MCU: The Marvel Cinematic Universe Official Discussion - Part 5

[Darkprime]

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?

EDIT: Also how were certain deaths decided upon? Namely Natasha and Tony.

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.

A while ago, you said you had a meeting with Mark Ruffalo and asked what he wanted out of the Hulk, then included that in Ragnarok, Infinity war and Endgame. Now that all 3 movies are out, can we get more information on what Ruffalo wanted out of the Hulk?

Many years ago, Mark came in for a meeting with us at Marvel Studios to discuss ways in which the Hulk could grow and evolve in upcoming films. He pitched a lot of cool ideas, some of which led to what you saw in Thor: Ragnarok, Infinity War and Endgame, and some of which would still be cool to see someday.

 

[Darkprime]

Hey Kevin!

Tons of directors and producers have made cameos in movies. Joe Russo a few times, Taika as Korg, etc. But have you ever considered doing a cameo as a character you like? If so, who would they be?

Thanks for reading these, and thanks for helping create the thing we all love!

I don't like being on camera, but I did cameo in a deleted scene in the first X-Men as a Weapon X technician. I was completely covered in a hood, mask and goggles.

Hi Kevin, huge fan of the MCU and your work as a producer. You've created a franchise loved by millions around the world, a cultural phenomenon in film the like of which we haven't seen before.

My question (not very original) but I've always wanted to ask what your favourite comic book storyline is and why

There are too many to name, many of them you've already seen adapted as stories into the MCU. Jim Starlin's Infinity Gauntlet being a prime example.

 

[Darkprime]

Given that it takes a village to make these movies, is there anybody at Marvel Studios that you feel is underappreciated by the general public?

What is your process for looking for directors for any one film?

Thanks for doing this AMA, and for providing this fantastic cinematic universe. <3

It's the entire team at Marvel Studios that make these movies what they are, from Louis D'Esposito, Trinh Tran, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Brad Winderbaum, Jonathan Schwartz, Stephen Broussard, Eric Carroll, and many more. I'd also give a shoutout to our editor Jeff Ford.

 

[Darkprime]

Looks like thats a wrap on the AMA.

Final edit: Thanks so much to everyone who submitted thoughtful questions and heartfelt comments, and thanks to the mods of this subreddit.

What we do at Marvel Studios is first and foremost for you, the fans.

PS. It's fun to know there's someone paying attention to all the fine details we work to put in all of our projects.

 

[Detective Conan]

The news that they plan to do something with Mandarin is pretty big. I think it's likely the real Mandarin might be a villian for another character.

Mandarin is a Iron Man villian, sure, but Marvel has taken a Iron Man villian and used them to antagonize another hero before -- Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp was originally an Iron Man villian but they gave that character to Ant-Man.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Basically just the one scoop

 

[MbJ]

I have no idea what the Fu Manchu film rights are like, but Marvel lost the comic rights to the character quite a while back. That (and the general racist connotations the character has acquired over the years) make it possible they'd just use the Mandarin as Shang-Chi's father/nemesis instead.

That and having an actual Chinese hero as the lead lessens the chance of angering the Chinese censors.

 

[SirStrangefolk]

I feel like the actual Mandarin is a much more interesting character than Fu Manchu/Zheng Zu anyway, and using the Ten Rings from IM1 makes much more sense in the MCU than the Si-Fan.

 

[Shuri]

You have been involved in producing Marvel movies since 2000, some of which, Pre-MCU, had missteps. What kind of lessons did you learn from those that helped you create this vision of the MCU that is now not only a worldwide phenomenon, but also has been a hit with critics?

Thank you for the MCU. I can't explain how much of a comfort and joy it has been to be able to grow with these characters over the last 10 years.

Respect the source material.

Hire passionate filmmakers regardless of how much money their last movie made.

Hire the best cast regardless of their current marquee value.

Smart answer. I guess this is why Kevin Feige is the most successful producer in Hollywood.

 

[Shuri]

Looks like thats a wrap on the AMA.

Thanks for posting the comments here.

 

[Iron_Stark]

The news that they plan to do something with Mandarin is pretty big. I think it's likely the real Mandarin might be a villian for another character.

Mandarin is a Iron Man villian, sure, but Marvel has taken a Iron Man villian and used them to antagonize another hero before -- Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp was originally an Iron Man villian but they gave that character to Ant-Man.

