Ever since its inception in 2008 with Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe turned the entertainment industry upside down. Bringing some of our favorite Marvel characters to life, Kevin Feige’s MCU has somehow managed to keep our interest at pique even after all these years, even through the slump that was Phase 4.
One of the many things the MCU is known for is its brilliant ability to mask Easter eggs in its projects. While, of course, most of the Easter eggs are in reference to the Marvel world, the MCU has broken the fourth wall to reference another franchise. As revealed by Kevin Feige himself, MCU’s Phase 2 had a little nod to none other than George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise.
Kevin Feige on How Star Wars Affected the MCU
Remember how every film in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 2 had someone or the other losing their arm? Well, as it turns out, the gimmick wasn’t random and was in fact, a tribute to one of the greatest Sci-Fi franchises ever.
While it did not start out as intentional, Kevin Feige told Cinema Blend that the characters having their arms cut off was a reference to George Lucas’ Star Wars. In Star Wars, many characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, at one point, had their arm or hand sliced off. And just like that, Thor, Nebula, Aldrich Killian, and many others lost their arm or hand, in one way or the other in the MCU.
Talking to Cinema Blend about his love for Star Wars, Feige stated,
“So is this a spoiler for Ant-Man… not really. I’m obsessed with Star Wars. Who’s not? I’m 40 years old. I’m in the movie business. I went to USC. So I’m obsessed with Star Wars – and it didn’t start out as intentional, but it became intentional, including that beat that you referenced. It sort of happens in every Star Wars movie, but I was sort of looking at it, ‘Okay, is Phase Two our Empire Strikes Back?’ Not really, but tonally things are a little different. Somebody gets their arm cut off in every Phase Two movie. Every single one.”
Phase 2 of the MCU has a total of six films to its name. In those six films, eight scenes showcase a character losing their limb. This includes the time Loki tricked Malekith and the Dark Elves by “cutting off” Thor’s hand in Thor: The Dark World. It also includes the flashback of Bucky Barnes losing his arm after falling from the train. Can you remember more such scenes?
Also Read: Will Kevin Feige Sue $60 Million Bollywood Film for Blatantly Copying Chris Hemsworth’s Thor?
Kevin Feige is Obsessed with Star Wars
Back in 2019, it was announced that Feige would be working on a Star Wars film and he had even brought in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer, Michael Waldron for writing the script. However, in March 2023, Variety reported that the film in question has been indefinitely shelved at Lucasfilm.
Would Feige have made the perfect addition to the extensive franchise? Well, his long-time co-worker, Joe Russo, sure thought so. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Russo went on about Feige’s obsession with Star Wars and revealed that the filmmaker has a basement full of its merchandise.
“Star Wars is Kevin’s first and true love. He’s a man who has a very, very large basement filled with enough Star Wars paraphernalia to fill a museum. “
Thanks to this obsession, Russo believes Feige would be the right fit for the franchise. He stated, “Whatever he does with it is going to be passionate, emotional, and unique.” With the upcoming projects in the MCU, it seems like there is a long way to go before Feige tries his hand at a Star Wars film.
You can stream MCU’s Phase 2 movies on Disney+.
Source: Cinema Blend
