Marvel Studios Boss Kevin Feige Says Some Phase 4 Heroes Will Be Cut From Next Two ‘Avengers’ Films: “Choices Will Have To Be Made, That’s For Sure”
In the face of the absolutely massive amount of costumed heroes currently available to be drafted to the team, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige says that not all of them will make the cut for the next two Avengers films.
The perpetually-baseball-capped studio head offered this insight regarding the Avengers’ upcoming roster moves while speaking to Gizmodo‘s Germain Lussier in promotion of Deadpool & Wolverine.
Asked as to whether all of the numerous heroes introduced in the MCU’s Phase 4 – such as Monica Rambeau, White Widow, Shang-Chi, America Chavez, Black Panther (Shuri), Ironheart, US Agent, Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), Moon Knight, Scarlet Scarab, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and all of the Eternals – would be making an appearance in either Avengers 5 or Avengers Secret Wars, Feige admitted that only some of them would have a part to play in saving the multiverse.
“I rarely speak in absolutes like that, right?” the studio head told Lussier. “The notion of never ever seeing somebody again, we’ve got Tim Blake Nelson in a movie coming up next year, right? So I never talk in absolutes like that. But the truth is, you know, we’re going to tell a story in these Avengers movies, and there won’t be room for 100,000 characters in it.”
“So choices will have to be made, that’s for sure,” he concluded. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t ever see anybody ever again.”
While Feige did not provide any details as to just which Marvel heroes would be benched, simple speculation suggests that those left out of the MCU’s final fight will at the very least likely include Moon Knight, Scarlet Scarab, most if not all of the Eternals and definitely include She-Hulk (and if this author may make a personal interjection, hopefully Shang-Chi, if not solely to save audiences from spending more time with the insufferable Simu Liu).
RELATED RUMOR: Marvel To Recast Trio Of Classic Avengers Following Franchise’s Soft Reboot In ‘Secret Wars’
Notably, Feige’s admission regarding the Avengers’ roster comes hot on the heels of a rumor, as raised by Deadline‘s Mike Fleming Jr. and Justin Kroll based on information supposedly relayed to them by their insider sources, that “more than 60 MCU characters could reprise their roles [for Avengers 5], including everyone from Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Benedict Cumberbatch to Tom Hiddleston, Simu Liu and Karen Gillian.”
Adding to fan fears that the crossover film could be more of a convoluted cameo-fest than a coherent film, the pair further reported, “Unlike the first four films in which there was a core group that consisted of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Hemsworth and Ruffalo, many of the characters in this film would have equal footing, making it more of an ensemble feature instead of a handful of characters leading the team.”
And that’s just the MCU heroes.
According to notable scooper MyTimeToShineHello, when it comes to the follow-up Secret Wars, the team’s roster will consist not just of ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’, but the multiverse’s, including:
- The compete roster of 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four, including Ioan Gruffudd’s Mr. Fantastic, Jessica Alba’s Insivible Woman, Michael Chiklis’ The Thing, and Chris Evans’ The Human Torch (no doubt a cameo that will result in some reference to his role as Captain America), as well as Doug Jones’ Silver Surver
- Thomas Jane’s 2004 version of The Punisher
- Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garners’ respective takes on Daredevil and Elektra
- Nicholas Cages’ Ghost Rider
- Various members of Fox’s X-Men series, including Halle Berry’s Storm, Anna Paquin’s Rogue, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, Famke Jensen’s fully-Phoenix-powered Jean Grey, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Sir Ian McKellen’s Magneto, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, some version of Nightcrawler, and a Cyclops ostensibly portrayed by either James Marsden or Tye Sheridan, the mutant leader’s signature visor making it hard to tell exactly which
- Sony’s Spider-crew, including Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Tom Hardy’s Venom, and both the Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s versions of the wall-crawler
- Both Eric Bana and Lou Ferigno’s portrayals of the Hulk
- Wesley Snipes’ Blade
- The animated Spider-Verse versions of Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen, as portayed by Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld
- Peter Hooten’s Dr. Strange, as seen in the Sorcerer Supreme’s eponymous 1978, CBS-produced television film
- and finally, Toei’s tokusatsu interpretation of Spider-Man, Kōsuke Kayama’s Takuya Yamashiro
Deadpool & Wolverine will kick off the countdown to Secret Wars when it hits theaters on July 26th.
NEXT: Marvel Boss Kevin Feige Admits He Warned Hugh Jackman “Don’t Come Back” For ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’
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