Nothing is confirmed and I hope it's fake. Because if it isn't then it will be a bunch of BS that they waste Iron Man's greatest villain in another movie. Just like they wasted and ruined the Ghost character in the Ant-Man movie.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I was thinking Mandarin could pop up in Shang-Chi, but I wasn't getting my hopes up. But with that reply, Shang-Chi is the obvious answer and him being the son of the Mandarin would be much better. Does it suck that Mandarin may never square off against Iron Man? Sure does, especially since the Iron Man trilogy had likely the weakest selection of the solo trilogies to this point. But, I'd rather see him than not and I do think he'd make Shang-Chi better..

 

[DarkKnight88]

I know he’s being coy, but all his answers were pretty generic. The AMA was everything we’ve already heard . Wish there was more specific stories he’d get into. But hey, producers don’t share the good stuff until years later in a tell all book.

 

[The_Manhunter]

I was thinking Mandarin could pop up in Shang-Chi, but I wasn't getting my hopes up. But with that reply, Shang-Chi is the obvious answer and him being the son of the Mandarin would be much better. Does it suck that Mandarin may never square off against Iron Man? Sure does, especially since the Iron Man trilogy had likely the weakest selection of the solo trilogies to this point. But, I'd rather see him than not and I do think he'd make Shang-Chi better..

Pretty much how I feel.

 

[Detective Conan]

I can’t believe some people are griping about Mandarin possibly being used as a foe for another hero instead of Iron Man.


Guys....

The Mandarin is not and never has been that good of a character, imo. This isn’t like killing off the Fantastic Four before they can face off against the real Doctor Doom. The Mandarin ain’t much a character and his rivalry between Tony has never been very memorable.

 

[Iron_Stark]

I can’t believe some people are griping about Mandarin possibly being used as a foe for another hero instead of Iron Man.


Guys....

The Mandarin is not and never has been that good of a character, imo. This isn’t like killing off the Fantastic Four before they can face off against the real Doctor Doom. The Mandarin ain’t much a character and his rivalry between Tony has never been very memorable.

Bull crap, exactly how many comics of the Mandarin do you own? How long have you followed the character? What DO you know about the Mandarin?

Imagine no other Superman movie ever existed, and this is like DC killing off Superman in a movie, then saying "oh that Eisenberg Lex Luthor was a fake, here's the real one, but we're going to put him in random D-list character's movie because he's a white guy".

Plain Stupid.

 

[Detective Conan]

Bull crap, exactly how many comics of the Mandarin do you own? How long have you followed the character? What DO you know about the Mandarin?

Imagine no other Superman movie ever existed, and this is like DC killing off Superman in a movie, then saying "oh that Eisenberg Lex Luthor was a fake, here's the real one, but we're going to put him in random D-list character's movie because he's a white guy".

Plain Stupid.

I've read quite a few stuff with the Mandarin and frankly he's never struck me as a particularly compelling villain.

And let's not pretend Mandarin is on the level of a Lex Luthor here. He ain't. Iron Man doesn't really have a strong rogue's gallery imo. Now if they killed off the Fantastic Four after they fought Crash Test Dummy in Fan4stic and then they said, "but hey! There's this other guy who's apparently the real deal!" and the FF never got to face off against the real comic-accurate Doom then I'd be just as outraged as you are with the Mandarin since I think the Doom/Richards rivalry is actually compelling, imo. Can't say the same about Stark and Mandarin sadly.

 

[MbJ]

Difference between the Mandarin and Lex Luthor is people actually know and care about Lex. With the Mandarin there's really no reason you couldn't have him as someone else's villain since it's not like the audience is super invested in the character.

Hell, they already gave Ghost to the Ant-Man and the Wasp franchise.

 

[Iron_Stark]

Difference between the Mandarin and Lex Luthor is people actually know and care about Lex. With the Mandarin there's really no reason you couldn't have him as someone else's villain since it's not like the audience is super invested in the character.

Hell, they already gave Ghost to the Ant-Man and the Wasp franchise.

Nobody cared about Iron Man before 2008 and look where we are now. Every body loved Gene Hackman's Luthor and look where we are now. Don't act like popularity should be a reason for who gets put in people's movies.

Ten Rings Rings and the Mandarin are part of Iron Man's lore. You can't just start on a story and have it resolve in some other character's movie.

