In a sentimental post on Twitter, Marvel writer and producer Joe Quesada turned in his "keys to the Universe" and wished his Marvel family a fond farewell. After two decades, Quesada informs fans that the time has come for him to officially move on from the colossal entertainment company in order to pursue a handful of his own projects, adding that he may still contribute to his Marvel family on occasion in the future. In true superhero fashion, Quesada soared from freelance artist to executive vice president and creative director of Marvel Entertainment.
Quesada began his Marvel journey at the heart of it all: as a fan. An avid comic book reader, he went on to become a freelance artist in 1990 for DC Comics and then Valiant Comics, dipping into all the major comic book publishers early on in his career. At DC, Quesada had a hand in co-creating both The Ray and Azrael for the miniseries Batman: Sword of Azrael. With Valiant, Quesada flourished, creating covers and interiors for comics like Ninjak, Solar, and Man of the Atom, among others. All this was before Marvel contacted him in 1998, contracting him to produce the Marvel Knights.
Only two years later, Quesada was asked to be the editor-in-chief of Marvel at the genesis of the 2000s, only eight years prior to Iron Man skyrocketing Marvel back into the public sphere. With Marvel, Quesada worked diligently to take Marvel superheroes from their rigid continuity to something more palatable for modern readers with the Ultimate line. He implemented restrictions on the resurrections of superheroes in an attempt to encourage writers to put more thought into their characters and comics. These, among other changes, bolstered Quesada's standing with Marvel and in 2010 he was promoted to Chief Creative Officer.
As CCO at Marvel, Quesada preserved the essence of the classic superheroes and characters of the Marvel universe, which had recently been purchased by Disney. The new role allowed Quesada more flexibility and creative authority. As CCO, Quesada oversaw the relaunch of the Avengers franchise and The Fantastic Four; he also continued to create art up until 2018. In 2019, Quesada settled into his final role as executive vice president and creative director for Marvel Entertainment. Quesada was also a producer, writer, and director for Marvel and worked on tons of projects including the TV series Daredevil, The Punisher, and Jessica Jones.
As for his future, Quesada hints at a project that may be Marvel-related, as well as several other personal projects including an indie film he wrote and directed. On his departure, he quotes T.S. Eliot's poem 'Little Gidding', "We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time." This could hint at Quesada's return to his art, as well as the creation of original superheroes, but for now, it's a happy farewell.
You can read his farewell in his tweet below: