Feige on Fox/Disney Deal

[Dark Raven]

Spider-Man Homecoming was never in Phase 3 when it was first announced. They easily slotted in a movie there and moved some other things around.

I bet they have all these flow charts to see where to put things if they have to juggle stuff around.

Also, between movies, Feige should change his name to Feign, because he likes to feign ignorance or pretend that something else is going on. Only when the time is right will he reveal everything, otherwise he plays his cards very close to his chest.

 

[JJ Hall]

I'm not seeing the gun pointed at Feige's head to rush an X-Men film for 2021 or 2022. With Spider-Man I get it -- he's the flagship character with the super-successful Raimi franchise a recent memory. I can well imagine Disney insisting on exploiting that IP right away. X-Men and FF will certainly get attention in the near-term, but re-writing how Phase Four goes seems unlikely, not while the Donner films can run another installment until MS is ready for them. That's not "wishful thinking", that's just what I see as more realistic speculation than a film studio known for using step-by-step long-term planning will throw together something slapdash on five minutes notice to introduce some of its best characters. Do people think there weren't already plans for Avengers 4's end credits scene? For the 2021 slate? Chill, people. Let things develop in their own time. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Iceman]

I'm only expecting possible cameos to be contingently planned for that aren't relevant to the story of the films they're in and can be pulled at any point, not any full X-Men or F4 films. Solid plans for those can wait.

 

[ImSGirl95]

Spider-Man Homecoming was never in Phase 3 when it was first announced.

Not only it, but also Ant-Man & The Wasp wasn't in the Phase 3 annoucement. It was added sometime in August 2015, long after Spider-Man: Homecoming being added.

 

[Detective Conan]

Spider-Man Homecoming was never in Phase 3 when it was first announced. They easily slotted in a movie there and moved some other things around..

The problem with that comparison is that Spider-Man was a unique and rare situation because when the deal was announced it was not pending to be finished but already completed--- allowing immediate access to Spider-Man so they could afford to push back things. Unlike the Sony joint venture, Marvel Studios had no involvement with the Fox/Disney merger as that one is a far bigger deal than just superheroes hence Feige's comments about the enormity of this particular deal.

As I wrote before, this deal probably won't be finalized until mid-2019(And that's assuming the government doesn't sue to block it or ultimately shut it down). All of the Marvel movies announced through 2019 would theoretically already be post-production by then so Marvel would have a blank slate anyway. They really don't need to push back anything; by the time they get access of the characters they'd be mostly done with all the announced films from 2014.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Spider-Man Homecoming was never in Phase 3 when it was first announced. They easily slotted in a movie there and moved some other things around.

Especially since Fox won't be making several films every year going forwad.

Feige is going to HAVE to address the schedule from that point of view. They're not going to just say: "Everything Fox and Marvel had planned for the next five years is set in stone and nothing can be changed."

Feige is going to have to integrate the Marvel and Fox plans, cancelling some films and adding others.

The idea that he's not actively working on this and spending a lot of time thinking about it now is ridiculous.

He may be limited in how much he can actually do at this point, but he can be doing a lot to lay the path.

 

[ImSGirl95]

The assumption that Feige and Bob Iger haven't talked about this month(s) ago, it nonsense.

 

[Random490]

I'm sure Feige has ideas and is mulling over the possibilities but until the deal is approved and the new business structure is figured out there's not much he can do. Remember 20th Century Fox isn't going anywhere and I'm sure the new head of the studio may not what to loose revenue from the X-men franchise. So it's possible that he may want to keep it, or co produce it with Marvel Studios, or produce it but give Marvel Studios creative control, OR just hand over the rights and focus on something else. At this point who knows, I know what my vote would be but there's a lot people who all have their own views and responsibilities. 20th Century Fox still have to turn profits.

