In 2014, Marvel Studios continued its streak of pleasing fans and critics alike with the releases of the box-office blockbusters “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and its newest franchise “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the top-grossing domestic film of 2014 with $333.2 million and $772.8 million worldwide. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” earned $95 million in its first weekend and went on to gross more than $711 million worldwide.
In 2013, Kevin Feige produced the megahits Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” and Marvel’s “Iron Man 3.” The two films have earned over $644 million and $1.2 billion worldwide, respectively, since their openings.
In 2012, Feige produced the critically acclaimed Marvel’s “The Avengers,” which set the all-time, domestic three-day weekend box-office record at $207.4 million. The film went on to gross over $1.5 billion worldwide, becoming Disney’s highest-grossing global and domestic release of all time.
In the summer of 2011, Marvel successfully launched “Thor,” starring Chris Hemsworth, and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” starring Chris Evans. Both films opened No. 1 at the box office and have grossed over $800 million worldwide combined. In 2010 “Iron Man 2,” starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the No. 1 spot in its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million.
In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.” “Iron Man,” in which Robert Downey Jr. originally dons the Super Hero’s powerful armor and stars alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008, and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the No. 1 position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million in its opening weekend. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released “The Incredible Hulk,” marking its second No. 1 opener of that summer.
President of Marvel Studios and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” producer Kevin Feige explains why Marvel has continued its unprecedented box-office success within its ever- expanding universe of characters. “For all of us at Marvel it’s always been about creating and nurturing all of these dynamic characters who are all flawed in their own ways,” says Feige.
“The fun of Marvel films and in particular the Avengers series is that it is not just the spectacle, it is not just the superpowers, it’s having all of these amazing characters interact with each other in a way that they can’t in their own individual movies.”
The producer continues, “We have also succeeded because we’re always looking ahead. The minute we finish a project, and all that goes into it, from production to setting up the proper expectation for the film that we hope to deliver and the entire marketing campaign, we go onto the next thing, so it really is thinking two or three or four films ahead at all times.”
