Marvel's Kevin Feige Responds To Steven Spielberg And Zack Snyder

We know super heroes are going to be fighting each other in 2016 with Batman v. Superman, Captain America: Civil War, and Daredevil and Punisher going at it on Netflix, but who could have predicted the producers and directors going to battle, as well?

Following Zack Snyder's comments about Marvel and DC films which had the internet in a bit of an uproar and declaring their fanboy alliances, Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes a.k.a. the Winter Soldier fired back, defending Marvel. Of course, there's Steven Spielberg's comments about super hero movies going the "way of the Western" which fueled much of the initial debate.

Kevin Feige has stepped into the ring, now. He's not really taking shots at anyone, but rather looking forward to the future at Marvel Studios. "People have been asking me that for 15 years," Feige told IGN about whether or not he thinks super hero films will die out any time soon. "In 2001, 2002, 2003 there were two Marvel movies, three Marvel movies, and I still believe the same thing, which is as long as the ones that we can control are as good as they can be, that's all that I care about. I think we've been doing pretty well. I'm very confident in the films we've announced that we have coming forward that they're going to be surprising and different and unique. I've said a lot: I don't believe in the comic book genre. I don't believe in the superhero genre. I believe that each of our films can be very different."

When asked specifically about Spielberg's "way of the Western," comment, Feige looked at the bright side of the super hero genre's future even if Spielberg turns out to be correct, saying, "It could, but the Western lasted 40-50 years, and they still pop up occasionally. It's been, what, eight years since [Iron Man] if we count that, which I do, as the beginning of our MCU? Maybe [the superhero genre] will only last another 42 years."

Then, of course, came the main event: Feige vs. Snyder's "Flavor of the week," comments. Still, it seems he took the high road and highlighted the bright future he sees at Marvel Studios. "Those are all very different movies," Feige explained. "They all happen to be based on Marvel characters and Marvel comics, but from a genre and a cinematic perspective, they're all very unique. Civil War may as well be a different genre from Age of Ultron."

He went on to explain how Civil War will widen the genre's landscape, saying, "The way Winter Soldier was a political thriller, I think there is a more emotional and more geopolitical and real world through line through Civil War than there was in the broader Age of Ultron with the killer A.I, Tony Stark invention."

Feige's discussion with IGN concluded on a high note. "The year went very well for us, the way we wanted it to: big giant movie with huge expectations that met those expectations with Age of Ultron, and a crazy movie that no one had heard of with a character that people were dubious of that also became a big hit with Ant-Man. That had happened the year before with Winter Soldier and Guardians, so for us that very much is in keeping. Next year, we hope same thing for Civil War and Doctor Strange. It is, as it often is with us, sticking to the plan and continuing to follow through on what we've laid out."

Sounds like a solid plan and one Marvel is sticking to for years to come. 2016 will see a sure-fire hit in Civil War followed by an a lesser known property in Doctor Strange. 2017 will see Thor's third installment and Guardians Vol. 2 carry the introduction of Tom Holland's Spider-Man, if necessary, and in 2018 Infinity War - Part 1 will precede the first standalone appearances of Black Panther and Captain Marvel. It's pretty flawless and we're all looking forward to all of it.