New master of the universe
Marvel’s Feige could be the biggest thing to happen to Star Wars since Darth Vader
Kevin Feige turned B-list Marvel superheroes into Hollywood legends, so imagine what he can do with a lightsaber.
Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, will develop a new Star Wars movie, The Hollywood Reporter says. As the Skywalker family saga ends this December with the release of Star
Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is looking to usher in the next phase in Disney’s faraway universe.
“With the close of the Skywalker Saga, Kathy is pursuing a new era in Star Wars storytelling, and knowing what a diehard fan Kevin is, it made sense for these two extraordinary producers to work on a Star Wars film together,” said Alan Horn, the co-chairman of Walt Disney Studios.
Feige’s fandom has already proved helpful with that other franchise: With his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Marvel, Feige helped mould Marvel Studios’ films into the definitive cinematic experience, despite not having control over some of the company’s most popular characters — Spider-Man and the X-Men (with Sony and Fox at the time).
With the movie rights Marvel Studios was able to scoop up with secondary heroes Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, Feige was able to form The Avengers. The heaviest of those hitters would go on to have solo movies, and the Avengers’ onscreen team-ups turned into worldwide box office events.
Though Marvel and Sony would go on to split the Spider-Man rights for a time, meaning the popular character was added to the Avengers lineup, they have since split. Feige and Marvel deserve the credit for making Spidey great again after some floundering in movie purgatory. And Sony has just announced that Feige will produce a third movie in the Spider-Man Homecoming series, set for release in July 2021. With Disney purchasing Fox, the X-Men could soon be getting the Feige touch after the disastrous results of Fox’s final X-Men film, Dark Phoenix.
But Feige working on anything Star Wars-related is next level.
Star Wars’ return to the big screen — after Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 — has been a money-maker, but not without controversy. The Force Awakens guided fans back into this universe with the nostalgia of the original cast, as Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher ushered in the next generation of Star Wars heroes and villains. Next-gen hero/villain combo Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) were a part of the next sequel, the divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson. But The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams was brought back to try to assure the final film in the new trilogy ends with a satisfying bang.
Though the franchise’s 2010s comeback has been spotty, as such stand-alone films as Rogue One and Solo didn’t make the type of waves expected for films so highly anticipated, Feige is seen as someone with the magic touch.
He made Ant-Man into a household name, and turned the Guardians of the Galaxy — heroes even many diehard comic fans weren’t that familiar with — into part of a major franchise (and would include both as part of the Avengers machine).
He could help do something similar with lesser-known or brand-new Star Wars characters, or he could go straight to the big time. Imagine a retelling of a legend such as Darth Vader that delves into his prime years, based on the fantastic tales Marvel Comics has published lately to which Feige has total access.
Disney is also doubtless thinking about its big debut in November of Disney+, a monster that will continually need to be fed with content. Original series The Mandalorian looks like a winner, but Feige plotting in the Star Wars universe would be an incredible addition to an already loaded streaming service.
Because Feige fixed Marvel on film. Feige fixed Spider-Man when the brand was dead on arrival. Star Wars doesn’t need fixing, per se, but it does need Feige to give it a fresh shot in the arm. The possibilities are too spectacular to ignore. May the Force be with him.
The Washington Post