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Marvel’s New Game Plan: Less is More,Says Kevin Feige
After a string of underperforming films like Eternals,The Marvels,and the lesser-known Thunderbolts,Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has signaled a notable shift in strategy. His blunt reply to questions about the franchise’s direction? “Make it less.”
In a recent press conference, as reported by Deadline, Feige outlined Marvel’s new approach for both theatrical releases and Disney+ content.The era of overwhelming audiences with a constant stream of interconnected stories is over. Moving forward, Marvel plans to release only two to three films per year, and just one live-action series annually. This move aims to combat audience fatigue and confusion.
Feige remains optimistic about the superhero genre, citing the success of James Gunn’s Superman as proof that audience interest hasn’t waned.”Just look at Superman, that’s proof that this is not a matter of superhero Fatigue,” he stated. According to Feige, as long as a film offers a strong story and is well-made, the genre remains vibrant. Marvel is particularly hopeful that the Fantastic Four: First Steps will kick off their 2025 slate with a strong performance, aiming for an opening weekend of over $100 million.
Feige acknowledged that Marvel’s ambitious expansion post-Avengers: endgame led to a massive increase in content, with total runtime jumping from 50 hours to over 102 hours (excluding animation). While he doesn’t regret this expansion, even expressing pride in successful streaming shows like WandaVision and Loki, he admits that the sheer volume of content diluted the overall value.
The failure of The Marvels served as a significant “wake-up call.” feige explained that many cinema-goers were unfamiliar with characters like Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau as they hadn’t watched their Disney+ series,leading to reluctance to see the film in theaters. This resulted in a drastic drop from the $1.1 billion earned by Captain Marvel to the $206 million of its sequel.
Similarly, Captain America: Brave new World is seen as struggling to escape the shadow of Chris Evans’ portrayal of the character. Thunderbolts, while considered a good film by Feige, suffers from an unfamiliar title and characters primarily introduced in series that not everyone has watched. Despite these setbacks,characters from Thunderbolts are still slated to appear in upcoming Avengers films,indicating they haven’t been entirely sidelined.
On the production front, Marvel is also tightening its belt. Feige revealed that they’ve learned from films like Gareth Edwards’ The Creator, which achieved stunning visuals on a more efficient budget in Thailand. Marvel’s upcoming slate, including Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four, will reportedly have larger budgets than the films released between 2022-2023, but these budgets are still more cost-effective.
feige is also exploring the potential of AI in VFX but remains cautious. “Can AI be the answer? I’m not sure,” he commented.
(Nu2 / is)