Yeah and they ruined Ghost.

I've read quite a few stuff with the Mandarin and frankly he's never struck me as a particularly compelling villain.

And let's not pretend Mandarin is on the level of a Lex Luthor here. He ain't. Iron Man doesn't really have a strong rogue's gallery imo. Now if they killed off the Fantastic Four after they fought Crash Test Dummy in Fan4stic and then they said, "but hey! There's this other guy who's apparently the real deal!" and the FF never got to face off against the real comic-accurate Doom then I'd be just as outraged as you are with the Mandarin since I think the Doom/Richards rivalry is actually compelling, imo. Can't say the same about Stark and Mandarin sadly.

Which ones do you own? Got the Dragon Seed Saga? You read during the Matt Fraction run? Kurt Buisek's Revenge of the Mandarin? The great Haunted storyline by the Knauf brother's?

If you had read any one of those, you wouldn't be saying "he's not compelling"

I know the lore, I know what each individual ring does and how he got them, hell I even got his first comic appearance way back when, it's not in the best condition, probably not worth much, but I have it.

So yes, this does piss me off. Let's put him in someone else's movie just because he's Chinese. Gtfo. Mandarin isn't even Chinese.

 

[MbJ]

Nobody cared about Iron Man before 2008 and look where we are now.

So what you're saying is that a well received Shang-Chi movie could make Mandarin a big deal? Agreed.

You can't just start on a story and have it resolve in some other character's movie.

Evidently, you can, if this holds true.

 

[ludovica]

Nobody cared about Iron Man before 2008 and look where we are now. Every body loved Gene Hackman's Luthor and look where we are now. Don't act like popularity should be a reason for who gets put in people's movies.

Ten Rings Rings and the Mandarin are part of Iron Man's lore. You can't just start on a story and have it resolve in some other character's movie.

Yeah and they ruined Ghost.




Which ones do you own? Got the Dragon Seed Saga? You read during the Matt Fraction run? Kurt Buisek's Revenge of the Mandarin? The great Haunted storyline by the Knauf brother's?

If you had read any one of those, you wouldn't be saying "he's not compelling"

I know the lore, I know what each individual ring does and how he got them, hell I even got his first comic appearance way back when, it's not in the best condition, probably not worth much, but I have it.

So yes, this does piss me off. Let's put him in someone else's movie just because he's Chinese. Gtfo. Mandarin isn't even Chinese.

Dude, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I respect your passion for these characters but other people have the right to see them differently than you, without you pulling some "true fan" membership card argument.

We recently went through something like that with the Venom movie: some hardcore Venom fans loved it, some others not so much... Nobody is right or wrong, sometimes people just take away different things from stories and characters.

For your sake, I hope than when/if the Mandarin is adapted in Shang-Chi you will be surprisingly pleased by the end result.
You never know.

May I ask you though how can you say the Mandarin is not Chinese?

 

[Detective Conan]

Which ones do you own? Got the Dragon Seed Saga? You read during the Matt Fraction run? Kurt Buisek's Revenge of the Mandarin? The great Haunted storyline by the Knauf brother's?

If you had read any one of those, you wouldn't be saying "he's not compelling"

I know the lore, I know what each individual ring does and how he got them, hell I even got his first comic appearance way back when, it's not in the best condition, probably not worth much, but I have it.

I’ve haven’t read much outside a couple of his first appearances and I did read Haunted and let’s just say he failed to make a good impression on me(that he’s just never been a big a deal to me like someone say Doom or Lex Luthor, imo. Anyway we’re never going to see eye to eye on this so we’ll agree to disagree.

 

[moreorless]

In terms of how things were planned Markus and McFeely did make an interesting comment in the Kevin Smith podcast they did that if Marvel had a 100% fixed plan for the larger Infinity Wars plot from the start then the films inbetween might have ended up rather dull.

You could argue there is a certain interest to the story being pulled one way and then another so that's shifts have more drama behind them rather than things happening too smoothly.

 

[Iceman]

It’s great seeing Feige’s answers to these questions.

 

[Shuri]

Kevin Feige deliberately avoided answering any questions about the Netflix characters, even though there were many questions about them. Some of those questions were upvoted, so he must have seen them. Sadly, that tells me he has so plans for them in the future.