Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has been doing the rounds to promote Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Cinema Blend asked a rare question about the executive's past.
Prior to taking charge of his own studio, Feige was a producer on Fox's X-Men movies and Sony's original Spider-Man trilogy, and the site wondered what he'd learned from his time working on the latter. Interestingly, it sounds like his approach to making movies really hasn't changed all that much since 2002, and the time he spent working on Spider-Man clearly left a lasting impression.
"You know, it doesn't feel that different to me. I know the landscape is different, but being on the inside of it, I was there mainly watching and learning on those early Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies," Feige explained. "And I watched and learned from a group of people that were trying to exceed expectations, and trying to fulfill their own childhood dreams and the childhood dreams of fans of the characters. And that's what we've done on every single film and TV series since then."
Of course, things do sometimes come full circle, and Feige is once again working with Sam Raimi. The filmmaker has taken the helm of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, giving him the chance to work on a character we know is a favourite of his up there with a certain webbed wonder.
"On a personal note, being back with Sam, from the earliest points in my career at Marvel, is very surreal, and a dream come true," Feige added. "Watching him work and seeing his mannerisms again, and realizing that there was even more than I recall that I absorbed from him and learned from him watching and making these movies... (the fact) that he's back behind the camera, and now in the cutting room working on a Doctor Strange movie, is a full circle dream come true."
It's no wonder Feige is bringing back villains from the Spider-Man trilogy for Spider-Man: No Way Home, while his fondness for these older Marvel movies might explain that big rumour that's been doing the rounds. Needless to say, it's an exciting time to be a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!