, international publishing and marketing services. He left for a stint at marketing agency Omnicom’s Radiate Group, then returned to Marvel in 2003 as publisher. He was promoted to president of Marvel Entertainment in 2017.
“From events like Civil War, Secret Wars, X-Men: Age of Krakoa and the soon to be released Marvel Midnight imprint, to the expansion into video games, television, animation and more, Marvel’s influence on popular culture expanded under Dan’s leadership, bringing our characters and stories to new fans around the world,” said Feige. “Dan has left a lasting mark on Marvel’s legacy and on the comics industry, and I’m deeply grateful to him and pleased we will have his full support through this transition.”
As for the new leadership, Winderbaum has overseen Marvel’s television and animation output, serving as executive producer on Hawkeye, Loki, X-Men ’97, Daredevil: Born Again and Agatha: All Along, among many others. Abdo joins from Disney Music Group, where he served as general manager.
The change follows the news from last month that Marvel laid off several staff members as part of a bigger layoff by Disney, including David Gabriel, who was SVP of print, sales & marketing.