The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an insane feat. It really should be one of the seven wonders of the world.
Sure, it is not a physical landmark, but the amount of work it took to get to where it is now is nothing short of insane. The MCU is now 25 films and 4 Disney+ series deep, and there is one man that made it all possible: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
Now, that's not to take away from everyone else who has worked on these countless projects. Every single person involved helped make the MCU as beloved as it is. But it was Feige who was leading the charge and helped establish a cohesive foundation for everything to be built on and thrive going forward.
One would assume that after working so hard for nearly two decades now, that Feige might be a little burnt out at this point. Well, it might be time to think again.
Kevin Feige Reveals Inspirations For The Future
The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has just been released to the world. Within its pages, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of new tidbits of information and quotes from those responsible for bringing the MCU to life.
Towards the end of the book, the conversation turns to what's in store for the future, where a big question is asked: "Where do you go next once you've made the most successful string of films in history?"
It's a question with no easy answer, and after 23 films, one would think that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige would be exhausted. It's quite the opposite, with the producer saying that "[he is] as excited now as [he] was on day one," something he chalks up as a "testament to the characters, and to the audience."
Feige pointed a finger at how fans are willing to go with the studio to unexpected places, a quality that "keeps the creative fires burning brightly," and the Marvel boss is inspired by the challenge to exceed audience expectations over the next decade.
The book makes an important note: "at the end of the day, Feige is a fan first."
Need proof? Feige's office is full of collectibles. From MCU action figures and art, to collectibles based on his favorite movies, and even Star Wars memorabilia.
Feige connects his love of buying merch to the idea that one would only want to do that "if the show or the movie was so powerful... that you wanted to expand the experience."
“I love buying merchandise, [but] the only reason you would want to do that is if the show or the movie was so powerful and you connected with it so much that you wanted to expand the experience... and every time we've followed our instincts, the audience has come with us. Also, it's a testament to the eighty years of publishing, and to the way the characters have grown and evolved that Stan [Lee] and Jack [Kirby] and Steve [Ditko] and everybody created and even conceived in a way to allow them to grow, change, and evolve."
Energized Feige Means Good Things
If Kevin Feige is truly just as excited as he was on day one, then the future truly looks bright.
It's easy to see why he would still be pumped. Sure, there's an enormous amount of pressure, but the producer just got an entirely new set of toys to play with down the line.
For one, there's those Disney+ shows which have been able to expand upon the MCU in completely new and unexpected ways––Loki, out of all projects, was the one to introduce the Multiverse to the world.
Then there was the Fox acquisition, which gave Feige the keys to characters such as The Fantastic Four, Galactus, and the X-Men––how could he not be thrilled to continue his work?
The day Feige finally decides to leave the Marvel Studios family will be a sad day, but fans should not expect that for a long time. He may even be able to continue making Hulk films thanks to the rumor that a World War Hulk project is on its way, which is something that the producer has wanted to do for a while.
The future is bright Marvel fans. We're in the golden ages now.
Fans can pick up The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe now, wherever books are sold.
