If the MCU is one of the biggest and most popular film franchises today, a major portion of the credit goes to Marvel head Kevin Feige. His vision to develop and interconnect the vast narratives of Marvel Comics, resulted in a massive cinematic universe of of iconic superheroes played by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
As is the case with most inspirational journeys, Feige surmounted many challenges and differences of opinion from his superiors in the franchise, to ultimately create the MCU according to his vision. The Marvel head fought for the inclusion of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow in Avengers, after the character was not considered owing to the poor responses to female superheroes and female-led comic book films.
Kevin Feige Ensured That Black Widow Was A Prominent Character In Avengers
Apart from being a pioneer in the field of comic book adaptations on the big screen, Kevin Feige also proved that he was a true feminist. The Marvel CEO was instrumental in making Black Widow an integral part of the Avengers Ensemble, after the character was shut down by the Chariman of Marvel Entertainment, Isaac ‘Ike’ Perlmutter, who felt that female-led superhero films or female characters in Marvel, were less significant than their male counterparts when it came to box office collections.
Avengers director Joss Whedon though, was steadfast in his opinion that the film must include a female member. Kevin Feige concurred with this opinion and supported Whedon strongly. The producer was even willing to risk his prestigious position at Marvel to ensure that Black Widow would be an Avenger. In a conversation with Mark Ruffalo, which was part of the book MCU-The Reign of Marvel Studios, Feige was quoted saying,
”Listen, I might not be here tomorrow. Ike does not believe that anyone will go to a female-starring superhero movie. So if I am still here tomorrow, you will know that I won the battle.”
Indeed, the battle was won, and Kevin Feige proved to his colleagues and to the world that he was a strong believer in gender equality. Thanks to the Marvel head’s persistence, Black Widow became one of the most loved characters in the MCU.
Kevin Feige’s Humble Beginnings Before Becoming Marvel’s Ringmaster
The term ‘ success comes to those who wait’, could be a perfect way to describe Kevin Feige and his journey to the top. The Marvel CEO has the coveted job of running one of the biggest studios in Hollywood. As a child in New Jersey, Feige enjoyed playing with action figures, reading comic books and watching movies. But the road to realize his dream was paved with challenges.
After being rejected 5 times from University of Southern California’s film school, the CEO continued to persist and finally gained admission in 1985. While at USC, Feige scored an internship under producers Richard and Lauren Shuler Donner, but his job involved walking dogs, fixing lunches and washing cars. The experience being around his mentors though, led to him becoming a producer for X-Men, and subsequently catching the eye of Avi Arad, the former Marvel Entertainment CEO and founder of Marvel Studios.
