"We're already well into development of the next saga": Marvel boss Kevin Feige on Fantastic Four: First Steps, Phase 6 and the future of the MCU

In the jaded world of Hollywood, it’s rare that a round table interview ends with a spontaneous round of applause – but that’s exactly what happens when you chat to Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige.

The MCU maestro is well-known to be tight-lipped in interviews, but that doesn’t seem to be the case when GamesRadar+ walks into a room at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel to discuss the latest Marvel blockbuster, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Feige enthusiastically greets everyone at the door with a beaming smile and a hearty handshake. Despite being asked to keep all questions focused on The Fantastic Four, it soon becomes clear that nothing is off limits for the small group of journalists assembled today. From X-Men scoops to the latest Spider-Man script, Feige is thoughtful, engaged and open as the conversation veers from First Steps to a host of upcoming MCU projects…

Q: With Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it feels like there’s a new lease of life being injected into the MCU. Do you see these movies as a fresh start and a jumping-on point for new audiences? And how much does First Steps’ setting of Earth-828 fit into that narrative?

Kevin Feige: It fits in a tremendous amount. I think about it less in terms of Earth-828 than I think about it as Johnny, Ben, Sue, Reed and Franklin fitting into the world to come and the storylines to come. You know, anything that is considered a jumping-on point is good. That is how the comics have kept going for 85 years. I mean, this is our 37th movie, and I hope that’s how this all keeps going. It’s kicking off Phase 6, for people who keep track of such things, which comes to a close in Secret Wars and it very much is the most focused phase. I mean, we have it all already and it’s all in the works. Not that you asked this question – but unlike Endgame, which really was an ending, we’d go, “Where do we go from here? What do we do with this level of success and this level of finality?” Well, we used it to experiment. We used it to evolve and then we used it to expand – too much. Secret Wars, as in the comics, is as much about bringing certain storylines to a close as it is about launching a new one, and that’s what’s very exciting. We’re already well into development of the next saga.

We know that The Fantastic Four will appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, but what is their significance in shaping the future of the MCU?

We want them to take their rightful place within the pantheon of these other heroes, like in the comics. If you go back and look through any of the comic stories that inspired any of our movies up to now, if you look at Civil War and The Infinity Gauntlet series, the Fantastic Four were in all of those, right? We couldn’t use them, so this movie is the intro going, “Here they are. Get to know them. Hopefully you’ll love them.” The import [importance] that they have in the comics, I hope to bring to the films.

How significant is the character of Franklin Richards, who is introduced in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

As always, look at the comics. Look at the comics! There is great potential with Franklin. There’s great potential in their [Reed and Sue’s] other child, too. I mean, really the reason to do it first is because it had never been done before. There have been four other movies, as you’re well aware, and Franklin had never been a part of them. As we were looking for ways to set this movie apart – to do a definitive version of Fantastic Four – we thought the notion of that child and his importance to come would be a good place to start and embrace. And that’s certainly what [director] Matt Shakman embraced.

First Steps is a movie about family. How does the family dynamic distinguish them from other teams, such as the Guardians or the Avengers?

I think Marvel has always been about family. It’s about found family in the case of the Guardians and the Avengers – and half found family, half actual family in Fantastic Four. But being Marvel’s first family, that was always going to be at the forefront. One of the fun things about an Avengers movie is tossing in different personalities and mixing up those personalities. The [Fantastic Four] actors have taken a break from filming [Avengers: Doomsday] to come and do the press junket for us on this film, but I’m already very, very excited to see the interactions with the other characters that are happening in that film; the interactions between The Fantastic Four and these other characters.

First Steps feels like the definitive Fantastic Four movie in terms of its ’60s sensibilities and Jack Kirby/Stan Lee visual inspirations. How did you decide on the MCU’s approach to the film?

Much like when we started making Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, we looked much more at what had never been done before than what had been done. And the testament to the Marvel comics being so rich and the storylines being so deep that you have – even after four Fantastic Four movies or the seven, or however many, Spidey films there had been at that time – so much more to tap into. So that’s what we focused on, which is why Franklin came and why the notion of that world and its own world came about. Also, it was about embracing Jack Kirby’s line design. We literally sat with our amazing production designer talking about the Kirby lines and getting more Kirby designs into shots and into backgrounds because what that man did by himself with a pencil – assuming he used a pencil as his artistic tool – pouring out of his imagination. Like, for instance, Galactus, and being able to think that Galactus can be a great, cool iconic thing because Galactus has been a great, cool iconic thing for decades and decades, and not being scared of the Kirby lines, of the Kirby helmet, of the Kirby antlers that come off. Seeing Ralph [Ineson] in that helmet for the first time, even before it was coloured, you go, “Yeah, there’s a reason this design works. It’s because it’s super cool.”

