*Translated via Google Translate, from a post on Weibo

Please note that this transcript might not be completely accurate, and that the post might also not be completely accurate. I was also unable to get a Google Translate permalink like I usually do for posts like these.

Transcript begins below:*

#MarvelCinematicUniversePlannedTo2042# Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently visited Shanghai and spoke with several media outlets, including ourselves. When Feige last visited Shanghai with the Avengers: Endgame cast for the premiere, he recalled the unforgettable energy of Chinese moviegoers, calling it “the pinnacle of my experience” and “a moment that defined my career.” Now , seven years after the grand finale of “Endgame,” the world has changed dramatically, with discussions about new forms of entertainment and “superhero movie fatigue.” Feige discussed how Marvel is making movies now, starting with this year’s Spider-Man: A New Day, followed by Avengers 5. The latter, as the latest trailer shows, features many, many more superheroes across three universes. How can Marvel keep the current Avengers universe fresh? What if audiences are worried about complexity and not being able to keep up? Why bring back Robert Downey Jr. to play “Iron Man as Doctor Doom”? What are the key characters/teams for Marvel’s next phase? What is the strategy for the next phase? How can Marvel attract a younger audience? Feige answered all questions, even jokingly offering us an “exclusive” tidbit: the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now planned to extend 16 years into the future, to 2042. “I don’t know if we’ll still be around in 2042,” he said, “but, let’s meet again then?”

====The following is the full Q&A====

• Was there a specific moment or film that made Marvel Studios realize that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is building a long-term, shared universe, not just individual superhero movies?

Kevin Feige: With our first film, Iron Man, we started dreaming “this could happen,” and we planted some clues in subsequent films, but what truly made us realize this was the huge success of The Avengers. That made us understand: global audiences really accept our interconnected narratives. Of course, this is what Marvel Comics has been doing for decades. My dream has always been to bring the comic book fan experience to the big screen. It was The Avengers that made us realize people really understood that.

• Avengers 5 took an unconventional approach from the very beginning of its promotion—I still remember the live cast announcement; it was the middle of the night in China, and I sacrificed sleep to work until dawn (laughs). It also gave me a strange feeling that it would be a much bigger film—more people, but perhaps also a more “weird” one. There were also some choices that sparked discussion among fans, such as why, after Iron Man’s sacrifice at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Avengers 5 brought Robert Downey Jr. back? How can the Avengers franchise still feel fresh to audiences after so

many installments? So, what was your logic behind making Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Secret Wars? Kevin Feige: These two films will be our 39th and 40th films (in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). For each one, we tried to make them feel unique and have a reason for being. I think we’ve done that most of the time; each film feels independent, and each film advances the narrative. Avengers 5 is special to us—while it’s always special to reunite the Avengers, this time we can do some things we couldn’t do with Avengers 4, which is to bring in some of Marvel’s most iconic characters: the biggest being the X-Men, then the Fantastic Four, and of course, Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom. These characters weren’t even in our “toybox” during the Infinity Saga (the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe). Only when we bring these characters back can we tell the grand story of Avengers 5 and Avengers 6, including a cosmic collision—literally a cosmic collision, with some of your favorite characters in each universe. We don’t always say: every movie has to be bigger than the last, but we do want them to be more entertaining, more interesting, and, as you said, more weird. “Weird” is actually a good word to describe it, because there are some very unique elements in Avengers 5. As for bringing back Robert Downey Jr., it’s because we’ve wanted to work with him again for years, years, years, but we didn’t want to just bring Tony Stark back. The ending of Avengers: Endgame was one of our proudest moments, seeing audiences worldwide react to Tony’s sacrifice… so we didn’t want him to just return “magically.” But in Marvel, there are many opportunities to see actors return in new ways. In Deadpool & Wolverine, we brought back Chris Evans, and everyone thought, “Oh, look, it’s Captain America,” no, he was playing the Human Torch. There have been many such changes in the 25-year history of the Infinite Multiverse and Marvel Cinematic Universe. When we were casting for Doctor Doom, we said: we need to find the greatest actor in the world. Doctor Doom is one of the most interesting characters. He’s intelligent, has an extremely high IQ, he can be a villain, but he also sees himself as a hero. During that period, we were still talking to Downey about what we could do with him, and then we went to see Oppenheimer—for which he won an Oscar—and we finally realized… just like when we were casting Captain America, we didn’t want to exclude Chris Evans just because he’d played other Marvel characters (Human Torch), and in this situation, we thought: how great, bold, and risky it would be to bring back our most famous hero to play our most famous villain. Thank goodness, he agreed.

