Kevin Feige Talks Superhero Fatigue, Cutting Back on Content, and James Gunn Giving Marvel Props for SUPERMAN
The conversation around superhero fatigue has been louder than ever. After a string of underperforming Marvel Cinematic Universe films like Captain America: Brave Nee World, Thunderbolts*, and The Marvels, and more, fans wondered if audiences were simply done with superhero movies.
But according to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, the cure isn’t abandoning the genre, it’s making less.
Feige addressed the future of the MCU during a recent press event, explaining the studio’s new approach to content output:
“Making two or three movies a year, some years it will be one, some years it will be three. We’ll be down to a single live-action show a year.”
This is a big shift from the post-Endgame era when Marvel exploded across theaters and Disney+. From 2008 to 2019, the MCU delivered about 50 hours of content.
But after Avengers: Endgame, that number more than doubled with 102 hours when including movies and series, and 127 hours if you count animated shows.
Feige admits that expansion hurt the brand:
“The experimentation and the evolution of, I’m proud of and wouldn’t change. It’s the expansion that is certainly what devalued [the studio and its content].”
He’s still proud of risks like WandaVision and Loki, but Marvel has realized that too much of a good thing can dilute the experience.
The massive success of Avengers: Endgame left Marvel with a big question: What now?
“Coming out of Avengers: Endgame, the plan was ‘What do you do with this success?’ So much of our storytelling had been built for that finale on Endgame that thinking about the future was purely about, ‘Well, what do we do with this success now? Do we do more of the same? I guess.’ We had sequels lined up.”
Feige explains that not experimenting would’ve been the real failure:
“If you take success and don’t experiment with it, and don’t risk with it, then it’s not worth it. That’s why Eternals was first up. Let’s take something that nobody knows, that has these giant celestial mythic characters and work with a filmmaker like Chloé [Zhao] who sat around pitching us the history of humanity.”
But things didn’t go as planned. The MCU’s interconnected nature backfired when shows became essential homework for the movies.
Feige specifically called out The Marvels as a wake-up call and talked about Thunderbolts*, saying:
“Thunderbolts* was a very good movie, but nobody knew that title, and many of those characters were from shows. There was that residual effect of [audiences going], ‘I guess I had to have seen these other shows to understand who this is?’”
Even Captain America: Brave New World stumbled, with Feige noting:
“It was the first without Chris Evans.”
One major course correction was cost control. Recent Marvel movies like Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and Fantastic Four are being made at up to one-third cheaper than pre-pandemic projects.
Feige revealed they took cues from Gareth Edwards’ sci-fi film The Creator:
“The movies made over the last two years have been upwards of a third cheaper than they were two years before that, i.e. Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America, Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four are all significantly cheaper than films from 2022 and 2023, and they would have been even cheaper if it wasn’t for the strikes.”
When asked if AI could help bring costs down, Feige was cautious:
“Is AI going to do that? I don’t know that.”
Marvel is now betting on a more focused slate. Next up is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, expected to deliver the MCU’s first $100 million+ opener in 2025, which is a return to form after some tough box office misses.
And while Marvel is doubling down on quality, Feige remains optimistic about the genre’s future. He pointed to the success of James Gunn’s Superman, which recently crossed $407M worldwide:
“Look at Superman, it’s clearly not superhero fatigue.”
Speaking of Gunn, Feige shared nothing but admiration for his former Guardians of the Galaxy director:
“I think James has had an influence on us, and we had one on him. We texted. I was telling him how much I loved the movie. And he said ‘Wouldn’t exist without you guys.’”
Despite the fan-fueled Marvel vs. DC rivalry, Feige made it clear he wants everyone to win:
“I think studios see every other studio as competition. Right now in our business, I root for every movie. I want every movie to succeed.”
So, Marvel is slimming down, experimenting smartly, and focusing on making each project feel like an event again. If Superman can soar, so can the MCU.
What do you think of Feige’s plan? Is “less is more” the right move for Marvel?
Source: Deadline