Mr. Arad left Marvel last year after a power struggle with his former deputy in which he tried to have Mr. Maisel ousted, according to two executives knowledgeable about the tension. One of those executives said that Mr. Arad had disagreed with Mr. Maisel over budget cuts to the new Marvel movies and the production timetable, which Mr. Arad considered too rushed. Asked about the conflict, Mr. Arad said that he had left Marvel because he wanted to start his own company, Avi Arad Productions. Mr. Maisel declined to comment on the relationship, but said the budget and timing were in line with similar Hollywood productions. Mr. Maisel has also clashed with Ryan Kavanaugh, a Hollywood financier, over credit for Marvel Studios' financial formula. Mr. Maisel said repeatedly during the interview that he had devised the strategy. But documents from early 2004 indicate that Mr. Kavanaugh's Relativity Management, which was hired as a consultant on the deal, made the initial proposal and the subsequent plans.