There’s also a “strange” arrangement for Avengers 5: why was it scheduled for the same day as Dune 3 (both films are scheduled for December 18th this year in North America)?

Kevin Feige: Well… one of the jobs of filmmakers is to make sure a lot, a lot of people go to the theaters. So on the one hand, it’s exciting to hope that theaters all over the world will be packed that weekend. On the other hand, we couldn’t finish making Avengers 5 in May (the film was originally scheduled for May 1st this year, but was postponed last May), so it had to be moved to December.

• Marvel movies, as a modern mythology, reflect the spirit of the times. Ten years ago, I felt that Avengers: Endgame captured the cooperation, globalization, and collective heroism of that era very well. But today, many people feel that the world is becoming increasingly fragmented and uncertain. How has this vision evolved in your mind? What message or emotional resonance will Avengers: Endgame bring to audiences in this regard?

Kevin Feige: I think the job of filmmakers and storytellers of popular narratives is to find the best things in the world. We look to the heroes in Marvel comics to inspire us, not just because they have strong green muscles, can shoot webs, have shields, or can stretch freely—any of these amazing superpowers—but because they use those superpowers for good. Although in many ways these superpowers disrupt their lives, make their lives more difficult, and they are inherently flawed people. However, despite these flaws, and the curse that these powers sometimes bring, they still choose to overcome obstacles and do the right thing. Avengers: Endgame will be very different from Avengers: Endgame, because in Avengers: Endgame, everyone was united against Thanos. In Avengers: Endgame, the situation is even more precarious: three different universes, three different Earths, literally colliding with each other. The question then arises: will these heroes kill each other to protect their own worlds, or might they find a way to work together to save all three worlds? And how will Doctor Doom intervene?

The world is constantly changing, and young people’s interests have shifted dramatically. As a leading content creator, how do you ensure you stay in sync with young audiences?

Kevin Feige: I watch a lot of content, probably too much. Like all of us, I’m always on my phone. It’s interesting to observe what resonates with people. But I do believe that what’s popular on social media now is essentially no different from what we called “nickel cinema” in the early 20th century. Back then, people paid five cents to watch cats fight people, or two people boxing underwater in silent films—those short, absurd, even silly, but captivating things are what we’re watching repeatedly on our phones now. These are the beginnings of cinematic art. But I still firmly believe that the best way for humanity to grow and continue is to be together in a movie theater—not just staring at your phone—to experience laughter, tears, or fright together. It’s exciting that all kinds of films are succeeding now in China, in the US, and around the world: big-budget films, which is great because that’s what we make, but there are also low-budget films that resonate with audiences. I think it’s all based on the narrative of cinematic art to evoke audience feedback. And as filmmakers, our responsibility is to present these on the big screen in a way that resonates with fans familiar with our films while also drawing in viewers who have never seen a Marvel movie.

• With so many characters in Marvel comics, how do you decide who will be the lead in the next movie? Is it based on comic book popularity, emotional core, or to open up new areas for the MCU? For example, the characters in Guardians of the Galaxy weren’t very well-known before. Was it to expand the universe, or because you valued the characters themselves?

Kevin Feige: It’s a combination of factors, but comic book sales aren’t always the deciding factor. When we first started Marvel Studios, we didn’t have the rights to the best-selling characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. So we wanted to focus on characters that resonated with us and that we were confident we could make fun movies with. After we did Phase One of the MCU and assembled the Avengers, people wanted more movies like that, which excited us. I love Star Wars and Star Trek, I love space movies, so I said: I want to do this. And we had Guardians of the Galaxy comics, which sold okay but never really hit the box office, but the characters were great, allowing us to make a unique space opera-style movie. So, usually we first determine the type of movie we want to make, and then try to connect with suitable comic book characters that allow us to make the type of movie we want.

