Kevin Feige Explains Why Hawkeye Features A Captain America Musical

During a global press conference, Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige, reveals the origin behind Hawkeye's Hamilton-inspired Captain America musical, Rogers: The Musical. The in-universe show shall feature in the upcoming series that follows Jeremy Renner's Avenger as he trains new hero Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The Disney+ series is set to premiere on November 24th.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a fully fleshed-out fictional universe complete with its own in-universe pop culture and media. From Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr) eye-catching magazine covers in Iron Man, to the physics of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) being taught in high schools in Spider-Man: Homecoming, to ice cream company Ben & Jerry's releasing Avengers-themed flavors such as "Stark-Raving Hazelnuts" in Avengers: Infinity War. The in-universe world-building expanded further in Phase 4 of the franchise, with Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings featuring a post-Blip dating app for those caught in Thanos's (Josh Brolin) wrath, and now Hawkeye will feature Clint Barton taking his family to see a musical telling the story of Chris Evans' Captain America in Rogers: The Musical. Marvel Studios' head and producer, Feige, explained the origin of the in-universe Broadway hit.

While speaking at Hawkeye's global press conference, Feige and director Rhys Thomas discussed the Easter egg and how it was included in the series. Thomas explained that though he considered removing it, Feige enjoyed the idea so much that he developed an idea on how to incorporate it into the story organically as a family trip. Feige recruited Hairspray composer Marc Shaiman at an event, discovering he and his husband were fans of Marvel's movies, and after Feige gave Shaiman the context for the first episode and Clint's visit to New York, Shaiman wrote an in-universe song for Rogers: The Musical. Check out Feige's full story below:

"Rhys Thomas: Yeah, it was an innocent suggestion in one of our calls that I quickly tried to backtrack on.

Kevin Feige: Which is true. Which is true, but I loved the idea, and it gave a reason, there was always- it was a bit of a generic Christmas in New York. Clint taking the kids. It was a daddy weekend before Christmas. And I had met the amazing composer Mark Shaiman at an event a few-this is very, like, the most socia- I'm not a social guy. So, to even say, I met him at an event- It was, like, one of the three events I've been to in the last ten years. And thought he would, and his husband is a giant Marvel fan. So, when Rhys said that it gave us context for the opening episode, context for why Clint is in New York, context for Clint seeing himself in the way the world sees Hawkeye. And gave us an opportunity to have an amazing song by Mark Shaiman."

First revealed in Hawkeye's first trailer, the musical depicts the Battle of New York seen in The Avengers, complete with stage actors taking on the roles of the Avengers, Loki, and the Chitauri invasion in a setup inspired by Hamilton's stage design. The series will also depict the Avengers' worldwide fame and recognition in other ways, such as showing cosplayers dressed as Earth's mightiest heroes roaming the streets of New York. A recently released clip shows Clint being overlooked by fans who immediately rush to admire the cosplayers.

Hawkeye's Rogers: The Musical adds another detail in the MCU's rich, lived-in-universe. Ever since Iron Man's iconic closing press conference, the heroes have been in the public eye, and with Rogers' long, storied career, he would be the ideal candidate for a musical exploring his life. Whether the musical is an accurate representation of the hero is yet to be seen, but audiences can look forward to Marvel's creative, playful nod to one of its most beloved characters in Hawkeye.

Next: Hawkeye: What Happened To Lucky The Dog's Eye (He's Not Winking)

Source: Hawkeye Global Press Conference