“Nobody could ever make me hate Kevin Feige”: Marvel Boss Didn’t Mince Words With Hugh Jackman Returning as Wolverine With a Superman Comparison
- Kevin Feige had one condition for Hugh Jackman's return in 'Deadpool & Wolverine' which was to wear the iconic yellow suit.
- Feige's efforts for hardcore fans have been well appreciated by them, as Marvel seems ready to take bold steps to preserve authenticity.
- Kevin Feige addressed the R-rated tone of 'Deadpool 3', which balances Deadpool's edgy humor and gore with the MCU's wide appeal.
Deadpool & Wolverine is easily among the most eagerly awaited Marvel movies in recent times, especially after the underperformance of some previous movies. Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will share the big screen for the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it is a dream come true for the fans.
But there is more to the story than having two popular characters share the screen. Behind the scenes, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had one condition that made fans respect him even more. It is about Wolverine’s iconic look from the comics, which fans never got to see on the big screen.
Kevin Feige’s Condition for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine for Deadpool 3
When Hugh Jackman agreed to return for Deadpool & Wolverine, Kevin Feige had one non-negotiable condition. It was important for him to wear his iconic comic-accurate yellow suit. According to Variety, when director Shawn Levy and the Deadpool 3 team went to China to promote the movie, he revealed the condition set by the Marvel boss.
When we told Kevin that Hugh was in, the first thing I remember him saying was, ‘OK, but he’s finally wearing the yellow suit’…We immediately responded, ‘Hell f*cking yes.’
This might seem like a small detail, but for Feige and many Marvel fans, it is everything. While talking to Variety, Feige compared Jackman never wearing the yellow suit to “being Superman in 10 movies and never wearing the Superman costume.” It is that important to the character’s identity.
Marvel fans couldn’t hold their love and appreciation for Kevin Feige after getting to know how he deliberately made Jackman wear the iconic Wolverine suit possible.
nobody could ever make me hate kevin feige
— harv (@harvv) July 10, 2024
Fiege is one of us when it comes to Wolverine 😂 pic.twitter.com/GgSdkvM679
— Green Lantern DCU Updates (@LanternUpdates) July 10, 2024
The day Feige leaves Marvel (if he ever does) will be a damn sad thing.
— KingComic98 🇬🇧 (@KingComic98) July 10, 2024
Man Just Described Smallville 😅 Superman For 10 Years But Never Wore The Suit 😅 https://t.co/JQIURaVSRL
— CK (@CK_BFT) July 10, 2024
Ppl have doubted that Feige could handle X-Men being introduced into the MCU, completely ignoring the fact he’s an X-Men fan AND produced on the original films. They’re in good hands. https://t.co/xf765bBQrP
— Nat✨ (@nattheawknerd) July 10, 2024
It has been quite a long process to introduce Wolverine in his yellow suit. Feige joined Marvel as an associate producer on the first X-Men movie back in 2000, and he has waited 24 years to make this happen. Earlier, the studio did not want their lead heroes to dress in bright suits.
But since Feige is the boss now, he is finally able to fulfill his wish and listen to fans’ demands. In his interview with Variety, he revealed,
When I realized Hugh was in, I went from studio mode to ‘You know you gotta get in the yellow outfit, right?’
For hardcore Marvel fans, it is not just about nostalgia or comic accuracy, the suit represents a big part of Wolverine’s character and history. There have been teases earlier, including a deleted scene from The Wolverine where the suit was seen in a briefcase, but it never made it to action.
Kevin Feige On R-Rated Deadpool & Wolverine in MCU
Apart from comic-accurate suits, one more factor is the comic-accurate tone of Deadpool & Wolverine. The movie will be the first R-rated film in MCU, which is a big deal for a franchise known for its family-friendly approach. Feige addressed this decision in his interview with Variety.
When asked about the R-rating and how young is too young to see the movie, Feige responded by calling it an “immensely wholesome movie – with a lot of bad words and gore.” It’s a balance between maintaining Deadpool’s style and fitting into the larger MCU.
Several critics have complained lately that Disney is toning down and softening Marvel’s edgier characters. Feige addressed this by joking about a cocaine reference in the trailer.
I didn’t say they couldn’t. But we were talking about everybody always being afraid of Disney-fying things. This is the biggest entertainment company in the world for 100 years. You should be so lucky to Disney-fy everything! But what people mean by that is shaving down the rough edges. We were open to everything. I had said there were some things that we could evolve.
He credited Ryan Reynolds for coming up with such edgy one-liners that he later included in the script. He also mentioned that there were times when he had to explain to his co-workers some of the adult jokes made by Reynolds on the spot.
It looks like Feige and the Marvel team are working hard to please the hardcore fans while also trying to bring the characters to a new audience. With their comic-accurate suits and R-rated tone, Marvel is willing to take risks to keep the MCU as exciting as ever.
Deadpool & Wolverine will release in theaters on July 26, 2024.
