Kevin Feige Defends Superhero Films and The Assumed, “Cheat Code to Success”
One of the most maligned genres in all of the film has repeatedly been the genre of comic book adaptations; the man who has spearheaded their dominance in the market is now taking to their defense, as Kevin Feige defends superhero films and the assumed “cheat code to success.”
For over 20 years, Kevin Feige has dedicated his entire life’s work to superhero films, and their acceptance in the contemporary film landscape.
Source: @XMenFilms
He has been a contributing force behind some of the biggest superhero films that have ever been made and have consistently set a level of excellence to which Marvel studios and the lauded MCU have thrived.
Despite the incredible success- both financially and critically- of these movies, it still appears to cause division in the critical community as to whether their unbridled adoration from general audiences could hinder the market as a whole.
Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
With legendary directors such as Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese speaking out against the genre in the past few years, it has certainly become a topic of discussion; one that Feige could no longer remain silent about.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, and discussing the Superhero genre’s lack of recognition from The Academy- what is perhaps the premier awards ceremony in the film community- Feige was blunt and honest about the false presumptions placed against the genre throughout his career.
Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
Feige stated, “Making a commercial film that can say something and mean something to a lot of different types of people around the glove is extremely difficult to do and, I think, is dismissed often as easy,”
“‘well, you have a superhero in it, and that’s a cheat-code to success,’ it’s not. Putting on a costume is not the secret. The secret is having artists and storytellers and craftsmen that can bring an audience on a journey,” Feige continued.
Photo: Michael Buckner/Variety/REX/Shutterstock
“When critics recognize that, and audiences recognize that, it feels like its worthy then to talk about the Academy recognizing it.” Feige stated, “that, I think, is what we’ll continue to talk about over the next few weeks.”
As Kevin Feige defends superhero films, we have to ask ourselves the ways in which comic book films and the profits they generate have aided a struggling theater industry that was nearly decimated by the pandemic.
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Photo Credit: Sony Pictures
Kevin Feige and Tom Holland on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Photo: Sony Pictures
He is completely correct; there are two types of films that should equally be recognized for their achievement in this medium, and the hope is that the Academy will begin recognizing Superhero films on the same level as others.
