Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige explains the absence of the continuity-connected Netflix TV characters from the MCU movies.
After nearly a decade, it’s still easy to appreciate the Marvel Cinematic Universe multimedia empire of Marvel Studios and Disney as a surreal gift imbued onto popular culture from the gods of geek IP’s. However, for all the amazing attributes that this embarrassment of riches regularly showcases with billion dollar blockbusters and hit television shows, its celebrated small screen theater on Netflix has yet to make a cross-medium venture.
In an interview with Collider, the studio’s renown head honcho Kevin Feige addresses the issue that vexes fans of the franchise’s crossover appeal; something regularly utilized on ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, while Netflix shows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, including the upcoming Iron Fist, The Punisher and team-up The Defenders– dubbed by insiders as the “Street Level” of the MCU – are more atmospheric and gritty than their cinematic counterparts, they do drop occasional Easter Egg references to remind audiences that they’re set in the same world. However, that acknowledgement has yet to be reciprocated in any way from on the branding’s big screen with The Avengers and their superhero ilk. As Feige explains, it’s about the integrity of the characters:
“I think it’s extremely impressive what Netflix has done and it will be the same answer I always give, which is, “It all depends on timing.”It all depends on how to do it because I don’t think what anybody wants to do is have such important characters show up for one second. Black Panther and Spider-Man to me are the high bar in Civil War of how you can bring in new characters into something. Vision and Ultron, Wanda and Pietro in Ultron. And it takes a lot of screentime, and it takes a lot of work. [Upcoming Avengers sequel] Infinity War has a lot of people in it already. So it just depends on how we could figure it out.”
Certainly, barring a substantive movie appearance, the idea of using the compelling and tortured characters from Marvel’s Netflix shows as props for obligatory, irrelevant and borderline exploitative walk-ons in the MCU Movies is not something anyone would want to see. However, the MCU would still do well to stoke its cross-continuity fires occasionally by at least coming up with basic acknowledgment of the Street Level heroes’ existence in the films, even in Easter Egg form. For example, a scene in the next Avengers movie could have Tony Stark dropping a line about failing to recruit Jessica Jones or Luke Cage. Also, a Spider-Man movie could have a scene where an overwhelming skirmish in Hell's Kitchen leads to unseen help from a silhouetted figure brandishing a familiar billy club.
Regardless, this insight into Feige’s thought process does further exemplify how mindful curation and a constant monitoring of the IP pulse helps the MCU properties avoid complacency to remain relevant and, more importantly, lucrative.