• So, was Black Panther a priority due to cultural differences?

Kevin Feige: Yes, and also because Black Panther comes from the entire world of Wakanda, which has many great characters and delves into a part of Marvel’s mythology that we haven’t explored since the 1960s. That’s why we introduced him in Captain America: Civil War, hoping he would excite audiences, and he became incredibly popular, which led to the creation of Black Panther.

• Then, following up on her question: When will we know if Damson Idris will play the new Black Panther?

Kevin Feige: Not today (laughs).

• Marvel has a “seven-year plan,” from Avengers 5 to Avengers 6, and beyond, with more characters and a vast storyline. How do you manage the importance of stories and characters? For example, from the seven-year plan and the MCU’s film layout, we sense that groups like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four will play very important roles. Could you talk about Avengers 5 and the MCU’s plans from this perspective? My friend told me: Don’t let Feige give you his usual “vague answers” to these kinds of questions.

Kevin Feige: Avengers 5 and Avengers 6 were largely inspired by the storylines of Marvel Comics’ Time Runs Out and Secret Wars, so—it’s customary—the comics provide significant guidance for the films we’re making. Actually, we want to do two things: First, to bring some storylines to a close, those that started long before Iron Man, including the original X-Men characters. Second, to simultaneously set the stage for the future. Avengers: Endgame was truly an end, and since then, we’ve tried and experimented with many new things. But Avengers: Endgame is a beginning. It will establish a streamlined, simplified, single universe that we can keep up with. Some things will be familiar, but many, many things will be entirely new. Going back to what we mentioned earlier about attracting young people and connecting with a new generation of audiences, that’s exactly what the next universe will be about. And fundamentally, the X-Men will be at its core. Acquiring the X-Men rights isn’t just about… for example, Wolverine is an outstanding character, and we were able to team him up with Deadpool, which is great. But the X-Men are far more than just Wolverine, far more than the original team; fundamentally, it’s a universe, a multi-stage saga. Much of that is what we’re working towards. Our plan is… I haven’t told anyone this before, to your friend: This isn’t a “vague answer” (laughs): We were just in a Marvel Studios meeting room, planning movies all the way up to 2042. Whether we can make it to 2042? Who knows? Will it be those movies? Who knows? But this is how we approach and plan the vast amount of potential stories in the comics. We’re constantly changing, constantly evolving, but having some guidance helps us act more purposefully… especially with X-Men—it’s already had 10 movies, some very, very good, some I think haven’t lived up to expectations—how do we plan the “mutant saga” in a very grand way?

One of Marvel’s biggest strengths is that you pair very different superheroes, different characters, and create amazing chemistry. When you put together something like Deadpool and Wolverine, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, Spider-Man and Iron Man, and make it work, create chemistry, what’s the secret?

Kevin Feige: A lot comes from the comics, a lot comes from the chemistry between the actors. But the main thing—and I think it’s always been that way in the history of Marvel stories—is to find two people who have the least in common, put them together, and see what happens. When we announced the Thor movie, people knew he would share the same universe as Tony Stark and said, “How could this blond, hammer-wielding Norse god possibly fit into the same world, the same story as Tony Stark?” I said, “You’ll have to see the movie; that’s what the movie is about.” And the moment they met in the woods in The Avengers, and Tony said, “Does Mom know you’ve taken her curtains?” That’s the fun—seeing how they get along, or how they don’t. In Avengers 5, there are some pairings—I won’t reveal them now, but of course we’ve already filmed them—that are fantastic, incredibly fun. Again: I won’t spoil it, but there are some pairings you’ll absolutely never expect, and I think audiences will walk out of the theater saying, “I love these two together!” And you couldn’t guess who they were even if you thought about it a million times beforehand, and that’s the fun. (Whispering to me, I just asked Dames Edius about playing Black Panther, so this might be a hint?)

