Marvel Studios' prolific president Kevin Feige has certainly made a name for himself on the Hollywood scene as the mastermind behind the immensely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, the largest film franchise in history which has combined dozens of intricate stories into one connected universe.
Though most filmgoers best recognize Feige for his work on the MCU, beginning with 2008's Iron Man, the executive producer actually got his start many years earlier, working on fourteen films under the Marvel banner before the MCU would even begin. While some of these projects were not particularly well-received, many are still considered to be some of the greatest superhero films of all time.
Man-Thing (4.0)
Man-Thing is an often-forgotten film that, though intended for theatrical release in 2003, was shelved and eventually aired on the Sci-Fi Channel two years later. Kevin Feige served as the executive producer for Man-Thing, though the film doesn't contain many, if any, of Feige's signature filmmaking techniques.
This film, though released on the heels of several superhero hits like Spider-Man 2 and the X-Men series, failed to resonate with critics or audiences and was quickly swept under the rug by anyone involved in the picture.
Elektra (4.7)
In a spinoff to the much-maligned 2003 Daredevil film, Jennifer Garner's Elektra returns from the dead to battle the Hand, a relentless organization intent on assassinating a father and daughter who know too much about their dealings. Feige only served as a co-producer on this film, despite having already been promoted to executive producer on his other Marvel films.
Elektra deals with similar storylines as in The Defenders Netflix limited series, albeit without the other superheroes central to that plot. Due to the film's overwhelming failure both with critics and ticket sales, any previously planned sequels were scrapped. Even so, Elektra remains a popular character who is primed for a reboot in the MCU.
Daredevil (5.3)
In Kevin Feige's very first credit as co-producer, Daredevil sees the initial portrayal of the Man Without Fear in a live-action film. The titular character was played by Ben Affleck, who would go up against the likes of Colin Farrell's Bullseye and Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin.
Daredevil 2003 is generally disliked by the superhero fandom, having made an admirable yet misguided attempt at reinterpreting the beloved comic book character to be a mixture of Batman and Spider-Man. Despite the general distaste for Daredevil's feature film debut, much of the film's poorly-received aspects were greatly improved with the 2014 Netflix Daredevil series.
Hulk (5.6)
Ang Lee's take on the Incredible Hulk premiered in 2003, titled simply Hulk, and starred Eric Bana in the role of Dr. Bruce Banner/the Hulk. This film marks the first attempt at digitally creating Banner's Hulk persona, a technique that would eventually be improved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film was an overall disappointment, becoming the target of plenty of online ridicule even years after its release. Though there would be no future for this version of the character, the 2008 Incredible Hulk film, starring Edward Norton in the principal role, essentially picked up where Hulk left off despite the fact that it was not an official sequel.
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer (5.6)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer proved to be the very last film that Kevin Feige would produce before the release of 2008's Iron Man. This Fantastic Four sequel followed the titular team as they encountered the world-devouring entity of Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer.
Despite strong efforts on the part of the cast and crew to improve on the less-than-perfect original Fantastic Four film, Rise of the Silver Surfer failed to launch the franchise that 20th Century Fox sought in a Marvel property. Any future for this version of the team was quickly stripped away, leaving the way clear for the even more hated 2015 reboot.
Fantastic Four (5.7)
The first officially released Fantastic Four film saw Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis take on the roles of Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and The Thing, respectively. It also happened to be Kevin Feige's very first film credit as executive producer, a title he still holds at Marvel Studios to this day.
Ultimately, this film failed to resonate with fans or critics, becoming widely panned in both categories. Despite the failure of this film and its sequel, Fantastic Four marked the first time that Feige worked with Chris Evans, who would go on to play Captain America in the MCU, and who is hotly rumored to reprise his role as Johnny Storm in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Blade: Trinity (5.8)
After the huge success of the first Blade film in 1998, two sequels were put into development, with the second premiering in 2002, and the third in 2004. The third installment, Blade: Trinity, was the only film of the franchise to credit Kevin Feige as a co-producer.
Despite the first film launching a new interest in comic book movies, the franchise hit a considerable dip in quality by the time the third film was released. The final installment of the franchise was lackluster and devoid of much of what made the first two a success. Though the series would continue in the form of a television soft reboot, this would be the last Blade film until the forthcoming MCU version.
