Kevin Feige Reveals Marvel's 10-Year Anniversary Plans, 'Doctor Strange 2', And More
Thor: Ragnarok is very close to release, which means Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is everywhere, talking about the film and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and more! This Feige fellow is unstoppable, let me tell you. He's probably somewhere, right now, as I type this, talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Can you believe we're approaching the 10-year anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? A decade of Marvel dominating cineplexes and the box office, interweaving their cinematic universe into a rich tapestry of superhero mayhem. Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige is currently making the rounds talking up Marvel for the impending release of Thor: Ragnarok. During his media blitz, Feige revealed a few tidbits, including what he plans for the Marvel Studio's 10-year anniversary, which villain he'd like to resurrect in the MCU, how Taika Waititi landed the Ragnarok directing gig, and more! Let's all listen to what Feige has to say, shall we?
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the MCU
What's Marvel got planned for their big birthday bash? Renting out a Chuck-E-Cheese for the day? Going to the Funzone? Or perhaps something more extravagant? Talking with Collider, Feige revealed some details about the birthday celebration:
"Primarily the movies we're releasing next year are the celebration of the ten years Black Panther, obviously Infinity War and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Those are the primary focus.
In addition to that, the logo we revealed at D23. I have fond memories in 1987 of Star Wars, the first ten years, '78-'87. They made a logo, they had t-shirts, they did small stuff. That was during the dark ages of Star Wars, where there hadn't been anything. Thankfully we're not in the dark ages right now with the MCU, but I think there'll be just acknowledgements of the ten years that have come before. There will be some merchandise released and some re-releases in home video. Primarily it is all leading up to the three movies in particular and obviously, Infinity War."
There you have it: no Chuck-E-Cheese rental for Marvel.
What's Up With That Doctor Strange Sequel
Doctor Strange, Marvel's tale of the Sorcerer Supreme, did boffo box office, taking in $677.7 million worldwide. But so far, we've heard nothing new on a sequel for the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring Film. While talking up the MCU's 10th anniversary, Kevin Feige did reveal that a sequel is still on the table (also via Collider):
"Certainly, we would love to tell more about the Strange story [in a sequel]."
Marvel has a pretty full plate for the future at the moment, so who knows when and where a Doctor Strange sequel might fit in. But if you're hoping for one, take heart – it's a possibility.
The Song That Helped Taika Waititi Ge The Thor: Ragnarok Directing Gig
Early Thor: Ragnarok reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with many critics praising the style and choices made by director Taika Waititi. Kevin Feige revealed (via Screen Rant) a very specific song helped him make the decision to hire Waititi – Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," which was eventually used in the first trailer for Ragnarok:
"Filmmakers sometimes will say, using clips of other movies, 'Here's what I have in mind.' And sometimes they're not good. Most of the times, they're okay. His was amazing, and was scored to that Led Zeppelin song. So from the beginning, that song kind of defined what Taika was going to do with this. That it's in the trailer, that it's in the film – all from that first meeting, and from one of his first instincts of this movie, is very impressive."
So word of advice to filmmakers: if you want to impress Kevin Feige with a pitch, try to get a look at his iTunes playlist first and go from there.
Bringing MCU Villains Back From the Dead
Ten years of Marvel Studios has resulted in a whole slew of villains for heroes to face off against. And many of those villains ended their respective film appearances by shuffling off this mortal coil. But in comic books, no one really stays dead. There's always a chance the MCU can find clever new ways to resurrect the not-so-dearly-departed villains. During a recent interview (via CBM), Feige said there's one villain he'd definitely be open to bringing back to life: Jeff Bridges' Obadiah Stane, aka the Iron Monger, from the first Iron Man film. ""Well, that would be awesome to have him come back. That would be great," said Feige, adding:
"As you may recall, when he was hired, he was a secondary villain to the Mandarin...And as we were prepping the movie we realized we didn't want to do the Mandarin in that movie. And when we took him out and made Obadiah the lead villain, Iron Man became what Iron Man became. But what was required is that Iron Monger [Obadiah Stane] had to go down into that arc reactor."
Of course, none of this means Bridges' character will come back, but if someone pitched the right idea Feige's way (perhaps while using a kick-ass song?), he certainly seems like he'd be open to it.
Thor: Ragnarok opens November 3, 2017.