The Producers Guild of America announced today that Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigewill be receiving the prestigious 2019 David O. Selznick Achievement Award, which recognizes a producer’s body of work in motion pictures. Past recipients includeDavid Heyman(who spearheaded the entireHarry Potterfranchise),Charles Roven(who producedChristopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and produces many current DCEU films), veterans likeJerry Bruckheimer,Kathleen Kennedy&Frank Marshall,Scott Rudin, andBrian Grazer, and producing directors likeSteven SpielbergandClint Eastwood.
Whatever you think of the Marvel movies or the current superhero glut, Feige’s skill and impact on the Hollywood landscape is undeniably groundbreaking, and he’ll long be remembered for significantly changing the way movies are made. The producer got his start as an assistant toLauren Shuler Donnerand was hired by Marvel as a producer in 2000, working on films likeSam Raimi’sSpider-Manmovies andBryan Singer’sX-Men. But as long as he can remember he’s always wanted to produce films—not just superhero movies, but great pieces of cinema.
Feige so impressedAvi Aradthat he was named president of Marvel Studios in 2007, at which point he spearheaded the risky gamble of producing their own content. It started with 2008’sIron Man, after which Feige forged ahead with the aim of building a unified cinematic universe. The real test was 2012’sThe Avengers, which solidified that this “Marvel Cinematic Universe” experiment worked. Now a decade and 20 films later, Marvel Studios is still going strong as a massive force in the marketplace, with Feige making ambitious moves with creatively diverse films likeGuardians of the Galaxy,Captain America: The Winter Soldier, andThor: Ragnarok.
This PGA honor also not-so-coincidentally comes at a time when Oscar prognosticators say Marvel Studios has a terrific shot at landing the first Best Picture nomination for a superhero movie withBlack Panther. The immensely successful blockbuster already hasa serious Oscar campaign underway, and while Marvel is likely a shoo-in to land Best Popular Film nods forPantherandAvengers: Infinity War, writer/directorRyan Coogler’s deeply personal film is poised to potentially make history.
“Kevin Feige set for himself one of the most ambitious tasks ever attempted in cinematic storytelling, and then over-delivered on it,” said Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher, Presidents of the PGA. “What Kevin has accomplished with Marvel Studios is one of the great success stories of this generation. And now, with ‘Black Panther’ and the upcoming ‘Captain Marvel,’ Kevin has broadened our entire industry’s expectations for what tentpole movies look like—in front of the camera, behind the camera and in the audience. We’re honored that he’s accepted the PGA’s David O. Selznick Award.”
Feige will receive his award at the 30th Annual Producers Guild Awards on August 01, 2025.