Spider-Man 3 (6.2)
Spider-Man 3 was the culmination of several storylines embedded in the previous of Sam Raimi's films following the titular Web-Slinger. Unfortunately, the third installment of the franchise was not nearly as well-received as the prior two, proving to be the last of Raimi's series of films, with the planned Spider-Man 4 eventually being canceled.
Despite the general upset at the film's stark drop in quality after the high marks achieved by the first two Spider-Man films, Spider-Man 3 still managed to become the highest-grossing Spider-Man film at the time. It also marked the third of four collaborations between Feige and Sam Raimi, who have worked together since on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The Punisher (6.4)
Many comic book fans may forget that the Punisher has been the headliner of several films of his own, the second of which had Kevin Feige himself attached as an executive producer. This film, entitled simply The Punisher, starred Thomas Jane in the title role.
This 2004 reboot of the 1989 Punisher film starring Dolph Lundgren was generally disliked upon its release, leading to yet another reboot four years later. It would take a third reimagining of the character to finally get it right, with Jon Bernthal's take on the antihero Frank Castle, first appearing in the Netflix series Daredevil before getting a spinoff of his own, finally striking a chord with viewers.
X-Men: The Last Stand (6.7)
X-Men: The Last Stand, released in 2006, was the last of the original trilogy of X-Men films and the culmination of the franchise at the time, adapting the classic Dark Phoenix storyline from the comics. It was also the last of the X-Men Fox franchise that Kevin Feige would work on as an executive producer, having been intimately involved in the production of the first two films.
The Last Stand was considered to be a severe downgrade in quality after the acclaim achieved by its two predecessors. Unlike the first two films in the franchise, the third installment was criticized for rushed storylines, shoddy character work, and an over-reliance on bad CGI. In 2019, the Dark Phoenix storyline would be adapted once more for the big screen, with even worse results.
Spider-Man (7.3)
Kevin Feige's second film ever was an instant classic, adapting the fan-favorite superhero Spider-Man on the big screen for the very first time, with Tobey Maguire taking on the iconic role. Maguire would go on to star in two more Spider-Man films before hanging up the webs until his triumphant return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, a film that has staggering implications for Spider-Man's future.
Spider-Man achieved instant success, becoming a staple of the superhero genre for decades to come. After the success of this film, Feige would be promoted from associate producer to co-producer as he slowly worked his way up the chain of command at Marvel Entertainment.
X-Men (7.4)
Kevin Feige's very first film came at the turn of the century in X-Men, a film that saw the titular mutant team unite in their live-action debut. This first X-Men film would launch a franchise that would see plenty of iconic characters join the mix, some of which are suspected to be returning in the upcoming Multiverse of Madness.
This film is largely credited with changing the nature of superhero films entirely, proving that they could be legitimately profitable despite their campy and ridiculous nature. Feige, who worked under Marvel producer Avi Arad at the time, owes much of his career to the success of this film, which gave him his first associate producer credit.
X2: X-Men United (7.4)
The sequel to X-Men, titled X2: X-Men United, expanded on the first movie in every way, introducing new mutants to the fray while also deepening the storylines for the members of the team who were introduced in the previous film. This is Kevin Feige's final credit as a co-producer, as he would earn the rank of executive producer for his next film.
X2 was a massive success, both critically and commercially. Though the franchise would later get bigger and bolder, for better or for worse, many still look back at the second installment as the best X-Men film to this day. This film proved that the successes of X-Men and Spider-Man were more than flukes and that the superhero genre would only grow in the coming years.
Spider-Man 2 (7.4)
Spider-Man 2 premiered two years after the original film, with the entire cast and crew returning to capitalize on the success of the previous installment. Despite some early production issues, including a severe back injury suffered by Tobey Maguire, the film was released on schedule to massive success.
The second of Raimi's three Spider-Man films is widely considered by most audiences to be one of the greatest superhero films ever made, perfectly blending heart and action to make a genuinely moving film. As an executive producer, Feige learned much of what makes for a successful Spider-Man movie, lessons he would employ when the character finally fell back into his hands in 2016.