Getty Image
The wake created by the final film of Phase 3 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame, is going to be monstrous. What’s next for the franchise? How can Marvel possibly hope to continue to top the previous 10-plus years of blockbuster movies? How far along do their current plans for Phase 4 go?
It’s questions like these that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was faced with on Wednesday as he participated in his first-ever Reddit AMA (or AMAA – Ask Me Almost Anything, as he put it).
Some highlights…
Q: Cap lifting Mjolnir was one of the strongest (crowd-cheering) moments in Endgame. Does he become worthy in that moment or has he been worthy for a while since, say, Avengers: Age of Ultron?
A: We think he was always worthy and was being polite in Age of Ultron.
Q: How much did Stan Lee know about Endgame before he passed? Was there a version far enough along for him to screen it prior to his death?
A: Stan loved to wait to see the final movie at the premiere, so unfortunately he did not get to see the finished movie. Stan got a download of the full story the day he came and shot his cameo.
Q: People have expressed views that, in Endgame, those brought back by the snap could have died in accidents (like someone being brought back 100 ft in the air where a plane used to be). Is it possible that Hulk, when doing the snap, not only brought everyone back, but also brought them back in a safe place?
A: We refer to the version of Hulk in Endgame as Smart Hulk. So, yes.
Q: What made you guys start with Ironman as the first film to start a legacy with? It was an incredibly great idea with the script and actors making it awesome! But why Ironman first?
A: We thought Tony Stark was a great and unique character for our first film because he was so different from any comic book character that had been brought to the screen before.
[protected-iframe id=”c199adb5f3c2f0c33ad06ae1576ca2d0-97886205-92827192″ info=”https://giphy.com/embed/1MwnwxYu69cNq” width=”640″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″ class=”giphy-embed” allowfullscreen=””]
Q: How early was the plot of Infinity War/Endgame being planned out? When was it decided to make it two parts where Thanos wins at first and what were some of the earliest plot points decided upon?
A: We started discussing how to adapt the Infinity Gauntlet comic soon after the release of the first Avengers. It was on one of our creative retreats about 5 years ago that we decided to do it as two films. We started to crack the specifics of the story during production on Civil War with Chris Markus and Stephen McFeely, Joe and Anthony Russo, in a conference room as we went back and forth between takes.
Q: Without going ino to details about developing projects, are there any plans to incorporate the Ten Rings from the first Iron Man, or the “real” Mandarin teased in “All Hail the King” in the future?
A: Yes.
Q: Are there any plans to use previously forgotten characters such as Leader, Abomination or Justin Hammer in the MCU?
A: I’m not sure I’d call them forgotten characters but I love bringing back characters people think they’ve seen the last of. For example, General Ross and Harley.
Q: How far is the MCU planned in advance?
A: We usually work with a specific 5 year plan at any given point but often have a general plan that extends much, much further.
Q: Martin Starr was both in the Incredible Hulk (very briefly in the computer lab) and in Spider-Man: Homecoming as Peter Parker’s debate coach. Can we assume these are the same people?
A: I do.
Q: How much will the Disney+ shows weave into the films?
A: Totally and completely.
Q: What casting did you have to fight the hardest for?
A: Robert Downey Jr.
Q: Why is Gamora?
A: Because.