美国国家公共电台 NPR Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige On The Future Of Marvel Movies

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

"Avengers: Infinity¹ War" may break box-office records when it opens this weekend, has a chance to anyway. Its over the top all-star cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch and Chadwick Boseman. They team up against super villain² Thanos played by Josh Brolin.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR")

JOSH BROLIN: (As Thanos) This (laughter) does put a smile on my face.

INSKEEP: OK. The man who shaped this cinematic universe for the past 10 years is Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel³ Studios. NPR's Mandalit del Barco offers this profile of the "Avengers'" head honcho.

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE⁴: The nerve center of Marvel's Cinematic Universe can be found in Kevin Feige's corner office on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank. Here, he's surrounded by toys. Iron Man figures line the windowsills. Captain America's shield is framed on the wall. Thor's hammer rests on the coffee table. Feige lights up as he dons Marvel's most-powerful weapon.

KEVIN FEIGE: This is the greatest toy that we've made. This is Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet. It's pretty cool.

DEL BARCO: Whether it's playing with toys or overseeing interconnected superhero blockbusters, Feige says he sees himself as a fan first. He delights in a young fan's question.

OZZIE BATES: Hello. I am Ozzie Bates (ph). I want to know if Thanos kills Vision.

FEIGE: It's an excellent question because Thanos is in search of all of the Infinity Stones. And our 8-year-old friend there is well aware that Vision has one of those Infinity Stones in his head.

DEL BARCO: For the past decade, Feige has presided over 19 Marvel films that have an average global box office of more than $820 million. From the original comic books, he took the idea of mashing⁵ up all the superheroes in the same movies.

FEIGE: The notion of a shared ongoing⁶ fictional⁷ narrative⁸ with characters inhabiting the same shared universe. Spiderman could pop up in Thor's comic, and Hulk could come running through the street through an Iron Man comic. That is what was great about the Marvel Universe.

BEN FRITZ: Having somebody who knows and respects the comic books who is a nerd is actually an asset.

DEL BARCO: Journalist Ben Fritz is the author of the new book "The Big Picture: The Fight For The Future Of Movies."

FRITZ: Kevin Feige is rare breed where he's both a corporate⁹ executive and a creative producer. He's managed to balance being this seemingly affable fanboy with also being a very successful executive in an industry where the corporate politics are vicious.

DEL BARCO: The chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, Alan Horn, says Feige has an innate¹⁰ sense of story and what is commercially viable¹¹. He marvels¹² at how Feige manages to keep track of the complicated franchises¹³.

ALAN HORN: The sheer logistical challenge of managing all of those superheroes is really a challenge and would be, I would say, daunting¹⁴. But I find he's always calm. He's undaunted.

DEL BARCO: The 44-year-old Feige grew up in New Jersey¹⁵ watching movies, reading comic books and playing with action figures. Then he headed to LA, where he started out as a production assistant.

FEIGE: Within the first couple of weeks of moving from New Jersey to Hollywood, I was in the back seat of a film student's car driving out to the desert to PA on a 2-minute student film. I thought I'd made it. I thought I had reached the pinnacle¹⁶ of success in Hollywood. I couldn't believe.

DEL BARCO: After five rejections¹⁷, Feige got into film school at USC. And soon, he was washing cars and taking lunch orders on the Warner Brothers lot. He worked his way up to get an associate producer credit on the first "X-Men" film with 20th Century Fox. In 2008, after working on more superhero movies, he became the hands-on president of the newly-formed Marvel Studios. Feige ushered¹⁸ in Marvel's signature cliffhangers at the end of the first "Iron Man" movie. After the credits, Samuel Jackson came on screen as Nick Fury to school Tony Stark¹⁹.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "IRON MAN")

SAMUEL L. JACKSON: (As Nick Fury) You think you're the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet.

FEIGE: We were able to surprise people. And in each successive iteration since then, those expectations have risen.

DEL BARCO: Jon Favreau directed the first "Iron Man." He tips his hat to Feige for evolving the Marvel movies from "Iron Man" to the culturally and financially successful "Black Panther" to this newest film.

JON FAVREAU: What started off as something we were feeling our way through turned into a set of techniques and formulas for approaching the material in a way that created tremendous consistency²⁰ and also left a lot of room for originality²¹ and input²² from new partnerships²³ and new filmmakers. So everybody was able to leave their stamp on it, but yet the whole thing feels consistent.

DEL BARCO: Kevin Feige says he looks for directors who, like him, are not cynical²⁴ about comic books or movie toys, directors with unique voices.

FEIGE: Most recently with "Black Panther," Ryan Coogler, 31-year-old filmmaking genius, was able to step in with us at Marvel Studios and answer questions he's been struggling with his whole life and bring a extremely personal touch to that film while at the same time having armored rhinos²⁵ run across Wakandan fields and armies blast vibranium weapons at each other.