Until that conversation happens, until the deal is guarantee and Feige has that conversation with the Head of 20th Century Fox there's no point in spending time and resources on making and initiating plans until everyone is on the same board. I'm sure once they do and they know the movies they want to make they'll make changes to their schedule, but it would be irresponsible and stupid to do so until all the duck are in a line.

Also you have to keep in mind for us the X-men and F4 coming to the MCU is the biggest thing about this deal, but for the higher ups it's almost the smallest detail to worry about. So no one is rushing it for the sake of having a "really cool easter egg or post credit" scene in Avenger 4. Now if the timing of the deal and restructuring works out I'm sure they'll add something, given the timeline of events it's still possible. But the guy has enough work as is, he's not gonna do any extra until things are more clear and certain.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I'm not seeing the gun pointed at Feige's head to rush an X-Men film for 2021 or 2022. With Spider-Man I get it -- he's the flagship character with the super-successful Raimi franchise a recent memory. I can well imagine Disney insisting on exploiting that IP right away. X-Men and FF will certainly get attention in the near-term, but re-writing how Phase Four goes seems unlikely, not while the Donner films can run another installment until MS is ready for them. That's not "wishful thinking", that's just what I see as more realistic speculation than a film studio known for using step-by-step long-term planning will throw together something slapdash on five minutes notice to introduce some of its best characters. Do people think there weren't already plans for Avengers 4's end credits scene? For the 2021 slate? Chill, people. Let things develop in their own time. That's all I'm saying.

We don't have to guess or speculate. We have real history to go by.

Fifteen months after the Spider-Man deal was announced, Spider-man was on-screen, in theaters in a Marvel film.

So if this deal is finalized before the end of this year, it's completely reasonable that characters currently controlled by Fox could be appearing in Marvel films in 2020.

 

[Detective Conan]

Especially since Fox won't be making several films every year going forwad. .

Doesn't Fox have like only one movie coming out next year(New Mutants)?. I really can't see Gambit getting made at this point so I am reticent to include that in Fox's slate for 2019 even though Fox already has anyway.

 

[ImSGirl95]

^^^

Disagree with most stuff. 20th Century Fox will be basically replaced by a new studio called "New Fox", and regarding the revenue of X-Men, there is no way for Disney to let two studios they own to butcher themselves at the comicbook movies race. If Marvel Studios want to make 3 movies a year, and this New Fox want to make also 3 comicbook movies a year, Disney will most likely won't let them. The comicbook/Marvel stuff will be at Marvel Studios, with Feige in charge, and most likely they will up the movies to 4 (one movie in February/March; one in May; one in July and one in November).

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Doesn't Fox have like only one movie coming out next year(New Mutants)?. I really can't see Gambit getting made at this point so I am reticent to include that in Fox's slate for 2019 even though Fox already has anyway.

Fox was working on a schedule that would have had them releasing several films per year. New Mutants got pushed back recently, but if that had gone well and everything was running as Fox would have liked, they would have been working on Deadpool 3, New Mutants 2, X-23, Gambit, Dark Phoenix 2, X-Force etc.

They have already announced they plan to release 3 films in 2020:

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/2...tes-for-six-mystery-marvel-movies-1202484803/

 

[Zarex]

I'm not seeing the gun pointed at Feige's head to rush an X-Men film for 2021 or 2022. With Spider-Man I get it -- he's the flagship character with the super-successful Raimi franchise a recent memory. I can well imagine Disney insisting on exploiting that IP right away. X-Men and FF will certainly get attention in the near-term, but re-writing how Phase Four goes seems unlikely, not while the Donner films can run another installment until MS is ready for them. That's not "wishful thinking", that's just what I see as more realistic speculation than a film studio known for using step-by-step long-term planning will throw together something slapdash on five minutes notice to introduce some of its best characters. Do people think there weren't already plans for Avengers 4's end credits scene? For the 2021 slate? Chill, people. Let things develop in their own time. That's all I'm saying.

