We have Marvel head Kevin Feige to thank for the onslaught of superhero movies these last 15 years. It was Feige who came up with the concept of incorporating the Marvel Cinematic Universe, multi-verses and a never-ending barrage of sequels.
It’s also Feige who, by all accounts, “directs” these movies. No, he might not be the “official” director who helms Marvel movies, but he sure as hell is the person who “obsessively” controls every part of the creative process. That’s a well-known and reported fact.
And now, on the eve of “Deadpool & Wolverine” ravaging thousands of screens— the 49th title within the MCU across film and TV — Feige is set to receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In an interview with Variety, Feige spoke about an assortment of topics, including Hollywood’s obsession with sequels, and his defense of them. He says his love for movies began after watching ‘Return of the Jedi’ in theaters:
I always liked the world-building and being able to return to characters. I was always excited for sequels. I was never cynical or rolling my eyes the way people still do today for some reason, even though there’ve been sequels since the ’30s and they’re an absolute pillar of the industry. To me, those were always what I enjoyed most, the notion that something I loved was returning and it would expand on what I loved about it.
So, what Feige “enjoys most” are sequels. Makes sense. His Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with recurrence, you can’t escape it. Of course, you have the naysayers/purists who don’t believe a great movie should ever really have a continuation unless it’s necessary (“Before Sunset” “The Godfather Part II”), but audiences have spoken and what’s most popular, and profitable, in Hollywood are sequels.
One look at the highest-grossing movies this decade, and the last, you get a sense that for a movie to become a blockbuster hit then it needs to be part of a franchise or well-known IP. Also, for every originally conceived success that does occur (“Smile’ “The Black Phone”), and they are a rare breed, a studio will immediately greenlight a sequel soon after.
This epidemic of sequels wasn’t always present. For example, in the year 2000, eight of the ten highest grossers were original works (“Gladiator,” “Cast Away,” What Women Want,” “Meet the Parents,” “The Perfect Storm” “Dinosaur” and “What Lies Beneath.”) That would never happen today.
Clearly, things have changed. Original moviemaking is no longer popular. It’s a depressing state, and I doubt we’ll ever go back to how it was two decades ago.