How freeing was it to make the decision to set the story in Earth-828?

It was very freeing and it was one of the earliest ideas for the movie.

Now that you’ve done this successfully, are there plans to introduce more characters via alternate Earths?

You’ll have to see. You’ll have to see.

With a story that focuses on a positive message about bringing people together when the world is in crisis, what is the significance of releasing this film today?

We’ve been working on this movie for many, many years and it was always to do what those characters did in the comics in the ’60s and in every decade since, which is to bring optimism to the world. It’s this idea that the future can be positive, that the future can be positive through expertise and science, as well as through the love for your community and those around you. We could release this movie any time and people would say, “You know, this really resonates for today.” That said, I do think it resonates for today. And I think we saw that with James’ [Superman] movie a couple of weeks ago; that the notion of cynicism put to the side briefly to deal in earnest with positivity is a great thing.

Pedro Pascal’s portrayal of Reed Richards is a fresh twist to the character. When did you first realise you’d struck gold with Pedro in this role?

It was knowing his versatility. It was knowing the Pedro you see in interviews, seeing how charismatic and dynamic he is, and then you see all of the different versions of characters he’s played. They have all been very, very different, leading up to Joel in The Last of Us. I literally thought, ‘This guy can do anything he sets his mind to, and he set his mind to Reed.’ That is really what gave us the confidence.

There’s some consternation in the fandom that First Steps is the last Marvel Studios film before Avengers: Doomsday. What would be your response to those who say it’s too long to wait?

Well, Spidey is next year. I don’t know. I mean, I know what the story of Avengers is, so it feels like enough to me. You know, we’ve talked about the over-expansion before; of being overly zealous to tell double the amount of hours of stories in the last five years than we did in the previous 12 years. I do think a slowdown, which we’ve already started to do in TV, and are now doing in movies, is in order. I love the idea that there’s Fantastic Four now, there’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day and then there’s Avengers: Doomsday a year from now and a year and a half from now. I think that’s okay. I think it’s okay to let people miss you in the theatres for a little while before coming back in a big way.

How will the ’60s style of The Fantastic Four mix with the visual style of Thunderbolts* for Avengers: Doomsday? Will we see a ‘60s-inspired filter in future movies in the MCU?

Only speaking to the movie we’re shooting now, for people who know the comics and know the word ‘incursions’, those are universes coming together, so we will see that universe. We will see this world that we’ve introduced. We’re shooting on all the same sets that we built for Fantastic Four. And it is very fun. The now iconic Baxter Building’s living room and kitchen – where we saw the four get to know each other in this movie – let’s say, there are a lot more people in that kitchen. The Avengers. It’s fun to literally see people coming into each other’s homes. It’s pretty awesome.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first movie of Phase 6, which closes The Multiverse Saga. How many future MCU phases and sagas have you planned at this point?

A saga is three phases, so we’re working on the next three right now. But really, the first one of the next saga is directly impacted by what we’re doing right now with these movies and Secret Wars.

You’ve talked about how First Steps leads into Avengers: Doomsday, so we know Doctor Doom is coming. Did you have discussions about where Doctor Doom is during the events of this film?

Yes. Yes, we did.

Phase 5 of the MCU left a lot of loose ends, particularly in the form of iconic cameos – including Eros (Harry Styles in The Eternals), Hercules (Brett Goldstein in Thor: Love and Thunder) and Clea Strange (Charlize Theron in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness). When will we see these characters again?

There are plans for some and there are opportunities for all. It’s about finding what the right moment is. Some, maybe we’ll never see again. Some, maybe we’ll see soon. For some, maybe it’ll be like Tim Blake Nelson [who played Samuel Sterns in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World], and it will take 17 years. Who knows? What I love about it is as much about the actors as it is about the characters. It’s as much about our enthusiasm and excitement to work with those actors, which is how almost all those came about – but we will not alter a storyline just to include them simply because they have been seen in the past.

Looking ahead, when will fans hear about casting decisions for the upcoming X-Men movie?

Well, it’s beginning. We have our director, as you know, and it’s starting.

Wait… is the director official?

