Kevin Feige gave a surprising response to Nick Fury singing on-stage in the new, real-life Rogers: The Musical.
Inspired by the fictional Broadway show from Hawkeye on Disney+, Disney Parks and Marvel Studios made this MCU moment (and reoccurring Easter egg) an actuality by creating a real live theater adaptation for the Disneyland Resort.
Apart from Hawkeye's "Save the City" showstopper, Rogers: The Musical's creatives were tasked with creating several new Marvel-inspired musical numbers, one of which featured the star of Secret Invasion and sparked a strong reaction from the Marvel Studios President.
Kevin Feige's Response to Singing Nick Fury
Following a media preview for Rogers: The Musical, Disney and Marvel creatives revealed Kevin Feige's initial reaction to the musical stylings of Nick Fury.
Just like in Captain America: The First Avenger, Fury appears in Rogers: The Musical when Steve realizes he's no longer in the 1940s and missed his date with Peggy.
Where Rogers: The Musical differs, however, is with the musical number titled "What You Missed," where Fury gives Cap that notebook from The Winter Soldier and fills him in on major historical and pop cultural events through song.
Yes, this means the former SHIELD director sings about Star Wars (another franchise in which Samuel L. Jackson has a role), as well as I Love Lucy, the Berlin Wall, the moon landing, Steve Jobs, and even Nirvana.
What Marvel audiences will especially appreciate is the one last thing Steve missed - the existence of other remarkable people like himself - and which perfectly dovetails into a musical retelling of Fury's Avengers Initiative speech.
David Bushore, the Vice President of Franchise Creative and Marketing at Marvel Studios, began telling this Kevin Feige story by explaining, "We're watching it at WDI (Walt Disney Imagineering), and Nick Fury's singing..."
"I have to set this up. So Dan brings me the animatic, and we're watching it at WDI, and Nick Fury's singing. And, I'm like, 'Ok, interesting. Um, what?' And then, we talked about it and you explained it and I went, 'Ok, I get it, I get it, I get it. Cool. Cool. Cool.' And, then we took it to Kevin, we're sitting in Kevin's office, me and Dan [Fields]..."
That same Dan Fields, who serves as the Executive Creative Director at Disney Live Entertainment, continued, saying, "And Kevin [Feige] says, 'Nick Fury sings? That should be on the billboard!'"
"And Kevin says, 'Nick Fury sings? That should be on the billboard!' He said, 'Embrace that. Lean into that.' So that kind of trust between the studio and the entertainment and Imagineering and the scope of these amazing consultants and collaborators, that's where that energy comes from. We get to create something new."
Feige Knows What MCU Fans Want
It's no secret that Kevin Feige is a fan of the concept of Rogers: The Musical.
Following Hawkeye's premiere in late 2021, series director Rhys Thomas revealed that Feige "seized on it right away" and remained invested in the idea despite Thomas' own concerns, saying "No, we're doing it."
In addition, Marc Shaiman, the composer and lyricist of "Save the City," confirmed Kevin Feige even signed off the song's in-universe references, noting, "From Kevin Feige on down, they were like 'This is good.'"
Then, at the 2022 D23 Expo, the studio president actually chose to kickstart Marvel Studios' panel with an energetic live performance of "Save the City."
Whether he knew then that the number would be performed in an actual Rogers: The Musical across the street at the Disneyland Resort's Disney California Adventure is unknown.
However, it does explain why he was on board with a melodious Nick Fury; and the fact he encouraged Dan Fields to "embrace that" not only illustrates the trust Marvel Studios has with Disney but also his own understanding of what piques audience interest and wins over fans.
And, as usual, Feige knew best. Nicholas J. Fury's "What You Missed" is a major crowd-pleaser and a surprising reward for those, particularly well-versed MCU fans.
Rogers: The Musical is being performed at Disney California Adventure's Hyperion Theater (and next to Avengers Campus) Tuesday through Saturday most weeks from June 30 to August 31, 2023.
