Kevin Feige Says MCU Delays Before Avengers: Endgame Would Have Been a "Bigger Headache"

Like virtually every other studio in Hollywood, Marvel Studios was forced to delay virtually its entire slate at some point or another in 2020. In fact, the Kevin Feige-led outfit eventually pushed back its projects several times — a situation that could get a bit hairy when it comes to the interconnected universe the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become known for. According to Feige himself, however, the delays "worked well" with the immediate projects Marvel has decided to release moving into 2021 and beyond. In comparison, the producer says, delays in the lead-up to Avengers: Endgame would have caused a much bigger headache.

"If the run we had in 2018 and 2019 had gotten disrupted this way, in the buildup to Endgame, it would have been a bigger headache," Feige told the New York Times in a recent piece on WandaVision. "With these projects, it worked well."

Not too long ago, there was a timeline when The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was set for release in August 2020 with WandaVision to come sometime thereafter. Beings WandaVision nearly finished filming its entire batch of episodes before coronavirus-related shutdowns came into effect, the series was bumped ahead of the Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan-starring series. Now, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is expected to premiere on Disney+ on March 19th.

Curiously enough, it wouldn't be that far of a stretch to assume the Marvel Studios films and series — at least in the immediate future — won't be as connected to one another as the likes of Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War, and Endgame. Prior to the pandemic, 2020 was to feature both Black Widow and The Eternals. Now, Chloe Zhao's Eternals will be released in November 2021 while Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings lept the release date of the cosmic tentpole.

That said, Phase Four of the cinematic world has yet to get started in earnest, meaning it was going to take time to get the gears moving in the first place, especially as Marvel Studios begins to introduce characters from deep within the Marvel stable of characters.

Avengers: Endgame is now streaming on Disney+. The MCU returns with WandaVision, which premieres with its first two episodes on D+ next Friday, January 15th.

What characters do you want to see join the MCU in Phase 4 and beyond? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting up our writer @AdamBarnhardt on Twitter to chat all things MCU!

Cover photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic