The only problem with getting the chance to interview Marvel Studios PresidentKevin Feigeis there is never enough time. After all, Feige is the one calling all the shots at Marvel and one of the few people that has all the answers about everything. So when I got the opportunity to speak with him at theWandaVisionjunket, I tried to make the most out of my ten minutes by asking a wide range of questions.
As you can either see in the player above or read in the transcript below, we talked aboutDeadpool 3, the length of the many upcoming Marvel Disney+ series likeLoki,Falcon and the Winter Solider,She-Hulk, how far they’re figured out the future of the MCU, whySecret Invasionis a series and not a movie, if they’ve figured out who might be playing Wolverine and how they’ll get mutants in the MCU, if he’s involved inStar Warsbeyond his upcoming film he’s producing, and much more. If you’re a Marvel fan and curious about anything I just mentioned, I’m very confident you’ll enjoy this interview.
As most of you knowfrom the trailers,WandaVisiontakes place after the events ofAvengers: Endgame, focusing on Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch (Olson) and Vision (Paul Bettany). I was able to see the first three episodes and they all take place in an alternate version of a classic sitcom. The first episode starts in the 1950’s and each one pulls back the curtain on what’s really going on bit by bit. You’ve definitely never seen anything likeWandaVisionand I cannot wait to see where it’s all going. The series also starsKathryn Hahn,Kat Dennings,Teyonah Parris, andRandall Park. For more onWandaVisionhere’sthe latest footageand details on theshow’s various theme songs.
Here’s what Kevin Feige had to say.WandaVisionpremieres with the first two episodes January 15thand then is weekly until it’s over.
Collider: With all the announcements you made recently about Disney+ and the MCU, how far out have you guys actually planned the MCU at this point, even if you haven’t announced what is coming in those years?
KEVIN FEIGE: To varying degrees of specificity, it’s always about five to six years out versus what we’ve announced. So whatever that takes us to.
I think a lot of people have wondered how involved you are inStar Warsstuff, so I’m just gonna ask: How involved are you inStar Warsstuff besides the movie that you’re producing?
FEIGE: Not at all. None.
Moving on to the next thing. I loved what I’ve seen so far ofWandaVision, I just wanna thank you for taking such a big swing with it. But I am curious, a lot of people talk about the episode lengths of MCU stuff, so I wanna know, how long are episodes seven, eight, and nine ofWandaVision?
FEIGE: They all vary. Like many streaming series, you’re not tied into programming that has to start and stop, so it varies. Even those first three you saw vary slightly. That variation grows a little bit towards the end.
With the news thatLokimight be getting a Season 2, have you guys thought about doing aWandaVisionSeason 2? Or is it calledDoctor Strange 2?
FEIGE: Well, it will always vary where the Disney+ series continues on through the MCU. In the case ofWandaVisionmost immediately, as we’ve already announced, yes, Multiverse of Madness with Wanda and alsoCaptain Marvel 2, for Monica Rambeau, Teyonah Parris' character, is where we will see them next.
Obviously, you haven’t announced it yet, but have you figured out how you’re going to bring mutants into the MCU, and is it part of the multiverse, or is it still beyond the five-year thing?
FEIGE: It has been heavily discussed as you might imagine. And we have a good feeling of where it’s going and when it’s going, but that will all remain to be seen.
In your mind, have you cast who you want to be Wolverine or is it still too far out?
FEIGE: No.
With the Disney+ series that you guys are doing, do you envision stuff likeHawkeyeandMs. Marvelas multi-season series or are they all just being designed as a one-and-done kind of a thing?
FEIGE: No. It’s a combination. I mean, look at our movies in the past. There’s always … maybe it’ll be characters appearing in other people’s things. Maybe it’ll be another version of another storyline with that main character. It all varies based on the storyline.
Is there any chance that Charlie Cox could be back as Daredevil or do you consider what happened with Netflix almost like an alternate universe?
FEIGE: I look at anything that’s happened before, whether it’s our movies, whether it’s Marvel entertainment TV series, in particular, obviously the comics, video games, cartoons, all of it is available as inspiration for the future of Marvel. That’s the way that comics have worked for many years. So, we’ll see.
I think a lot of people really loved Charlie in that role and are hopeful that he can find a way back.
He wouldn’t say anything. Just looked at me and smiled.
I’m not going to get any more. How do you guys decide which characters are better suited for a TV series and which are a movie? For example,Ms. Marvelis a Disney+ series, butBladeis going to be a movie.
FEIGE: It really is about the individual stories you want to tell and a bit informed by the bigger picture. We knew that we wanted to introduceMs. Marvelfirst and her family and all of her great supporting characters and her origin in a Disney+, a long-form series, and then bring her intoCaptain Marvel 2. There will be some times where the opposite happens. The character is introduced in a movie and brought onto a Disney+ series. So, it really just varies based on the story or the genre that we want to explore.
WithSecret Invasion, that almost feels like that could be a movie or a series of movies, and you’re bringing it to Disney+. Will that show have a bigger scale and scope than some of the others? I’m just curious because that storyline could be huge.
FEIGE: Yes. I mean, we’re interested in the political paranoia aspect ofSecret Invasionand really showcasing the stars with Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn, two amazing actors that you want to have in any series, and we’re very lucky to have them for that. That’s the sort of primary focus of that and, of course, it will tie into other things and the Skrulls in ways you haven’t seen before, but yes, anything could be anything. Wise words. But we wanted to do that as a series because it would allow us to do something different than we’ve done before.
Where are you in the development process ofDeadpool 3and will it be rated R?
FEIGE: It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now and Ryan’s overseeing a script right now. So it’s begun. I think that was announced, wasn’t it?
Yeah, I think so. But I guess I’m curious, when do you think it could be in front of cameras? Could it be in front of cameras this year, or there’s no chance?
FEIGE: It will not be this year. Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor. We’ve got a number of things we’ve already announced that we have to now make, but it’s exciting for it to have begun. Again, a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life.
WithFalcon and the Winter SoldierandLokiandHawkeye, do you envision those shows being 30 minutes each because a lot of the Disney+ series seem to be around 30 minutes each? And I’m just curious if any of these things are ever going to always be like an hour or 50-minute episodes?
FEIGE: Well, we’re looking a little differently. We’re looking at it as developing them as either six hour-episodes, or nine or 10 half-hour episodes. So, for instance,WandaVisionstarted that way andFalcon and the Winter Soldieras 30 minutes, but because it’s streaming, it’s Disney+, and the rules have blurred over the years, yes. Some can be 23 minutes. Some can be much longer than that. ButShe-Hulk, for instance, is being developed as 10 30-minute episodes. Some will be longer and some will be shorter.Loki,Falcon and the Winter Soldieris being developed as six 40-50-minute episodes.
Because I was also curious with likeMoon Knight, is it basically everything you’re doing around six hours?
FEIGE: Yes.
The thing aboutWandaVisionis that I love the commercials that are in each episode, and I’m curious how much is in those commercials should fans be paying attention to that provide context to the bigger picture and how much are those commercials sort of like … I guess, how significant are the commercials?
FEIGE: Well, I think it’s intriguing, in my opinion, and I hope everybody has varying opinions and theories, but it is a nice combination of both. It fits into the genre and the tone of the period of television that we’re playing with. In a way, it also has some textual meanings, some of which are clearer than others. A device with the Stark Industries logo and a beeping red button may mean more to people who know Wanda’s past from the MCU among other things. But yes, they all, I hope, are a joyful combo of both those things.
