Variety; Kevin Feige on Marvel’s Future: ‘Spider-Man 4’ Story Is Locked, President Harrison Ford, ‘Blade’ Films in ‘10 Weeks or So’ and More

Story from Variety:

Fans of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man are getting good news from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who confirmed in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly that Holland’s fourth “Spider-Man” movie is now being written. Marvel had one of its biggest hits ever with Holland’s third-outing, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which became the first pandemic release to gross over $1 billion worldwide.

“All I will say is that we have the story,” Feige said about Holland’s anticipated “Spider-Man” return. “We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.”

Whether Holland will once again team up with “Spider-Man” actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield remains to be seen. Both actors have expressed interest in returning for a new “Spider-Man” movie.

Feige also confirmed to EW that “Deadpool 3” will be the first R-rated movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick had previously said that Disney would not make “Deadpool” a family-friendly movie after the studio acquired Fox, which released two R-rated Deadpool movies that each grossed over $780 million worldwide. “Deadpool 3” will team franchise mainstay Ryan Reynolds with Emma Corrin and Hugh Jackman, reprising his “X-Men” role of Wolverine.

“That’s our first R-rated film,” Feige said. “To have Hugh come back is incredible.”

Feige was an associate producer on Jackman’s original “X-Men” movie in 2000, so having Jackman back as Wolverine and debuting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a “very full circle” for the Marvel boss.

“I remember sitting behind the camera — well behind the camera — at [Hugh’s] audition for the film,” Feige said. “It was his first on-set audition, and he flew up to Toronto to do a read with Anna Paquin. For him, and for me, and I think for all of the fans of Marvel, it’s unbelievable what has happened in those 23 years.”

Elsewhere in the EW interview, Feige confirmed that Marvel’s Mahershala Ali-starring “Blade” movie will be filmed this year. Production on “Blade” hit a speed bump in 2022 when original director Bassam Tariq exited the project in September. Yann Demange stepped in to helm the vampire tentpole.

“It’s going well,” Feige said about “Blade.” “Our director Yann [Demange] is down in Atlanta right now. Cameras roll in, like, the next 10 weeks or so.”

Feige also championed the upcoming Marvel debut of Harrison Ford, who is taking on the role of Thaddeus Ross in “Captain America: New World Order.”

“He’s tireless with the amount of work that he does,” Feige said about Ford. “This is certainly a big part for Thaddeus Ross. He’s the president of the United States in the film. And with Harrison, you think about ‘Air Force One,’ and you think about some of his confrontations with the president in ‘Clear and Present Danger.’ There’s a dynamic between President Ross and [Anthony Mackie’s] Sam Wilson. They have a history together, but in this film, we’ll be seeing the dynamic between Captain America and the president of the United States in a way that is just incredible.”

Disney and Marvel have not yet announced a second season of “Moon Knight” with Oscar Issac, but Feige said, “There’s a future for that character as we move forward.” He also compared the upcoming “Captain Marvel” sequel, “The Marvels,” to the first “Avengers” movie.

“There’s something immensely powerful about seeing Monica (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala (Iman Vellani) and Carol (Brie Larson) together in a frame. To me, it’s only akin to the first ‘Avengers’ movie and seeing the six of them together in a frame. It’s chill-inducing.”