Kevin Feige has cemented his name amongst the greatest producers of all time, having spearheaded Marvel Studios’ dominance at the box office.
Ever since Iron Man hit the theaters in 2008, movies under the umbrella of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have consistently shattered box office records, amassing nearly $30 billion over 32 films. However, the once seemingly unstoppable Marvel ship with Feige at the helm is starting to slow down, leading to questions over the President of Marvel Studios’ plans for the future.
How Kevin Feige Is Reacting to Crisis at Marvel
Kevin Feige, who was named president of production for Marvel Studios in March 2007, has made groundbreaking decisions since his first day in the office, starting with roping in Robert Downey Jr. to portray Tony Stark in Iron Man and kick-starting the iconic MCU franchise.
At the time, the Chaplin star was not everyone’s cup of tea due to his controversial behind-the-scenes life. Regardless, Feige backed Iron Man director Jon Favreau’s decision and took a gamble on Downey Jr. And that was just the start of it. Feige followed it by making one right decision after another to build an interconnected universe that kept churning out big bucks.
“Kevin’s real superpower, his genius, has always been in postproduction and getting his hands on movies and making sure that they finished strongly,” a source told Variety.
However, the last year or so hasn’t replicated the same results and a franchise that has enjoyed an uninterrupted string of hits finds itself tackling several issues, including the future of its next main supervillain Jonathan Majors, and underwhelming performances of their recent releases.
And it seems this time even Feige doesn’t have all the answers, with the never-ending stream of productions apparently taking its toll on the president.
“These days, he’s spread thin,” the source added.
This flood of products is also leading viewers to tune out, with Brie Larson’s The Marvels predicted to suffer from superhero fatigue.
What Kevin Feige Has Done to Keep Blade Reboot Project Alive
To stop this phase from stretching any further, Feige is pulling the plug on scripts and making changes in projects that aren’t working.
In particular, the Blade reboot has undergone a lot of changes ever since Mahershala Ali was confirmed to play the role of the famous half-vampire, half-mortal man who slays evil vampires. As per the Variety report, the project has gone through at least five writers, two directors, and one shutdown six weeks before production.
As reports suggested Ali, a two-time Oscar winner, is ready to depart over script issues, Feige hired Logan writer Michael Green to start anew. The film is now expected to hit the theaters in 2025. Interestingly, it will be made on a budget of less than $100 million – a relatively low figure for a Marvel-backed project. Larson’s upcoming movie boasts a budget of around $250 million.