Movies are Marvel’s priority, but short dramas have emerged in recent years and are one of the fastest-growing content types in China. Have you seen any short dramas, and is Marvel considering making shorter content—not necessarily short dramas, but shorter, lighter content?

Kevin Feige: I haven’t seen many Chinese short dramas, but I’ve seen some American… what’s it called? (Vertical Drama) Yes, the Verts. Someone told me: You guys do horizontal, we do vertical. I think it’s very popular now, and everyone has to pay attention to it and think about it. I do think we have a bit of an advantage: comic books are short content, right? Each issue is a short story. So we probably, and have already discussed, how to utilize that. I think when people see a Marvel project, they have some expectations: to see an adaptation of the comics, involving some superpowers, some big scenes, which doesn’t necessarily fit within the budget of current short dramas. But it’s something we’ve been discussing a lot, it’s so popular.

• If you had to choose one film that best defines Marvel Studios’ cinematic philosophy, which would it be?

Kevin Feige: That’s a very, very difficult question for me to answer. (And please don’t give a vague answer.) Not vague, I think there are probably four or five films that represent different things… because I think one of Marvel Studios’ strengths is that we can make different kinds of films, different types of films. But if you were to “force” me to name a movie—partly because I’m in Shanghai now, and the last time I was here was for the release of Avengers: Endgame. I was standing in a stadium in Shanghai, on stage with 8,000 fans and actors. That was probably the most defining moment of my entire career—feeling the energy that Chinese fans poured into Avengers: Endgame and everything we’ve built. Avengers: Endgame represents the pinnacle of Marvel narrative because it’s a massive storyline—Thanos, time travel… but ultimately, it’s also a personal story: the storylines of Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, and Tony Stark. We made that epic movie—for a short time, it was the biggest production ever made, and “I love you three thousand” is one of the most important lines in that film. Such a massive movie, ultimately condensed into that heartwarming line from a daughter to her father: “I love you three thousand.” That represents what Marvel can achieve: an epic narrative with the most human core.

With Spider-Man: A New Day about to be released, I have a question about Spider-Man, and I’ll get straight to the point: Will there be a Spider-Man 5 in the Peter Parker series? And what’s the current status of Miles Morales, my personal favorite Spider-Man? I recall you saying that a live-action Miles Morales project would have to wait until the Spider-Verse animated films ended?

Kevin Feige: One of the fun things about this business is that we’re always dreaming and coming up with ideas. There’s a line in Spider-Man: No Way Home where Electro says, “Somewhere there’s bound to be a black Spider-Man.” Audiences around the world were thrilled because they knew it might be a hint at Spider-Man Miles. The good news is, Sony has the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse series, which are very popular and excellent, and Beyond the Universe is coming out next year. But yes, we definitely have plans (for a live-action Miles), and I think a live-action Spider-Man movie has this destiny: to add Miles sometime after the Spider-Verse series ends. We’ve been thinking and discussing more Spider-Man adventures, regardless of agreements or contracts. My production partner, Amy Pascal, is already working on it, and we’ve had in-depth discussions about what the next two, three, four, and five Spider-Man movies might be about.

• Speaking of the experience with Avengers: Endgame, and the fact that Marvel movies are more than just films—they’re major events for fans and cultural events—can we expect the Avengers 5 crew to gather in China?

Kevin Feige: I think you can assume that, and I’ll say this: I don’t think this will be my last time in Shanghai this year (laughs).

• With plans extending to 2042, are there any considerations or projects specifically for the Chinese market?

Kevin Feige: I’ve always had China in my heart. Our early MCU films were very popular with Chinese audiences. As I said, coming to Shanghai for Avengers: Endgame was truly a peak experience for me. I think the reason I love Chinese audiences—like audiences all over the world—is that they resonate with all our characters and the stories we tell. That being said, we have many more characters in the future—the schedule is already booked until 2042, especially the X-Men. The X-Men have many unexplored characters from the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China, which we’re very eager to explore. That’s why I’m excited about the X-Men: we can show the world different types of heroes.

Finally,

Kevin Feige: See you here again in 2042?

Media: It’s a deal.

*End transcript.

See the original post at m.weibo.cn/detail/5323522387476913*