Last night's Golden Globes was a watershed moment for Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios. Hard to believe considering all he's accomplished in ten years, but with Black Panther earning three nominations, and likely to receive more at the Oscars, Marvel is entering a new era of respectability. And you could tell Feige was hyped to be at his first Globes because he couldn't stop himself from chatting with MTV about it, and a lot of other things, while on the red carpet.
“[‘Black Panther’] is certainly the most important victory we’ve ever had,” Feige said, and he's not wrong. More than just another superhero movie, Black Panther set the bar for cultural diversity on the big screen, and became a phenomenon that actually beat Avengers: Infinity War at the domestic box office. But think about that for a moment; Marvel movies have made over $4B and have literally changed the way studios produce blockbuster projects. Still, Marvel is finding ways to break new ground and top themselves.
This is shaping up to be another huge year with Captain Marvel, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and that other little movie, Avengers: Endgame. For months, MONTHS, there was endless speculation about what the movie's title would be. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo made things worse by teasing it in social media posts, which I'm convinced were all a ruse to rile up nerd Twitter. According to Feige, the title is one they've had since the very beginning, despite making everyone wait so long to learn it...
“[The title] was in place before we started developing the movie, or just as we were developing it,” revealed Feige. “So, Doctor Strange says that line because we knew it was the title.”
If there's been a complaint about the Endgame trailer it's that we don't really see that much, and that's likely to continue. Feige was asked about rumors the marketing would only focus on the first 15 minutes of the movie, and he pretty much agreed that's the case...
“I would call it somewhat accurate, yeah. Being able to generate excitement without giving away any of the many, many, many secrets would be ideal.”
As for the fate of Guardians of the Galaxy 3, which is still director-less after the firing of James Gunn, Feige could only say that he intends to make the film someday...
“’Guardians’ will happen — when, where, or how… [that’s] for a later time,” he said.
One thing Feige is more than happy to talk about is the possibility of working with Vice director Adam McKay. In recent weeks we've heard that he's been approached by Marvel already, but it seems McKay is holding out for the Fox deal to go through so he can work on Silver Surfer...
“[Adam McKay is] an honest-to-goodness fan. He did a lot of behind-the-scenes help with us on the first ‘Ant-Man’ film.”
After some chatter about Vice, Feige added with a smile, “I look forward to speaking with him more.”
Make it happen, Marvel.
