When actors and directors do a press junket, the conversation seems to almost always revolve around the current film they’re promoting. So, for “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” star Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Holland have been making the rounds talking about the latest Marvel Studios production. However, when Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige does press, everyone wants to ask about the future.
Speaking to BET, Feige was asked a little about ‘Far From Home,’ but also the question of “Black Panther 2” was raised. Specifically, what the status of the highly-anticipated sequel is and whether or not Erik Killmonger, who is often thought of as the best MCU villain (side-by-side with Thanos), would be making a posthumous return in the Ryan Coogler-directed sequel?
“Pure rumor,” replied the Marvel Studios boss. “The honest answer to that is that is pure rumor and speculation, because Mr. Coogler is just only in recent weeks sitting down at his keyboard and beginning to outline the movie. It’s early, so nothing is set yet in any way that far, because Mr. Coogler is sitting down and will share it with [‘Black Panther’ producer] Nate Moore and myself in coming weeks.”
Hey, at least Feige actually confirmed that they’re working on “Black Panther 2,” so that’s a step in the right direction. Especially considering that after ‘Spider-Man 2,’ nothing is confirmed.
Speaking of ‘Far From Home,’ Feige was also asked about releasing a live-action Spidey film on the heels of the Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which was a major hit for Sony at the tail-end of last year.
“I saw ‘Spider-Verse’ and said, ‘Thank God we went with something daring and complex,’” said Feige. “If it had just been an average Spider-Man villain chasing him around buildings and trying to hit him with a blast, it would have seemed really lame next to Spider-Verse.”
Fans will find out soon enough (tomorrow actually) that Feige and Marvel Studios have crafted a ‘Spider-Man’ film that is completely different from ‘Spider-Verse’ but still enjoyable, relatable, and poignant, in much the same way as the animated feature from 2018. So, if that’s your bar for a good ‘Spider-Man’ film, you’re in for a treat.