DEL BARCO: He says the key job of Marvel's directors, writers and actors is to make the characters accessible.

FEIGE: A billionaire genius industrialist²⁶, a World War II soldier who'd been frozen in ice for 70 years, a Norse god. How do you make them relatable? That's the job. We try to find the humanity in them. A lot of that is right there in the comics to pull from. You know, we try to instill a little bit of ourselves in all of them.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: He really is a kid at heart.

DEL BARCO: Scarlett Johansson, who plays superhero Black Widow, shares a passion for Marvel's baseball-cap-wearing leader.

JOHANSSON: Kevin seems to have limitless enthusiasm, energy and vision. And he has a lot of humility²⁷. He may actually have the superpower of humility, I would say.

DEL BARCO: At the "Avengers" premiere in Hollywood on Monday, actors Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch and Dave Bautista revealed more.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DON CHEADLE: Kevin Feige's superpower is being an awesome²⁸ goalkeeper.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH: Being able to build an absolutely unique cinematic empire.

DAVE BAUTISTA: He is a big old geek, and he just gets it.

DEL BARCO: One of the biggest criticisms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been the exclusion²⁹ of women on screen and behind the camera. Feige says that's changing. Next up for Marvel is "Ant-Man And The Wasp," followed by "Captain Marvel," starring Brie Larson. Feige says no matter how many films they announce, fans always want more.

FEIGE: In the case of "Black Panther," literally³⁰ the Monday after "Panther" opened, people start asking, where's the Shuri movie? Are you going to do a Shuri movie? That's the greatest thing in the world. So believe me, we think about all those things. And we have plans for the characters. And the notion of more female leads, more people of color leads, that is 100 percent the future, I think the future of all films, certainly the future of Marvel Studios.

DEL BARCO: Mandalit del Barco, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF ALAN SILVESTRI'S "THE AVENGERS")

1 infinity   

n.无限，无穷，大量

参考例句：

• It is impossible to count up to infinity.不可能数到无穷大。
• Theoretically,a line can extend into infinity.从理论上来说直线可以无限地延伸。

2 villain   

n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因

参考例句：

• He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
• The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。

3 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 mashing   

捣碎

参考例句：

• Long ago, they served as a useful third set of mashing molars. 许多年前，它们可是有用的第三套磨牙系统。
• During continuous mashing, filter 2 is filled when filter 1 is full. 在连续糖化过程中，当压滤机1填满后即填充压滤机2。

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

7 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

8 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

9 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

10 innate   

adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的

参考例句：

• You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。
• Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。

11 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

12 marvels   

n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The doctor's treatment has worked marvels : the patient has recovered completely. 该医生妙手回春，病人已完全康复。 来自辞典例句
• Nevertheless he revels in a catalogue of marvels. 可他还是兴致勃勃地罗列了一堆怪诞不经的事物。 来自辞典例句

13 franchises   

n.（尤指选举议员的）选举权( franchise的名词复数 )；参政权；获特许权的商业机构（或服务）；（公司授予的）特许经销权v.给…以特许权，出售特许权( franchise的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder. 电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ford dealerships operated as independent franchises. 福特汽车公司的代销商都是独立的联营商。 来自辞典例句

14 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

15 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

16 pinnacle   

n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰

参考例句：

• Now he is at the very pinnacle of his career.现在他正值事业中的顶峰时期。
• It represents the pinnacle of intellectual capability.它代表了智能的顶峰。

17 rejections   

拒绝( rejection的名词复数 )； 摒弃； 剔除物； 排斥

参考例句：

• Most writers endure a number of rejections before being published. 大部分作家经历无数次的退稿才守得云开，作品得到发表。
• Supervise workers and monitors production quality to minimize rejections. 管理工人，监控生产质量，减少退货。

18 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

20 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

21 originality   

n.创造力，独创性；新颖

参考例句：

• The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。
• He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。

22 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

23 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

24 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

25 rhinos   

n.犀牛（rhino的复数形式）

参考例句：

• There are many reports of people taming and even training Indian rhinos. 有许多关于人们驯养甚至训练印度犀牛的记载。 来自辞典例句
• The rhinos had fed during the night in the rice fields of these villagers. 犀牛夜里在这些村民的庄稼地里也已吃饱了。 来自辞典例句

26 industrialist   

n.工业家，实业家

参考例句：

• The industrialist's son was kidnapped.这名实业家的儿子被绑架了。
• Mr.Smith was a wealthy industrialist,but he was not satisfied with life.史密斯先生是位富有的企业家，可他对生活感到不满意。

27 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

28 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

29 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

30 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。