A key point to keep in mind is that Fox's pay channel deal with HBO runs through 2022. That deal keeps Fox branded Marvel films off of the Disney streaming service during a very lucrative streaming window, meaning it is extremely likely that all of the Marvel characters currently housed at Fox will move over to Disney Studios as soon as the deal is finalized.

 

[ImSGirl95]

Heck, guys. Even Bob Iger said it at the announcement that they can't wait to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe with X-Men, FF and Deadpol. lol
Literally, there is nothing more to think about it.

 

[Smurphftw]

That was pretty much my exact reaction. Hehe

 

[Detective Conan]

Deadpool is the odd one because with X-Men and FF a hard reboot of them is a no-brainer(especially with FF) but Deadpool is the one franchise that Fox owns that I think if it's to be integrated into the MCU shouldn't be rebooted but then comes the question of how DP will be integrated since the X-Men already already exist in Deadpool's universe while there is zero mention of them in the MCU so far. Will they retcon the first DP to take place in the distant future of the MCU after the X-Men made their MCU debut?

 

[ImSGirl95]

Deadpool is the odd one because with X-Men and FF a hard reboot of them is a no-brainer(especially with FF) but Deadpool is the one franchise that Fox owns that I think if it's to be integrated into the MCU shouldn't be rebooted but then comes the question of how DP will be integrated since the X-Men already already exist in Deadpool's universe while there is zero mention of them in the MCU so far. Will they retcon the first DP to take place in the distant future of the MCU after the X-Men made their MCU debut?

Why do any of that? Deadpool is a living and walking fourth-breaker. The retconing could be: "Yes. For all those that are watching. The Mouse has bought me. And now I can't say words like **** ** ** ** * ** * ** *** **"
or something like this.
There is basically nothing, I mean nothing, to take seriouslly from Deadpool. That's way he is easy to integrate him in.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Deadpool is the odd one because with X-Men and FF a hard reboot of them is a no-brainer(especially with FF) but Deadpool is the one franchise that Fox owns that I think if it's to be integrated into the MCU shouldn't be rebooted but then comes the question of how DP will be integrated since the X-Men already already exist in Deadpool's universe while there is zero mention of them in the MCU so far. Will they retcon the first DP to take place in the distant future of the MCU after the X-Men made their MCU debut?

I think it may depend on what we get in the 2nd film. If the X-Men aren't mentioned in the second film and all we have is what we saw in the first film, I think they can move forward fairly easily and just ignore those scenes.

For example, would any future use of The Leader be limited by what we saw in the Hulk film? I don't imagine they'll tie themselves to that and there's no reason to tie themselves to the brief X-Men mention in Deadpool.

 

[sleekstereo]

And how could Feige be completely surprised by it and not even know of the merger coming up and being officially announced? Everyone else who has read any news knew about this at least a week or more before the announcement. Was he living under a rock? I think not. So I wouldn't take him completely at face value that he only woke up one day and found out about it in the news.

The top executives at Fox didn't know about it until it was released in the press too. This deal was done by the top guys at both companies along with their CFOs and lawyers. I've been a part of mergers, it is so secretive for legal reasons.

 

[sleekstereo]

We can expect the X-Men and FF transition to look an awful lot like the Spidey transition. The existing series is abruptly ended, a new MCU series is announced, and the existing producers get gold watches for many years of exemplary service.

The Fantastic Four should be easily integrated the X-Men is more difficult. Unlike Spiderman, the X-Men have never been FULLY rebooted. I know some people hate the Fox version of X-Men but that is what the general audience knows and recognizes as X-Men especially with no animated shows or extremely popular comic books to push Marvel's version.

It will happen but it will take lots of time.

 

[Doug_Moore]

Feige is being coy. The MCU is going to be far more interesting after the end of the Infinity War.

