Kevin Feige Talks Marvel Studios’ Collaborative Efforts

Kevin Feige, chief of Marvel Studios, attributes the success of the 20-movie Marvel Cinematic [...]

Kevin Feige, chief of Marvel Studios, attributes the success of the 20-movie Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise to the collaborative effort of its stable of artists.

"It's different incarnations of the script, the different incarnations of the cut of the film," Feige told Daily News.

"We test; there are earlier versions of Ant-Man and the Wasp that you would not be saying nice things about, as is true for all of our films. You cut together what you have and watch it, you see what you have and how you want to adapt it, you go and shoot additional materials (which we do on all of our movies) and we begin to shape it. I don't think people realize what a collaborative, living, sort of piece of art a film is. Four weeks ago, this movie was different."

The just-released Ant-Man sequel boasts a healthy 86% "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes and gave Marvel its 20th consecutive #1 opening at the box office. The Peyton Reed-directed blockbuster is doing big business overseas, dominating the international market in its opening weekend.

Avengers 4 undergoes reshoots later this summer. Co-writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus went back to work on the Avengers: Infinity War sequel in June after directors Anthony and Joe Russo met with its editors, giving the blockbuster-to-be ample time to come together before its May 3 release date.

Marvel is now deep into production on the just-wrapped Captain Marvel and the Sony-produced Spider-Man: Far From Home, which swung in front of cameras earlier this month in London. After Captain Marvel, Avengers, and Spider-Man, Marvel's slate is packed with nine Untitled Movies between May 1, 2020 and July 29, 2022.

One will be Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — Feige said previously pre-production on the James Gunn-directed trilogy-closer starts "very, very soon," as it's
headed for an expected January shooting date — but other announcements, Feige said, will come in May 2019 after Avengers 4.

The studio is expected to formally announce sequels to hit movies Black Panther and Doctor Strange, as well as future Ant-Man and Captain Marvel installments. Being developed is a Black Widow standalone with franchise vet Scarlett Johansson, and Feige has expressed interest in developing movies based on the Eternals, Nova, and Moon Knight.

What the studio doesn't have, Feige said, is plans for Fox-controlled properties X-Men and Fantastic Four, whose future integration into the MCU is dependent upon the finalization of Disney's proposed $71 billion buyout of 21st Century Fox's film and television assets.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is now playing. Captain Marvel opens March 8, followed by Avengers 4 May 3 and Spider-Man: Far From Home July 5, 2019.

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