In the latest issue of
Empire Magazine, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has shared his thoughts on the massive box office success of
The Avengers (which just yesterday became the fastest film to gross $500 million domestically).
"I was just hoping it would beat the opening weekend of Iron Man 2, which was the biggest opening weekend for any Marvel Studios movie. We did 80 or 90 million above that. As the numbers started coming in on Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, they just kept getting bigger and bigger, into areas I would never in a million years have believed."
The Avengers was not the finale for us," he reiterates, making it clear that Joss Whedon's superhero ensemble is far from the conclusion of everything the studio has been working towards.
"It was a giant, giant marker, but it was never the finale. We are already well into the plan for the next phase of our little cinematic universe." That next phase includes
Thor 2, and Feige had this to say about what we should expect from the sequel.
"We're going to see the other side of Asgard. It's not all polished and golden in this film. And the events of Avengers will have affected Thor for sure. His relationship with Loki will continue to evolve, and the biggest part is Natalie and Thor returning with Jane Foster."
After Loki failed Thanos in
The Avengers, many fans assumed that he'll be heading to Asgard seeking his revenge and a chance to get his hands on the Infinity Gauntlet. Well, the Marvel Studios boss was quick to stamp that rumour out when the magazine put the idea to him. However, he did promise the introduction of an altogether different bad guy for the God of Thunder to face off against (who will presumably be played by Mads Mikkelsen).
"No, future, future. But there will be a major new villain. A major, major new antagonist..."