It seems like no matter how cool a person may be, their kids will always see them as lame or embarrassing. Even if you’re Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige.
One of the masterminds behind the multi-billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe said that his son only ever “feigned interest in a supportive way” about his father’s work, even as he helmed titanic blockbuster hits like The Avengers. But according to TheWrap, the one thing that finally made Marvel cool to his son is the 2024 hero shooter, Marvel Rivals.
The Overwatch-like game featuring a massive roster of Marvel heroes and villains was able to finally catch the attention of Feige’s son, which is just incredible to think about, as his father was someone massively responsible for the comic book movie explosion of the 2010s. But it wasn’t until the smash hit video game launched that the younger Feige found himself interested in his dad’s work.
“Suddenly, he was asking me to tell him more about Hela,” Feige said. “Tell him more about The Punisher and these other characters. And then he started seeking them out in the shows.”
TheWrap said Feige had praise for Jeff the Land Shark, a favorite of his son’s, and that’s a different level of exciting. Seeing the lovable quadruped fish in an MCU project one day down the line now seems like an inevitability, and Marvel Rivals has a lot to do with his growing popularity.
Being a free-to-play game available on most consoles and PC makes Marvel Rivals an immediate access point to the universe for the younger generation who have grown up with video games like Fortnite and Roblox. Even after the game’s initial success, it seems to be an untapped gold mine for the future of the industry.
Feige had a lot to reveal about the MCU and its future this past weekend, including his plans to eventually reboot and recast beloved characters like Iron Man and Captain America. It’s a tall task, but with Marvel Rivals pulling some of the weight for a new generation of fans, I’m sure it’s possible.
Published: Jul 22, 2025 09:54 am