There are only a few people in the world that know all the secrets to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No, not the actors involved. Definitely not the various filmmakers. But one man that knows all the secrets and is a master at keeping them is none other than Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. So, you better believe that when he does an AMA over on Reddit, people are going to pay attention.
While the producer-extraordinaire didn’t give away any real secrets, per se, he did shed some light on what makes Marvel Studios special, his favorite moments in the MCU, and a possible future for Mark Ruffalo’s Smart Hulk.
About Hulk, Feige explained how Ruffalo was instrumental in deciding the trajectory of his character, who debuted in the second-ever MCU film (“The Incredible Hulk,” played by Edward Norton), but really came into his own in 2012’s “The Avengers.”
“Many years ago, Mark came in for a meeting with us at Marvel Studios to discuss ways in which the Hulk could grow and evolve in upcoming films,” explained Feige. “He pitched a lot of cool ideas, some of which led to what you saw in ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ ‘Infinity War,’ and ‘Endgame,’ and some of which would still be cool to see someday.”
Of course, ‘Endgame’ is an ending to the stories for the original six Avengers, including Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Hulk. However, as seen with Hawkeye getting his own Disney+ series and Black Widow getting her own solo film, the stories of these characters aren’t all wrapped up. Plus, we have seen that Hulk works best in an ensemble setting, so maybe he could show up in an upcoming film? “Doctor Strange 2,” perhaps?
As for Feige’s favorite moment in the 22 films that make up the MCU, he’s not able to name a “favorite.” That being said, there’s one moment in ‘Endgame’ which feels like a culmination of his career.
He admitted, “There are too many to list, but I will say my entire MCU career was building up to that ‘on your left’ moment in ‘Endgame.’”
That moment, in particular, proves to everyone watching the film just how much of an accomplishment Feige’s MCU really is. And the lead-up to the epic battle at the end of ‘Endgame’ shows that all the hard work over 11 years truly paid off. So, Feige was asked about the secrets to making a good cinematic universe. (Studios should probably grab a pen and paper.)
“Respect the source material,” the Marvel Studios boss said. “Hire passionate filmmakers regardless of how much money their last movie made. Hire the best cast regardless of their current marquee value.”
We’re sure that there are plenty of studios out there that can read that and say, “Easier said than done.” And that’s what makes Feige’s MCU so special.