The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always adding new content, thanks to projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latest title to hit the big screen is Thunderbolts*, which performed well at the box office and with critics. That movie was directed by Jake Schreier, who recently revealed the three words of advice that Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige gave him.
Ahead of its release, Thunderbolts* was one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies, thanks to its connections to previous movies and TV shows. But Kevin Feige wanted to bring something unique to the shared universe, especially for those of us who have sent years watching the Marvel movies in order. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the director revealed the valuable, (albeit brief) advice that the studio head offered. As he put it:
When I first started on the movie, Kevin said, ‘Make it different.’
Well, mission accomplished. Thunderbolts* stood in opposition to superhero fatigue, thanks to its unique tone, motley crew of antiheroes, and surprisingly grounded story about depression. So it sounds like Schreier took Feige's advice to heart when working on the recent blockbuster.
The MCU has had peaks and valleys in the time since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters and changed everything. While projects like Deadpool & Wolverine broke records, there were also less successful ventures like The Marvels bombing at the box office. The pressure was on for Schreier to deliver with Thunderbolts*, but that's exactly what he did.
Kevin Feige's make a great deal of sense to me as someone who has watched every new movie from the MCU. I've found that the projects with something unique to say tend to be better, and end up higher on the Marvel movies ranked. Some prime examples of this would be the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and (most recently) Deadpool 3.
On top of telling a contained story about mental health struggles, Jake Schreier's MCU blockbuster will also influence future projects coming down the line. Thunderbolts* post credits scene teased the entrance of the Fantastic Four, while the movie' final moments revealed that the team is actually the New Avengers.
The starring cast of Thunderbolts* was included in Marvel's cast announcement for Avengers: Doomsday, so it's clear that we're going to see this motley crew of antiheroes facing whatever multiversal chaos follows in the next two Avengers movies. And it should be fun to see how they interact with the likes of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as well as the X-Men and Fantastic Four. The crossover with the latter team is already basically a sure thing, and I've go to assume it'll make way for plenty of comedic beats.
Thunderbolts* is still in theaters now and Fantastic Four: First Steps will follow suit in July 25th as part of the 2025 movie release list. As for the crossover, that'll begin next summer.
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