It's safe to say that Kevin Feige's reputation precedes him. When you've been the President of Marvel Studios, and seen a decade of almost constant success, that says a lot. Now Disney is hoping that Feige can have the same success with another beloved franchise. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Kevin Feige will be developing a new Star Wars movie.
Based on statements made within the story, it seems like Feige and Lucasfilms President Kathleen Kennedy would be working together to help usher in a new era for Star Wars. The Skywalker saga is ending, so it's understandable that the company would be trying to figure out what the next step would be. It's also natural to go with what you know, and for Disney, what they know is that Feige has had a lot of success with Marvel. He also happens to be a huge Star Wars fan. Here is the only problem that I have.
Just because someone is a fan of something, that doesn't mean that they will automatically do a good job with it. Michael Bay being a Transformers fan didn't help matters there. Should I even bring up Zack Snyder? Maybe you think I'm comparing apples and oranges here. How dare I compare those two to the great Kevin Feige? You might be right, but fact is, being a fan of something is not a qualification. There is also something else to consider here.
Marvel movies were largely dormant when Kevin Feige arrived. Sure you had the X-Men franchise, and Spider-Man was still active, but neither were exactly thriving when Feige started things off at Marvel Studios. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be in theaters on December 20th of this year. Whether you have enjoyed this new trilogy or not, all of these movies are printing money. You also have several other Star Wars movies and TV series in the works. My point is, Feige took over Marvel movies at a time when we were starving for them. Good movies were made, and a lot of them, but scratching a long standing itch certainly helped. When it comes to Star Wars, I'm not sure that itch will be there by the time that Feige makes his movie. Only time will tell as to whether or not that will be a factor.
One thing is for sure, Kevin Feige is very smart, talented and he knows what he's doing. If nothing else, he will have a long list of actors just waiting to be a part of his new vision for Star Wars. I just wonder if Feige knows just how much of a microscope you are under once you join this galaxy. You think comic book fans are tough? Try coming through Star Wars Twitter on any given day and see what you find. Still, if anyone can make it work and if we should have faith in anyone, it's probably Feige. Just keep in mind that, lightning rarely strikes twice when you go from one major film franchise to another.
Photo Credit: ABC/Rick Rowell