Tag: Kevin Feige

Marvel Studios Holds a “Post-Mortem” for Every MCU Project to Learn What Didn’t Work

For a long time, there was an ongoing joke that Tony Stark would always learn a lesson from a previous film that would make a short appearance in a future project. One of the most notable was when Rhodey had his accident in Captain America: Civil War, he made sure that Spider-Man had a safety parachute in his suit during Spider-Man: Homecoming. It looks like that ongoing joke is something that Marvel Studios also lives by.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed in an interview with Movie Business Podcast that they hold “post-mortem on every project” to take away lessons from each project and it even was something that started back in the first Iron Man all the way back in 2008 but they wouldn’t receive their name until much later.

We do a post-mortem on every project, or at least we try to, if we’re not too busy with the next project, to sit and discuss what went right and what went wrong. And I remember we started doing that, we were asked to do it for the first time on ‘Iron Man 1.’ And we call them ‘post-mortems’ now, at the time it was a ‘what went wrong’ meeting. We were asked to do a ‘what went wrong’ meeting for Iron Man. And I thought, ‘What went wrong? This movie’s a giant hit, it launched a whole studio? Why do we have to do a what went wrong meeting?

There’s something funny about hearing the comment regarding the reaction to a “what went wrong meeting” given that this isn’t an unusual practice in other industries. Though, it highlights the importance of what Marvel Studios has accomplished throughout the last 10+ years of pushing this franchise forward: they always try to learn what worked and didn’t work. He also highlights they always want to “entertain first” with their projects.

That’s a horrible way to put it, which is what I was reacting to. But it is actually great to sit and go, ‘Here’s what was done, here’s how we could have done it better.’ And we do that on every project. And I guess to distill it down of what lessons is learned is, entertain the audience [at every] turn. Frank Capra has a quote that our Co-President Louis D’esposito quotes often, which is basically distilled down to, entertain first.

The Internet might have their own opinions on what works or doesn’t work for the Marvel Studios projects, as someone can be quite vocal. But, it’s reassuring to know that they take this seriously and try to take some lessons away from any project they work on, no matter how successful. It might also reflect on how they keep it moving forward and building towards its future.

Going by many rumors and reports making the rounds, it seems they learned quite a bit from their pandemic era that consisted of Phase 4 and have adjusted accordingly going into their next phase of films and building towards the climax that is Avengers: Secret Wars and the end of the Multiverse Saga.

Source: Movie Business Podcast via The Direct

January 28, 2023
Marvel Studios President Reveals their Goal With the MCU

There’s always an ongoing discussion on the value that Marvel STudios brings as a production studio. There’s a bizarre fascination with the phenomenon of a Cinematic Universe running for over ten years and still having a powerful hold on the market. While Phase 4 may be considered their most “mixed” depending on who you ask, there’s no denying that they still remain a curious cinematic entry in the history.

Yet, as many discuss where its value lies, may it be in its cinematic approach to storytelling or even if it holds any actual cinematic value. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige believes that their main goal is to be “entertaining” to those watching their films or series; the same goes for the creatives working with them to bring these projects to life..

You can have as many beautiful messages, and beautiful life theories, and beautiful thematics that you want to put into the world, that all of us do, and all of our filmmakers do. But if you are not entertaining first, it will fall on deaf ears. And I think that has always been the way, and that thankfully when you are making the kind of movies that you love to see then that will also go into entertaining yourself, which is what we also try to do here at Marvel Studios
Kevin Feige

There are many discussions online, but there’s one thing that does showcase why of all attempts at a cinematic universe, Marvel manages to remain at the top. There’s a passion in the producing team and those they work with. If Marvel is forever only time can tell but as long as there is some passion, they won’t likely stop doing the things they enjoy bringing to life. No matter how the internet reacts but as long as their films fill the seats.

Source: Movie Business Podcast via The Direct

January 28, 2023
Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige Personally Offered Ke Huy Quan to Join the MCU

Ke Huy Quan is back with a vengeance. The actor once made a big splash in films like The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom but was unable to truly land a role for many years. Now, the actor returned to theaters with a stunning performance in Everything Everywhere all at Once, which just recently won him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.

That’s not all he has planned, as the actor is also set to kick off his first franchise role as part of Loki‘s second season. Details are still being kept a secret on who exactly he might be playing, but in an interview with Josh Horowitz‘s Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor revealed a rather interesting detail.

