It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves: “What the hell is Marvel going to do after Avengers: Infinity War?” That film, along with its untitled sequel, are the culmination of everything Marvel’s done since 2008, bringing together over 60 characters in a single story. Where does the studio go from there?
The answer is “smaller,” according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
“I think it’s possible to have more intimate movies after that,” Feige told Vulture. “Or to have more interesting, unexpected combinations of characters after that, absolutely. It never is intentionally about ‘being even bigger.’”
As an example, Feige pointed out that the most hero-packed scene yet, the airport battle in Captain America: Civil War, still had personal stakes, not global ones. He sees that as a bit of a tease of how things could go once the Infinity War is over.
“To us, it’s less about continuing to go bigger with spectacle, although in some cases, we will, and more about continuing to go deeper with those character interactions,” Feige said.
The studio has already started to make movies that are about major character interactions leading up to Infinity War (and its sequel). Civil War, of course, was about Captain America and Iron Man. Spider-Man: Homecoming features Iron Man alongside the webslinger, while Thor: Ragnarok stars Hulk alongside the God of Thunder. It’s almost as if Marvel is foreshadowing Phase 4 and beyond with these smaller team-up movies.
Avengers: Infinity War opens May 4, 2018. Its untitled sequel opens a year later.
[Vulture]