Having guided the shared universe every step of the way – on a path which has led it to box office preeminence in the form of the highest grossing film franchise of all time, mind you – it’s understandable that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is as protective as the parent of a newborn when considering the future of the MCU.
As such, we can forgive the producing vet of twenty years for being a tad cagey when he was asked if post-Phase Three, Marvel’s treating their films differently, given the cataclysmic conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War. After all, the man is about to embark on the most onerous challenge he’s ever confronted as head honcho: Phase Four.
Speaking of which, during an interview with GameSpot, the Marvel Studios President of Production discussed the evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond Avengers 4 – the concluding film of Phase Three. Albeit, he was somewhat vague. Regardless, here’s what he said we could expect:
“Brand new heroes, new types of heroes, continuing what we see in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Black Panther, and Captain Marvel. Who a hero can be, and should be, and seeing all different types of heroes.”
Given that Black Panther became the first African-American film to earn more than $1 billion at the box office, and Captain Marvel, scheduled for release next year, will be the first female-lead MCU entry, we can definitely see where Feige’s coming from. And, as a result of this diversity, more and more fans will see their experiences reflected on the big screen. A sentiment the producer not only echoed, but admitted is the point of moviemaking.
“We want people from any background to be able to look at that screen and see themselves reflected, and just as importantly to have different types of people be inspired by people who don’t look like them, or people who have different backgrounds than them, and let them inspire them going forward. To me, that’s the most important thing that we can do, and we’ve started it, and we’re going to continue it.”
With Captain Marvel not slated for release until 2019, and Ms. Marvel set to follow, Feige will have plenty of time to get the ball rolling on an all-female MCU spinoff, something the President of Marvel Studios feels will soon be inevitable. During the interim, though, I think Feige and co. are doing their utmost to be inclusive – more than most in the industry can lay claim to, anyway – and will only further succeed over time.