Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is the head honcho behind the scenes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but if a recent interview is any indication, he's clearly displeased with how the MCU has handled the Inhumans. In case you somehow haven't heard, the ABC TV series is an absolute mess. Marvel's decision to showcase the first few episodes in IMAX theaters was a regrettable misstep that merely highlighted its many flaws on a larger screen, leading to an onslaught of horrendous reviews. With viewership ratings now dwindling, the future of the the series is in serious doubt.
Related: James Gunn Doubts There’s ‘Much Saving Left’ For Inhumans
It's easy to forget just how long Marvel had been working on bringing the Inhumans to the screen. Rumors of a film adaptation date all the way back to 2011, though that iteration was officially shelved early last year, only for it to be reshaped for the small screen shortly afterwards. Having been in gestation for so many years, it appeared to be something of a passion project for Feige, so he probably wasn't too thrilled to lose it to Marvel's television division.
Feige was talking all things MCU in a recent sitdown with Uproxx, hyping up Thor: Ragnarok and the various other projects the shared universe has on the horizon. But when the interviewer brought up Inhumans, the Marvel head dodged the question like a boss. Check out the exchange below:
Uproxx: I know you’re a huge Inhumans fan, and you lost that property to TV. Now, with that doing how it’s doing on television, do you look at that and go, well, maybe it’s best we didn’t do that one? Or do you still wish you had that property because you think you could have really knocked out of the park?
Kevin Feige: [Laughs] You’re breaking up, Mike. I can’t hear you. You’re breaking up…
Feige is a pro, and as the chief architect of the MCU, there's no way he's going to go around bashing a series that's still on the air. Still, if he had anything nice to say at all about Inhumans, he likely would have spoken up with them here. The Marvel television division seems to have a pretty frosty relationship with Feige and co., whose focus remains entirely on the shared universe's big screen outings. And despite the fan demand for more crossover, if underwhelming efforts like Iron Fist and Inhumans are any indication, maybe it's in the MCU's best interest that they keep the TV shows at arm's length from the movies.
In the end, it's a fun exchange, one that was actually very well framed by the interviewer, but Feige still managed to avoid taking the bait. Perhaps he feels the Inhumans are salvageable, but it's far more likely than he shares James Gunn's opinions on the matter.