MCU boss says his own son wasn’t a big Marvel fan until Marvel Rivals

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has revealed that his own son wasn’t all too keen on Marvel films or TV shows at first. It wasn’t until he got hooked on Marvel Rivals that he really took interest.

While Marvel’s superhero films account for three of the 10 highest-grossing movies of all time, raking in a combined $6.769 billion at the box office alone, not everyone is a fan.

Over the course of 35 films and 21 TV shows (including ABC and Netflix projects), the Marvel Cinematic Universe has exploded into a cultural mainstay. Yet still, countless people live their lives not caring who might play Captain America next.

Amusingly, that was the case for the son of MCU boss Kevin Feige. Despite his Dad leading the charge for some of the biggest blockbusters each and every year, he simply wasn’t moved, as Feige told media at a recent conversation The Wrap attended.

It wasn’t until NetEase Games came along with their now mega-popular hero shooter Marvel Rivals, that Feige’s son really started to show interest.

Marvel Rivals made Kevin Feige’s son a Marvel fan

During the conversation with media, Feige was questioned on the topic of enticing younger demographics to the MCU. Particularly, how may upcoming projects interest children who weren’t alive when Iron Man kick-started Phase 1 in 2008?

As it turns out, Feige’s own household provided some insight into that very dilemma. The MCU boss joked his son only “feigned interest in a supportive way,” but wasn’t actually invested in the characters or the long-term storylines.

However, with the release of Marvel Rivals in 2024, that all changed, as Feige explained. “Suddenly, he was asking me to tell him more about Hela. Tell him more about The Punisher and these other characters. Then he started seeking them out in the show.”

Clearly, Marvel having its toes dipped in all manner of entertainment mediums, is paying dividends. Games like Marvel Snap, Marvel Rivals, and even the upcoming Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, all have the potential to bring new fans over to the MCU.