Kevin Feige has been an instrumental figure in the creation of the MCU and the unprecedented success that it has achieved over the years. The studio head has done the impossible by making an interconnected cinematic universe with the MCU and managed to deliver an emotionally satisfying finale with Avengers: Endgame.
While the MCU started with 2008’s Iron Man, The early 2000s already had a slew of Marvel movies that were produced by different studios. 20th Century Fox had X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil, Sony had Spider-Man, Universal had Hulk, etc. The MCU would have been a different story altogether if all these films were built as a larger interconnected narrative.
Fans Debate On An Alternate MCU With Interconnected Marvel Films of The Early 2000s
The Marvel brand found a new lease of life in the theatrical space with 1998’s Blade. The early 2000s saw the boom of the superhero genre with Fox’s X-Men films and Sony’s Spider-Man films with Tobey Maguire. Fox also made other Marvel films including the two Fantastic Four films, Daredevil and Elektra at the time, but the films did not have an interconnected narrative.
Kevin Feige changed all that as he built the MCU starting with 2008’s Iron Man which led to The Avengers in 2012. However, if the early 2000s Marvel films were interconnected, the ‘alternate’ MCU that would come out of that would not be the MCU we know now. Many events and characters might not have played out in the MCU as fans know it including Chris Evans‘ Captain America.
As fans discussed this possibility on Reddit, one fan Naive-Connection-516 wrote, “Could you imagine never seeing Chris Evans as Captain America? It was not the same magic with him as Johnny Storm”. Evans had already been in the Marvel universe playing Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four films. He may never have played Captain America if the MCU started with the early 2000s Marvel films.
Another fan JELjr7 wrote how the ‘alternate’ MCU would have been incredibly chaotic (The X-Men films already had serious continuity and timelines issues) writing, “It probably would have been an absolute nightmare that only resulted in a cameo here or there”. Feige took the right call to start afresh with his cinematic universe which became the juggernaut franchise we know today.
Kevin Feige Promises That Deadpool & Wolverine Is More than Just R-Rated Shenanigans
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman-starrer Deadpool & Wolverine is slowly inching towards its release date and the stars have been promoting the film heavily. Lucky fans have seen 30-35 minutes of the film and have praised its audacious and edgy nature. Additionally, the film will have a strong emotional core according to Kevin Feige.
In an interview with Deadline, the Marvel head teased that Deadpool & Wolverine is the most wholesome R-rated film one could ever see. While audiences will get the expected raunchiness and R-rated action sequences, the film is ultimately a sweet journey that celebrates friendship and found family. Feige said,
It’s R-rated, yes there’s some language and blood, but the film is incredibly emotional. I keep calling it the most wholesome R-rated film that anybody can ever see. It really is a celebration of friendship and family and of found family.
When people see the movie, it’s going to be about how heartfelt it is — in my opinion, much more than the first two Deadpool films. That’s what I’m really excited about, once people get past the ‘F’ words and the R-rating, to see how sweet it is.
The Marvel head honcho also announced that he and the cast of the film will be at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25 for a Deadpool & Wolverine panel. This further shows the confidence that they have in the film. The highly anticipated Marvel feature will hit theatres worldwide on July 26, 2024.
