New Article Claims Kevin Feige Will Save Marvel
The narrative around Marvel has officially shifted. Where once the entertainment media carried the water of a failing brand, insisting that each new MCU entry was a hit, that the quality of the films never dipped, that any criticisms were the result of racism and all the other buzzwords, they now admit that Marvel is on shaky ground. It really began with The Marvels, which bombed so hard that no amount of spin could disguise its failure; still, excuses were made, and the clearly underwhelming box office returns and streaming numbers were excused with some fuzzy math. But now, things have changed; in the week leading to the release of Thunderbolts*, the new narrative was that sure, Marvel movies have kind of sucked for a while, but now, things are back on track. Then, on Friday, The Wall Street Journal published an article discussing the realization at Marvel Studios that their franchise is in trouble, and they’ve got to reverse course and fix it. The piece is a fascinating read if you want insight into how Hollywood shapes a narrative, and there are quotes from unnamed Marvel insiders, along with cherry-picked social media complaints that reinforce the story.
The basic thrust of the Wall Street Journal piece is that the Disney+ Marvel shows spread Kevin Feige too thin, he didn’t have as much time to devote to micromanaging each movie or show, and everything fell apart, with filmmakers struggling to keep their films in continuity (yeah, right). This, combined with the sheer glut of content, created “Marvel fatigue,” with people complaining that there’s too much to follow, as well as a situation the Journal’s insiders call a “no new fans club,” meaning that the MCU has become inaccessible to anyone who hasn’t seen literally every piece of media attached to it, including those unavailable to people who don’t subscribe to Disney+. Everyone seems to get very honest, from the Journal admitting that shows like Ms. Marvel and movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania were failures to sources saying that Kevin Feige described watching modern Marvel content as “more like homework than entertainment.” And it all ends with assurances that Feige is determined to turn things around for Marvel by shifting his focus to the movies, lessening the output, and getting Robert Downey Jr. back to play Doctor Doom; apparently, he also has a ten-year plan for the X-Men.
However, I think “honest” is the wrong word because, to me, this article feels very much like spin and, as I said initially, the shifting of a narrative. This notion that the only reason Marvel movies suck now is because Kevin Feige is spread too thin is not new; Bob Iger said as much two years ago. Repeating the Disney CEO’s exact words is not some newfound bravery from a thoroughly soul-searched media; it’s being a good little doggy. “Marvel fatigue,” or superhero fatigue, or whatever you want to call it, is also the same excuse being trotted out, and while at least now they’re owning up to Marvel making lousy movies and shows, the concept still puts the onus more on fans who are fed up with ingesting garbage; “Hey, we know you’re fatigued, but if you give us another chance – if you give us another chance – you’ll see that we’re still awesome! You may not like the next few, but sooner or later, one of them will be good!” Feige’s ten-year plan for the X-Men is the same concept; he’s totally got ideas and stuff, you guys, and you just have to stop being jerks and trust him by giving Disney your money. And in this X-Men song and dance and the fawning intro, it puffs up the myth that Kevin Feige was solely responsible for the MCU’s success, diminishing not only individual filmmakers but the people who helped Feige build the MCU both creatively and in terms of a business, from producer Avi Arad to writers and directors like Joss Whedon and Jon Favreau.
Why do this? Well, the obvious answer is that Marvel, Disney, and Kevin Feige are powerful Hollywood forces, and the entertainment media isn’t going to insult them and will only criticize when authorized to – which means when the studios have no choice and okay it. But I think the more immediate reason is that if they make Feige the sole figure responsible for shaping the MCU, that means he’s the only one who can fix it. All he has to do is stop working so gull-durned hard and get back to basics. Then, we can all gloss over the monumental downgrade in writers and directors, the creative bungling of the multiverse and Kang the Conqueror, the infusion of identity politics that alienated an audience looking for entertainment and universal human themes in their superhero movies, the concerted effort to diminish the beloved Marvel heroes to prop up the next generation of insufferable girl boss scolds, and the insistence that no one involved immerse themselves in the comic book world from which this franchise originated. In other words, we can ignore the real problems and rest assured that Kevin will fix it. This Kevin:
So, don’t get your hopes up that things are about to turn around for Marvel, and we’re headed back to the heyday of The Infinity Saga. Even this article admits that the MCU is relying on nostalgia bait and stunt casting by bringing Robert Downey Jr. back to play Doctor Doom. If nothing else, this proves that they aren’t going back to the basics of their earlier phases – when they took a chance on a guy like Downey, who had faded into obscurity, to play their first superhero (on the insistence of Jon Favreau, by the way, not Kevin Feige). If that were true, they’d be searching for the perfect actor to play Victor Von Doom, someone who would create a classic new villain that would haunt their universe for years. Instead, they’re dumping a boatload of cash onto their biggest star’s front lawn and begging him to pop up and let them put his face on the posters. This new article is not an admission; like Downey’s return, it’s just another ploy.
Let us know what you think of Kevin Feige and the supposed Marvel turnaround in the comments!
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Comments (2)
That would be awesome, and actually a great way to incorporate Deadpool into an X-Men movie, which is what Reynolds is working on right now.
I chose those videos partly because they’re from actual good things. Watching the older stuff now reinforces how bad Marvel has become in the last few years.
No, they haven’t come out with it. There are hints here and there, but more and more I suspect those are on purpose to make it seem like they’re backing off when they’re really not. Sort of like strategic retreats.
Whatever formula was working before, it’s clear that he lost the Midas touch. I actually liked all the clips posted with the exception of She-Hulk, which sucks. I see zero indication that they will turn it around with a chick Silver Surfer and even casting Pedro Pascal. Bad choices.
I liked your suggestions for Xmen story lines and have no interest in seeing the Phoenix saga again. My choice would be Mojoverse because it’s an avenue to roast the media, but the only one with the nads to do it would by Ryan Reynolds.
Also, a side note, but I’ve yet to see them back off the woke thing in general media.