Your Favorite Super Heroes Could Return to the MCU
By Movieguide® Contributor
Marvel head Kevin Feige says a return for stars like Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans “can be done” following Hugh Jackman’s reprisal of his role as Wolverine.
“It can be done [as long as] great care is taken,” he explained. “That’s the key, right? How do you do it in a way that maintains what has come before, and in a great way?”
Feige added that the studio has been spending “the last two-plus years figuring that out for Wolverine,” who recently reappeared in DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE.
“So, what’s to come? We’ll see,” he teased. “We’re just proud that we, I think, have figured it out for Wolverine. I think Hugh’s appearance and starring role in [DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE] is a great sign that it can be done — if great care is taken.”
Feige has been the president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2007. He recently revealed whether or not he plans on staying on with the MCU.
Variety asked him if his current position is “the last job you’ll ever have.” Feige replied, “If you mean making movies in Hollywood that go around the world and touch people? I hope so, yes.”
The outlet clarified that they meant as president of Marvel, to which he said, “That I don’t know. But it’s what I get to do in this job that I hope I get to do [forever]…I hope to be able to be a part of that for the rest of my days.”
Downey Jr. has also teased a potential return as Iron Man. The actor starred in the IRON MAN and AVENGERS franchises and was killed off in 2019’s AVENGERS: ENDGAME.
“It’s too integral a part of my DNA,” Downey Jr. said of the character. “That role chose me. And look, I always say, never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”
The return of popular actors and characters might help boost Marvel’s declining box office and streaming numbers. Movieguide® previously reported on changes the company plans on making to bring viewers back:
Marvel is taking steps to put less “pressure” on its fan base.
“The company is rebranding its streaming efforts as Marvel Television for live-action series and Marvel Animation for its animated shows,” MSN reported.
As part of the change, Marvel shows will no longer open with its signature logo.
“There was a lot of pressure post-AVENGERS: ENDGAME on the public to feel obligated to watch absolutely everything in order to watch anything,” said Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s head of streaming, television and animation. “Part of the rebranding was a signal to the general audience that we’re creating a lot of options, and you can follow your tastes within this brand. Some will be more comedic, some will be more dramatic, some will be animated, some will be live-action. Marvel is more than just one thing — it is actually many different genres that just happened to coexist in a single narrative.”
Many fans are familiar with the connections between the many Marvel shows and movies.
“When Marvel Studios first launched into streaming, [Kevin] Feige made a point to note that the shows were part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and their storylines would be integrated with the feature films,” Variety reported.
Moving forward, the studio will try to minimize those crossovers.
“The characters still live and breathe in the same universe, but the interconnectivity is not so rigid that you need to watch Project A to understand Project B,” Winderbaum explained. “The hope is that, like the comics, you can just pop in anywhere and have a satisfying experience. We’re trying to dispel the idea that you need to do any kind of setup work to watch anything else.”
