Marvel's Kevin Feige Developing a Star Wars Movie For Disney

Somebody is bringing the worlds of Marvel and Star Wars together, and this time it isn't the comics. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has reportedly been tapped to develop a new movie set in the Star Wars universe, taking advantage of Disney's ownership of both properties and Feige's long, unbroken string of major financial successes at the Mouse's House of Ideas. Feige is a fan, and apparently came up with an idea for a story while meeting with Disney Studios chief Alan Horn and Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy earlier this year. Surprisingly, when The Hollywood Reporter approached Disney about it, Horn seemed fairly willing to talk.

Feige is one of a number of filmmakers and luminaries, including The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson and the executive producers of HBO's Game of Thrones, who have been associated with on-Skywalker Star Wars movies since the failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story. So far, none of the films have gone into production, but it seems likely that Disney will push some movement on them once Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is finished with post-production.

"We are excited about the projects Kathy and the Lucasfilm team are working on, not only in terms of Star Wars but also Indiana Jones and reaching into other parts of the company including Children of Blood and Bone with Emma Watts and Fox," Horn said in a statement. "With the close of the Skywalker Saga, Kathy is pursuing a new era in Star Wars storytelling, and knowing what a die-hard fan Kevin is, it made sense for these two extraordinary producers to work on a Star Wars film together."

Set some time after the Rian Johnson-directed Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the ninth episode is "an adventure the group goes on together," Abrams said earlier this year during the film's presentation panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago. "One of the great things about getting to work on the movie is the dynamic between all of the characters. They're amazing together, and it's something I'm excited for you all to see."

The report in THR notes that there are already some people theorizing that Feige might be taking a larger role at Lucasfilm, but it's likely that he just has a passion for the franchise and wants to tell a Star Wars story. In the meantime, Disney seems to be entirely focused on the winter release of Episode IX.

Billed as the culmination of the Skywalker Saga started with George Lucas' original Star Wars in 1977, The Rise of Skywalker "needed" Fisher's Leia, Abrams said at D23 Expo, where he explained the decision to utilize unused Force Awakens footage to involve Fisher, who died in 2016.

Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.

Disney-Lucasfilm releases Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker December 20. Disney+ will roll out with new Star Wars content, including Jon Favreau's TV series The Mandalorian, in November.