Credit: D23The MCU will change forever if this really pans out.
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The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of Marvel Studios helmed by Kevin Feige has changed the game for the superhero movie genre — and the film industry in general. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become massive in recent years, with the MCU’s dramatic ending to Marvel Studios’ Phase Three, Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019) concluding the Infinity Saga.
These Avengers films began it all, starting from 2012’s Joss Whedon-directed The Avengers starring Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man/Tony Stark), Chris Evans (Captain America/Steve Rogers), Chris Hemsworth (Thor Odinson), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/the Incredible Hulk), Tom Hiddleston (Loki Laufeyson/Loki Odinson), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury). The MCU has totally redefined the industry by establishing a new precedent for bringing multiple films together into the same “cinematic universe”.
The Marvel Studios approach so far
So far, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has been keen on putting forward crazy plans moving into the MCU’s new “Multiverse Saga”. With Phase Four concluding in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Phase Five has begun focusing around Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the new Thanos (Josh Brolin) follow-up villain, introducing him to movie-going audiences in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Now, the Kang storyline will wrap up with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2025) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2026), adapting the Secret Wars storyline from the Marvel Comics, as well as bringing in the Fantastic Four and X-Men worlds into the MCU fold.
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Marvel Studios have been known for letting less experienced filmmakers and writers shine, but many recent MCU projects have been criticized of late for being lackluster — from the writing, to the visuals/CGI, to the direction.
Now, Marvel boss Feige seems dead set on changing the direction and strategies behind the way Marvel Studios movies are made moving forward.
How is Kevin Feige changing the MCU for good?
The Hot Mic podcast recently sat down to talk Marvel, and insider Jeff Sneider opened up about the new direction President Feige is allegedly taking. As The Direct reports, it appears that Kevin Feige wants more “established talent behind the camera”. This indicates that Feige might be veering away from their tried-and-true methods of giving lesser known directors and writers shots at Marvel work — as it was such risks that found Marvel Studios’ golden team of Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, AKA the Russo Brothers, who gifted the MCU Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), and their largest successes to date, Infinity War and Endgame.
According to Deadline reporter Justin Kroll, it appears that sources close to the Marvel process indicate that Feige doesn’t want to have to babysit directors on big Marvel Studios shoots any more, and quite liked that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) director Sam Raimi was rather independent in his methods:
Kevin doesn’t want oversee entire shoot and after not having to worry about that with Raimi, he is very game to same outcome with this shoot.
Just as the lesser-known Russo Bros were hired, and the Marvel Studios acquired the Thor franchise’s Taika Waititi, and even Black Panther‘s Ryan Coogler, Marvel gave She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) head writer Jessica Gao and Ant-Man 3 writer Jeff Loveness (both Rick and Morty alumni) shots at bigger things. Now, Loveness is even writing the massive mainline Avengers picture, The Kang Dynasty, AKA Avengers 5.
Perhaps this new approach will give the MCU some much needed diversity through experienced, independent vision movie-to-movie. Feige going that route will certainly change the MCU’s overall cohesive feel — even if that “cohesiveness” is often panned for being “same-y” and CGI-bloated. Or things could end up like one of the lowest rated Marvel Studios movies and the oft-quoted MCU misfire — Chloé Zhao’s Eternals (2021).
What do you think about Kevin Feige’s reported new approach? Do you think the MCU’s feel could change entirely? Share your thoughts in the comments below!