It’s official. Jake Schreier is doing X-Men for us and we’re very, very lucky. We’re very, very lucky to have him and we’re very excited to have him. And so we’re beginning. It’s all starting now. The script’s underway.

What makes Jake Schreier the perfect director for the new X-Men movie?

Jake’s an incredibly smart guy and he’s an incredibly talented filmmaker. We had a great experience with him on Thunderbolts*. If you saw that movie, what he did with those character interactions [was incredible]. He also has his pulse on – shall we say – a younger demographic. He’s younger than me, for sure, but he’s tapped into that in a way that I think is important. It was important for Thunderbolts*, but it’s much more important for X-Men because X-Men, as it was in the comics, will be a very youth-oriented, focused and cast movie.

In bringing The Fantastic Four to the MCU, you talked about looking at what hasn’t been done before in the prior Fantastic Four movies. What hasn’t been done with the X-Men that we’re going to see in the upcoming X-Men film?

There have been more X-Men movies than there were Spidey movies or Fantastic Four movies, so a lot has been done already. But again, because it’s X-Men – because it’s almost a comic legacy unto itself – there’s so much more to tap into. There are so many sagas within sagas for X-Men that that’s part of what we’re talking about now. We’re looking at which saga to grow and build to, while doing the most important thing, which is introducing all of these characters and giving them their due in our first film.

In the comics, Wolverine isn’t as tall as Hugh Jackman. Is there an opportunity for a more comic-accurate – or shorter – Wolverine in future films?

Well, that’s an example of something from the comics that has not been done.

Seriously speaking… Are you looking to cast a more comic-accurate Wolverine?

I’m not going to speak to the make-up of the characters that will be in the first movie. But, look at Galactus. Look at Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine. Look at Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine. We want to embrace that which was not embraced 25 years ago, when I was around on those early X-Men movies, which is those comic-accurate looks.

With two Avengers movies being released over the next couple of years, is it safe to assume that the new X-Men movie will release in 2028?

We have dates held in many years post Secret Wars. Many years.

Let’s talk Spider-Man… What do you think of the script of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and why is Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) joining Peter Parker in this new adventure?

I think there’s a promise at the end of No Way Home that for as sad as it is that Peter is forgotten by everyone in his life, we are seeing for the first time in the Tom Holland Spider-Man stories, him being a proper Spider-Man. It’s him being by himself, dedicated to saving the city and dealing with, for lack of [a] better [term], street-level crime as opposed to world-ending events that he faced when working with the other characters. When you do that, you say, “Okay, who are the other street-level characters that we’ve never seen them interact with?” And of course, I love that Punisher started in a Spider-Man comic, on that great cover. I don’t want to say too much, but Destin… Wait, I will say too much. Destin is doing an amazing job right now on that movie that starts shooting very soon, and he’s got eight or nine comic covers up on his wall in his art department that he is bringing to life in this movie. It is super cool.

In The Amazing Spider-Man #1, Johnny Storm ends up being one of Peter Parker’s best friends. Have there been any chemistry reads with Joseph Quinn and Tom Holland?

We didn’t do chemistry reads – but whenever we cast, it is with that blue sky dream in mind of one day being able to do that. And that’s a great example. That’s one of the key relationships in Marvel Comics: Johnny Storm and Peter Parker. But we’ve never been able to come close to it before. And now, it is in the realm of possibility. That’s exciting. That gets me up in the morning.

Can we lobby for more Sacha Baron Cohen [Mephisto in Ironheart] in the future of the MCU? It feels like he had been rumored for a really long time. Was he supposed to come earlier?

No. He was never part of WandaVision. We've talked about that. Matt's talked about that. Jack Schaffer's talk about that. He was never part of WandaVision. But the enthusiasm with which he was theorised on that was certainly cool and fun to watch. And he's another character that, pre-MCU, would have been hard to do. He's a devil. How do you do that character? But he's a formative character. He was a big part of Thanos' storyline in the comics. So again, now that he's here, the potential is clear.

So the plan is to use more of him?

Yes.

Deadpool and Wolverine was a massive hit for Disney. Fans love Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Is there any talk behind the scenes of Deadpool or Wolverine returning?

There have absolutely been discussions. We’re in touch with Ryan a lot, so the answer is yes.

Yes to both of them?

He’s doing it ‘til he’s 90, man!

The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 24 in the UK, and July 25 in the US as part of Marvel Phase 6. For more, get up to speed with our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, or look ahead to the other upcoming superhero movies on the way.