In the interview, the actor revealed that he didn’t actually audition for the role. Rather, Kevin Feige watched Everything Everywhere All at Once and personally asked him if he was interested in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There was a lot of fanfare when he was announced as part of the cast during D23 and it’s even more exciting to find out that Feige personally wanted him on board.

Here’s hoping that the actor has many more roles just waiting for him after his recent success, and we’ll also get a tease on who exactly he is playing once the first full trailer for Loki‘s second season releases. He’s a talented actor and it would be great to see a lot more of him in the future, in more future MCU titles, and any other project he’ll join.

You can watch the full interview here:

Source: YouTube

January 12, 2023
Kevin Feige Teases New MCU Announcements “in the Coming Months”

There’s been a lot of questions about where the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be heading. Phase 4 has seemingly been the most disjointed, echoing the early days of Phase 1 and 2 where it seemed like these projects were a bit looser in connection. Yet, as the MCU’s Phase 4 is slowly coming to an end with its upcoming releases, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has teased that we’ll get to see more of the roadmap in the coming months. The time frame would match with San Diego Comic-Con, D23, and Disney+ Day on the horizon. His full quote is as follows:

[…] we’ll be a little more direct about that in the coming months, to set a plan, so audiences who want to see the bigger picture can see a tiny, tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap.
Kevin Feige

It’s exciting to know that we’ll get a tease of what the future has in store, but it does seem like we shouldn’t expect any full-phase announcements. It does seem like Marvel Studios has generally moved away from that concept and with the new TV series also trying to build upon smaller announcements to further expand the franchise. So, who knows if Phase 4 truly will end or just continue to whenever thee story is getting a new kickstart into the next stages of the current Saga.

Source: TotalFilm

June 20, 2022
Vincent D’Onofrio Describes “The Game” Behind Marvel Studios’ Secrets

Marvel Studios loves their secrets. Whether it’s casting reveals, plot details, or even the episode count of a streaming series, the studio works hard to keep things undercover. For Hawkeye, that meant trying to keep the return of Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin a secret, something that was no small task.

In a recent interview with Marvel News Desk, D’Onofrio was asked about working with the famously secretive studio:

In the end I find it hard to believe that, the fans that I come across are intelligent people and I find it hard to believe that they don’t know its a game. And that the game evokes excitement and sometimes provokes excitement, and so I think it’s a fun game to play. And yes, sometimes its weird because in the moment, it gets bizarre, but you know the best thing about that situation from the actor’s point of view, I’ll say, is that I really don’t know anything. I literally don’t, you know, and at this point I would rather not, because its an uncomfortable position to be in.
Vincent D’Onofrio

D’Onofrio quickly clarified that while it is bizarre and uncomfortable for the actor to have to keep so many secrets while fans wildly speculate, it is still enjoyable:

You know even when I said its an uncomfortable position to be in, just as I said that, the first thing comes to my mind is: “but it’s kind of fun. The game is kind of fun”
Vincent D’Onofrio

Keeping a return such as Wilson Fisk quiet definitely couldn’t have been easy, especially for D’Onofrio who loves the character so much, but it was sure worth the wait. Now let the games begin again people wonder just where Kingpin will show up next.

SOURCE: Marvel News Desk

January 13, 2022
Report Hints at Internal Strife Between Kevin Feige and Disney Over ‘Black Widow’s Release

It looks like the Black Widow drama might leave its scars internally. There have been various hints that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was a strong contender for Disney to wait out the pandemic for a pure theatrical release. Yet, Disney moved forward with pulling it on their streaming platform. This decision has now recently led the film’s lead, Scarlett Johansson, to file a lawsuit against the company. Disney’s backlash by calling out her actions may have stirred up some discomfort within the company. Hollywood Reporter’s Matthew Belloni shared a “What I’m Hearing” newsletter that hints at Feige being unhappy with the overall release and seemed to have predicted the potential lawsuit.

[Feige is] a company man, and not prone to corporate showdowns or shouting matches. But I’m told he’s angry and embarrassed He lobbied Disney against the day-and-date plan for Black Widow, preferring the big screen exclusivity and not wanting to upset his talent. And then when the sh-t hit the fan, the movie started tanking, and Johansson’s team threatened litigation, he wanted Disney to make this right with her.