 

[Zarex]

The Fantastic Four should be easily integrated the X-Men is more difficult. Unlike Spiderman, the X-Men have never been FULLY rebooted. I know some people hate the Fox version of X-Men but that is what the general audience knows and recognizes as X-Men especially with no animated shows or extremely popular comic books to push Marvel's version.

It will happen but it will take lots of time.

I think it will happen relatively quickly. Feige and company had Spidey back on screen less than two years after the early end of the ASM series and in the following year he was starring in a very successful solo feature. There's no reason the X-Men can't follow a similar time line.

Though the First Class crew has its fans, it is nowhere near as popular as the OT cast and the series as a whole has performed well below the Spidey reboot series. The core series is in the midst of a creative and BO lull, and I am confident that the general audience and fans alike will energized by a move to the MCU.

Introduce the mutants in ongoing Marvel series - Rogue in Captain Marvel, Storm in Black Panther, Beast in Avengers and Iceman and Firestar in Spider-man. Re-introduce Wolverine as an Alpha Flight member tracking down The Hulk. Then bring back the X-Men with Jean and Scott leading the team. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

 

[ADollarADay]

I think Feige and co will hold off on announcing plans for Phase 4 until the deal is cleared. They might announce some movies here and there but no long term plans until after the deal is complete. I hope it gets cleared by December this year, that would be nice.

A key point to keep in mind is that Fox's pay channel deal with HBO runs through 2022. That deal keeps Fox branded Marvel films off of the Disney streaming service during a very lucrative streaming window, meaning it is extremely likely that all of the Marvel characters currently housed at Fox will move over to Disney Studios as soon as the deal is finalized.

That's a good point, especially for other movies such as Avatar. I don't think the deal includes all of Fox's catalog, so things like Home Alone should be fine to put on Disneyflix.

 

[sleekstereo]

I think it will happen relatively quickly. Feige and company had Spidey back on screen less than two years after the early end of the ASM series and in the following year he was starring in a very successful solo feature. There's no reason the X-Men can't follow a similar time line.

Though the First Class crew has its fans, it is nowhere near as popular as the OT cast and the series as a whole has performed well below the Spidey reboot series. The core series is in the midst of a creative and BO lull, and I am confident that the general audience and fans alike will energized by a move to the MCU.

Introduce the mutants in ongoing Marvel series - Rogue in Captain Marvel, Storm in Black Panther, Beast in Avengers and Iceman and Firestar in Spider-man. Re-introduce Wolverine as an Alpha Flight member tracking down The Hulk. Then bring back the X-Men with Jean and Scott leading the team. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

The main series is definitely in a lull because of Apocalypse and we'll see what Dark Phoenix does later this year. But creatively, after Deadpool and Logan the universe is on the upward (quality wise) especially getting recognized during award season.

Did anyone really care about the Amazing-Spider-Man series though? Luckily for Marvel, movie audiences were still more connected to Rami's Spiderman than whatever Sony did right after it so Marvel had a way more easier time rebooting Spiderman after the lukewarm reception to Andrew's Spider-Man. Even though we are working with different casts within the X-Men universe, it is still connected.

I'm ok with introducing Rogue and a new Mystique in Captain Marvel 2 or even Storm in Black Panther. The main X-Men (Jean, Cyclops, Beast, Angel, and Iceman) should have their own film. The X-Men are way too big and important to introduce as supporting characters in other Marvel films.

My original point though was that I don't expect us to see the MCU version of the X-Men to at least 2022.

 

[Detective Conan]

I wonder how the MCU X-Men will differentiate itself from the Singer/Fox versions other than more colorful comic-accurate costumes. Using what Feige did with Spider-Man as an example it's easy to assume that whatever their take on those characters are it would be unlike anything we've seen done with them before. Do they do some race-swapping? I wouldn't mind seeing Xavier played by a non-white actor(just get someone like Morgan Freeman to play him). Maybe they should change the team dynamics a little by making Storm the leader of the X-Men like she was in the 80's? Just so many endless possibilities.