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Kevin Feige wants to make more Marvel movies that are "no-homework-required"

Turns out, movie fans don't want to have required viewing to understand what's happening in a comic book movie.

Fantastic Four Trailer Screenshot Ben And Johnny
Image credit: Marvel Studios

The thing that made the MCU work was also the thing that became its downfall. With so many shows and movies all existing in the same world and interacting in strange ways, it slowly became difficult to keep up. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige knows that fans have been struggling to keep up with everything, which is why, starting with The Fantastic Four: First steps, he’s taking “no homework” approach to future Marvel projects.

The comments came as the MCU architect sat down to talk to reporters ahead of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He explained that the introduction of Marvel’s First Family into the MCU had always been planned to allow fans to simply drop into the world without having seen anything ahead of time.

“We always were planning, even before that became a talking point, to introduce them in their own world in which they are the only heroes,” Kevin Feige said. “It’s a no-homework-required movie. It literally is not connected to anything we’ve made before.”

That approach is one that he says works for the Fantastic Four, but it also worked for DC Studios’ Superman. “I liked it a lot,” he said about the James Gunn-directed film, which opened just a few weeks before The Fantastic Four: First Steps. “I love you just jump right into it. You don’t know who Mister Terrific is? Tough, you’ll figure it out. This is a fully fleshed out world.”

That approach to making superhero movies seems to have worked for both DC and Marvel; both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps have had a positive run at the box office so far, so here’s hoping that they continue to push for more standalone films that don’t rely on fans being plugged into the full MCU to understand.


Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

Trent Cannon

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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