This report matches what has been talked about for some time and opens up the question about Disney and Marvel Studios’ relationship moving forward. It also doesn’t bode well for Disney CEO Bob Chapek‘s current run as the new head of the company, after only recently taking over from Bob Iger. The hope of utilizing the streaming service within the pandemic made sense, but it seems they simply moved forward without consulting internally.

Of course, it’s not an easy decision to make, but this move could leave some scars between the house of mouse and its subsidiary. It also reveals the limitations of what Feige can decide and with backlash after backlash, Jungle Cruise may lead to similar events. It’s Disney’s hands to do the right thing, but their first legal and public action left a sour taste. So, we’ll keep an eye out on how this develops.

Source: What I’m Hearing Newsletter via Comic Book

July 30, 2021
Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige Talks New Approach to the MCU Actor’s Contracts

It looks like Marvel Studios has changed its approach to their actor’s contractual obligations. In the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some actors would be signed up to six or even nine films, which was long rumored to be the case with Samuel L. Jackson and Sebastian Stan. Since Avengers: Endgame released, we’ve seen many long-time Marvel actors leave the franchisee.

There are many hints that Black Widow will be the last time we see Scarlett Johnasson on-screen as Natasha Romanoff. We have seen exceptions, such as many of the MCU actors lending their voices to the upcoming What If series. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige discussed their new approach after acknowledging the earlier contracts in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

It varies, project to project, cast to cast. Really, what we want are people that come in, are excited to be in the universe, are excited at the opportunity to do more things, as opposed to being locked into contractual obligations.

We’ve seen in the past that many of the franchise’s actors are open to returning even for minor roles. There have been times where these even led to actors having a bad experience with the studio, such as Idris Elba openly stating not wanting to return as Heimdall in Thor: The Dark World. Luckily, Thor: Ragnarok seemed to change his mind on the matter as he had fun filming it. Still, the new approach is a showcase that they want to build long-term relationships with actors in a way that doesn’t restrict them either.

We’ve seen that flexibility more and more, such as adapting their schedules to allow James Gunn to finish his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. There was even mention of contracts being set up for “theme park attractions,” which might hint at the voice-acting roles they have done to bring some of their beloved characters to life in various rides or videos in Disney’s theme parks. So, it’s a clear sign that Marvel Studios has continued to expand since the early days o a small studio risking it all on a C-list character.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Telegraph

July 7, 2021
‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Rumored Cut Storyline May Get a Comic Adaptation

The showrunner for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Malcolm Spellman, was interviewed by Amon Warmann on the Fade to Black Podcast this week. Even though he shied away from several topics not to spill anything on Marvel Studios’ plans, there were still a few curious soundbites to highlight. When asked about the rumor floating around that a “lost” storyline might have been cut from the show because it mirrored the current COVID-19 pandemic a bit too closely, Spellman gave the following statement:

I’ve been told to stop saying that [refering to the “lost” storyline]. I loved it and it had nothing to do with the pandemic. (…) I want to see if we can get some of the writers to do a book run on it because I think Kevin [Feige] does it. I’ve been told to stop talking about it.

This would indicate that the “lost” storyline might not be lost for long. Given Spellman loved it so much, it might get the traction to get adapted in comic form. Since it ended up being cut entirely from the show, it will still feel like a fresh idea and not a simple rehash of old material. The reference to Kevin Feige is also noteworthy since he was named Chief Creative Officer for Marvel Comics back in October 2019. It gave him a larger role in deciding which storylines make it to the comics.

Another takeaway from that quote is how Spellman negates that the storyline was cut due to the pandemic or potentially related to it. The idea first started when it was revealed that the limited liability company created for the series was titled Pandemic Productions. Now, it seems that the only real impact COVID-19 had on the show was purely in terms of safety precautions and limitations on their shooting locations. It seems it had little to do with the actual story being told. He also hints at this in the interview by revealing they initially had eight episodes mapped out before cutting out the “flab” as he called it. It’ll be interesting to see if this mysterious storyline makes a return in comic form sometime in the future.

Source: CNBC, Fade to Black Podcast

April 27, 2021
Untitled Kevin Feige ‘Star Wars’ Movie

Premiere: TBD

In September of 2019, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, struck a deal with Lucasfilm to develop a yet-untitled film set in the Star Wars universe. Little is known about the project, said by Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy to be “a ways off” yet, but Feige has teased that he already has a high-profile actor in mind for a key role in the film.

November 30, 2020