Kevin Feige is Marvel Studios' super-producer, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn't be where it is today without him, but it was recently revealed that he almost dropped Marvel for DC during Phase Two. But after 14 years of producing movies in the MCU, that is just one small story in an ocean of them.
Feige is one of the most hands-on producers working today, and that has led to a ton of fascinating stories over his tenure at Marvel Studios. Whether it's an Iron Man shrine in his office, trying to get properties off the ground for years, or making drastic last-minute changes to movies, nobody in Hollywood has better instincts than Feige.
He Almost Dropped Marvel For DCEU During Phase Two
While Marvel fans have Feige to thank for how out-there and risky many of Phase Four's movies are and how well the cinematic universe has come together overall, the producer didn't always have that much freedom. It is well documented how much Feige locked horns with former Marvel C.E.O., Ike Perlmutter. And during Phase Two, it reached a boiling point where Feige was tempted by DC and briefly considered switching.
It's fun to imagine what a Feige-headed DCEU would look like, which would most likely be more focused and a lot less sporadic. In the same report, it's mentioned that new Warner Bros. C.E.O. David Zaslav may plan to reach out to Feige again.
His Office Is Full Of Iron Man Memorabilia
On the launch day of Thor: Love and Thunder's marketing campaign, Asad Ayaz tweeted a photo of Feige's office and the awesome memorabilia inside it. There's an Iron Man Mark I figure (which hilariously has an Ant-Man mask resting on top of it,) a mid-size Iron Monger figure, and a hoodie with a list of all the movies in Phase One, Two, and Three.
It's endearing that Feige has something of an Iron Man shrine in the corner of his office. After all, if it wasn't for that movie's success, the cinematic universe might have never happened. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with an artist being proud of their work, as he isn't the first Hollywood mogul to do it either. According to Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Bays' house is covered in Transformers memorabilia.
He Wanted To Make Moon Knight For Years
Moon Knight is the latest MCU series to arrive on Disney+, and its release was a big event for so many reasons, as the superhero is a comic book fan favorite, and it introduces Oscar Isaac into the universe. So much more effort and passion has been put into the show than certain other Disney+ series, and that could be because of Feige's love of the character.
Feige wanted to develop Moon Knight for years, noting, "I've been thinking about making a Moon Knight film or show for a very long time, and we're actually debuting it tonight, and I'm very excited for you to see it." It would have been interesting to see how the project would have turned out in movie form, but as it is, the series is hugely satisfying and features the best MCU Disney+ villain.
Even He Gets Star-Struck
Feige has been in the industry for decades, and while his profile rose exponentially thanks to being the brains behind the MCU, he was also behind X-Men, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, and even the Fantastic Four movies. With all that time spent on set, it's hard to believe that a producer like Feige would get star-struck, and while it doesn't happen often, it does happen.
When on the set of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, meeting Tony Leung left Kevin Feige completely speechless. The producer said of the celebrated Hong Kong actor, "I've been around a lot of movie stars and a lot of living legends, but I was nearly speechless when I met him briefly on the set. Because he seems like such an otherworldly star directly from the sky."
He Learned A Lot From Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy
Feige produced all three Spider-Man movies directed by Sam Raimi, and he apparently did a lot more watching and learning than handing out studio notes. The producer learned a lot from Raimi, explaining, "I watched and learned from a group of people that were trying to exceed expectations, and trying to fulfill their own childhood dreams and the childhood dreams of fans of the characters."
Raimi has spoken at length about his favorite comic books and superheroes, so it hardly comes as a surprise that he wanted to go above and beyond when making each Spider-Man movie. And Feige has clearly taken all of that on board and applies it to every film he produces. Each MCU entry is full of sequences taken right out of the pages of the comic books, and all of the outfits are (sometimes unapologetically) faithful to the source material.
He Made A Last-Minute Change To Doctor Strange 2
While Feige clearly has the utmost respect for Raimi, he still made a last-minute change to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was also directed by the Evil Dead filmmaker. One of the most difficult fight scenes to pull off was the fight between Strange and a variant of himself when they're throwing musical notes at each other.
According to Comic Book Resources, Danny Elfman mentioned that the scene included an amalgam of classical pieces, but Feige recommended changing it. The composer explained, "Then, in the very 59th minute of the 11th hour, at the very end, Kevin Feige jumped in and said to just simplify it to Beethoven versus Bach."
He Always Has Star Wars On His Mind
While Marvel is Feige's bread and butter, he often finds his mind drifting off into a galaxy far, far away. The super-producer admitted that he is always thinking about Star Wars, and though he's producing a Star Wars movie, he explained, "If I wasn't being paid to do it, I would be doing it here in my basement just with my toys, and nobody would ever see it. It's what I think about all the time."
There's very little anybody knows about Kevin Feige's very secretive Star Wars movie, but there are a few key details that will come as a relief. For starters, Han Solo won't be in the movie, and what's more of a sigh of relief is that it won't be another sequel.
He Says He Owes His Success To Richard Donner
Celebrated director Richard Donner passed away in 2021, and after working for him for several years, Feige tweeted a tearful eulogy to the filmmaker. Donner directed so many classics, including The Goonies, Scrooged, and Lethal Weapon, but the movie that Feige was clearly influenced by the most was 1978's Superman.
Feige tweeted that the Superman director taught him that "these characters could be brought to life on the big screen with heart, humor, humanity, and verisimilitude." In 2018, Feige even advised Warner Bros. to rewatch Superman when the studio was going through several internal changes, so he clearly mustn't be a fan of the DCEU's darker tone.
He Was More Excited By WandaVision Than Any Other Project
When Paul Bettany was promoting WandaVision, he explained, "I think I can guarantee a few things. I think we took an enormous swing. I think it's gonna pay off. I've never seen Kevin Feige more giddy and excited." Given that so much has happened in the MCU over 14 years, including a countless number of heroes facing off against Thanos, Bettany could be making exaggerating in saying it's the most excited Feige has ever been.
However, there could be some truth to it, as WandaVision is easily the most unique MCU entry, as it's influenced by different era sitcoms, and it goes full Hocus Pocus too. Few movies or shows are like WandaVision, whether it's in the superhero genre or not.
He Intends On Being "Hands-Off" With The Fantastic Four Movie
According to Den of Geek, Feige is intending to have a more hands-off approach with the upcoming The Fantastic Four. While that could be cause for concern given that the MCU has been so successful because of the fact that Feige is so hands-on, it's based on his experience on Doctor Strange 2.
This is apparently based on the fact that he was able to be less hands-on with Doctor Strange 2 by trusting Raimi, and he very much wants to have the same experience with The Fantastic Four. However, it might be a tougher job than Feige expected, as Marvel still has yet to find a new director to replace Jon Watts.