SPOILERS for AVENGERS: ENDGAME. Looking back at its humble beginnings, it's almost hard to believe that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into the box-office juggernaut that it's become today, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is a big part of what has kept this franchise going so strong. The Marvel chief recently took part in a Reddit AMA where he answered fan questions and discussed the past and future of the MCU.
My colleague Matt Rooney already let know us that Kevin Feige revealed that there are plans to bring the "real" version of The Mandarin back at some point, but here are a handful of other noteworthy tidbits Feige spilled during his AMA.
When were the plots for INFINITY WAR/ENDGAME first laid out?
We started discussing how to adapt the Infinity Gauntlet comic soon after the release of the first Avengers. It was on one of our creative retreats about 5 years ago that we decided to do it as two films. We started to crack the specifics of the story during production on Civil War with Chris Markus and Stephen McFeely, Joe and Anthony Russo, in a conference room as we went back and forth between takes.
What did Mark Ruffalo pitch to you for the future of the Hulk?
Many years ago, Mark came in for a meeting with us at Marvel Studios to discuss ways in which the Hulk could grow and evolve in upcoming films. He pitched a lot of cool ideas, some of which led to what you saw in Thor: Ragnarok, Infinity War and Endgame, and some of which would still be cool to see someday.
What is your favourite DC movie?
Richard Donner's Superman 1
Why was IRON MAN chosen to be the first film of the MCU?
We thought Tony Stark was a great and unique character for our first film because he was so different from any comic book character that had been brought to the screen before.
Will Marvel One Shot's ever return?
We're coming up with many new, fun ways to explore the world around the MCU… The best thing about the One Shots is that we got to flesh out other characters. It's tremendously exciting that we now have Disney+ series where we get to do that on a grand scale with many of the characters you know and love.
How much will the Disney+ shows weave into the MCU?
Totally and completely.
Has Captain America always been worthy of wielding Mjolnir?
We think he was always worthy and was being polite in Age of Ultron.
How many hats do you own?
Dozens.
Have you ever considered making a cameo in the MCU?
I don't like being on camera, but I did cameo in a deleted scene in the first X-Men as a Weapon X technician. I was completely covered in a hood, mask and goggles.
How do you avoid comic-book movie fatigue?
Nobody would get fatigued before the creative forces at Marvel Studios who do this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so we believe that if we're still taking risks and making unique choices to keep ourselves excited, the audience will feel the same way.
Do you have a favourite moment from all of the MCU movies?
There are too many to list, but I will say my entire MCU career was building up to that "on your left" moment in Endgame.
Are there are any Marvel story-lines which are considered unfilmable?
Everything is filmable nowadays. It's about finding the most resonant character stories to bring to the big screen.
How far is the MCU planned in advance?
We usually work with a specific 5 year plan at any given point but often have a general plan that extends much, much further.
Was Stan Lee able to see AVENGERS: ENDGAME before he passed away?
Stan loved to wait to see the final movie at the premiere, so unfortunately he did not get to see the finished movie. Stan got a download of the full story the day he came and shot his cameo.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME is still playing in theaters, so be sure to check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray and let us know what YOU thought of the film as well!