Marvel Studios president and chief architect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Kevin Feige is set to receive the world of film's highest honor.
As reported by Variety, Feige will receive a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 25, 2024. He'll join Marvel stars including Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, Ant-Man actor Paul Rudd, Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo, Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson, and more in being represented.
Feige began as a producer at Marvel in 2000 and quickly rose through the ranks with his knowledge of the superhero universe. His magnum opus arrived a few years later when he sought to emulate the shared storylines of comics and created the MCU, which kicked off proper in 2008 with Iron Man.
The franchise grew exponentially, of course, eventually peaking with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the latter of which set a box office record by bringing in $2.79 billion.
The MCU has endured somewhat of a lull since then, however, with Phase 4 and Phase 5 struggling to reach the heights set by their predecessors. Box office numbers indicate interest is at an all-time low, with latest release The Marvels finishing with the lowest ever U.S. domestic box office results for an MCU entry.
Marvel has also been criticized for padding the MCU too much, evidenced by Phase 4 lasting 54 hours and 40 minutes compared to Phase 1's 12 hours and 24 minutes. This comes as Marvel added 161 more hours of content as it made the Netflix Defenders shows canon too, and even Bob Iger, CEO of Marvel owner Disney, said the volume of shows has "diluted focus and attention".
A lot of pressure therefore lands on Deadpool & Wolverine, the only MCU film of 2024. The film stars Ryan Reynold's Deadpool alongside Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in both characters' introductions to the MCU. It's set to star way more than those two though, with characters such as Lady Deadpool, Sabertooth, Juggernaut, all appearing through the signature silliness of Deadpool.
It does appear ready to take on the challenge of reviving the MCU though. IGN has seen the first 35 minutes of the film ahead of its July 26, 2024 release date, and said it left us with "genuine hope for the future of Marvel" thanks to it being "funny, crass, and violent" with "a weightier sense of purpose" underneath the gags.
Image Credit: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
