Marvel’s Kevin Feige Talks DR STRANGE And When They’ll Start Announcing More Phase Three Films

Marvel Studio’s President of Production Kevin Feige is making the promotional rounds for Thor: The Dark World, which allows media outlets to ask him about everything other than Thor: The Dark World. A recent chat with Movies.com is an example of that. In part of a longer interview with Feige, the website’s Erik Davis focused questions on Marvel’s unannounced forthcoming film slate.

Davis asked Feige if the long rumored Doctor Strange film, a film a lot of other websites say is in the casting stage already, will be part of Phase III. Feige gave his typical, non-committal answer:

“Doc Strange, as I’ve been saying for years, is a movie I believe we should make — we’re just figuring out how to make it a great movie. It is in active development right now. Whether that’s one of the movies we announce for 2016 or 2017, we have to see.”

So, either Feige is being obtuse and trying to throw the scent off Doctor Strange definitely being part of Phase III or he is saying that the film is something that Marvel is working on that might come out in 2016 or 2017, or might not. Since this statement is similar to others Feige made about the project over the past couple years, I’m leaning towards the latter.

Feige also provided a hint as to when we will find out what movies will make up Marvel’s 2016 & 2017 slate:

“I think it’ll be the middle of next year before we announce officially what the post Ant-Man films will be.”

Perhaps saving those reveals for next year’s San Diego Comic Con? “Maybe… stuff might happen before that. It’s too early to tell.”

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Kevin Feige has seen his shadow, and we are in store for 8 to 10 more months of Internet speculation about the next Marvel films will be.

That comment that any announcement might come before SDCC is interesting. Perhaps Disney will have another D23 Expo between now an then? Keep an eye out for that.

Having a superhero film with a female lead is a much talked about topic on the internet these days, especially as it pertains to DC’s Wonder Woman getting a chance to shine on the silver screen. Davis asked Feige if Marvel had any plans to beat Warners to the punch and give one of their female heroes a solo film first:

“Good question. I don’t know what they’re doing or what they’re planning. I know we have numerous exciting female heroes, whether none of them are currently slated, some of them are in development — frankly, you can look at what Jane Foster does in [Thor: The Dark World], look at Pepper Potts literally saving the day and defeating the bad guy in Iron Man 3, and I’d say we already have great female heroes that are showcased and play major roles in our universe now. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as you will see, features Black Widow in her biggest role yet in any of our films. In terms of a solo standalone female hero, I’m not sure when that will be. We make two movies a year, we’ve planned through 2015 and we have some ideas of what we’re doing in 2016 and 2017, so we’ll see what happens.”

There you go. That is the comment that will spawn months of Internet speculation about the Black Widow film that is coming in Phase III. Maybe Clive Owen will play The Red Guardian?