Kevin Feige on if Marvel Studios Can Use Netflix Heroes: “I Think We Probably Could”

With the debut of WandaVision, Marvel Studios’ first-ever TV series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is bigger than ever. But this expansion of the MCU isn’t just due to studio branching into a new medium. The potential for which characters can pop up in Disney-owned Marvel projects is wide open, thanks to Disney’s acquisition of Fox. We’ve seen what that looks like in WandaVision, with Evan Peters seemingly reprising his X-Men movie role as Pietro (or at least a version of him) and with the show’s constant hints that the Fantastic Four are coming. But what about all of the characters previously used by Marvel Television, the company responsible for Marvel-based series on ABC (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter), Netflix (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Punisher), Hulu (Runaways, Helstrom), and Freeform (Cloak and Dagger)?

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige isn’t ruling out any of those characters’ addition to the MCU, as just announced as part of the Television Critics Association’s 2021 winter tour. When asked if any of those characters, who previously made their home on other networks, could ever appear on a Disney+ series (or Marvel Studios feature film, for that matter), Feige replied, “I think we probably could [use those characters]. I think a lot of [those character rights] comes back to [Marvel Studios]. I’m not sure. There are always rumors online about things reverting [to Marvel Studios]. Sometimes that’s true, sometimes that’s not. And I’m not exactly sure of the exact contracts, but perhaps someday.”

As was much discussed when Netflix axed all their Marvel shows, contracts precluded those characters from appearing on any other network or streaming service until at least two years after their cancellation. Fun fact: Netflix canceled the last two Marvel shows standing (Jessica Jones and Punisher) in February 2019…so… [taps wristwatch impatiently while glaring at Feige]. Still, it bears clarifying that even if Marvel Studios can use the Netflix characters, it’s not a guarantee that they’d use the same actors or continuity. Just temper your expectations, people.

Feige also addressed rumors that there are plans to use characters from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in future Marvel Studios projects. “No, I’ll just say there are often rumors that are true and there are often rumors that are not true,” said Feige. “It was very fun having Clark Gregg come back to the MCU in Captain Marvel. [He’s] a founding, important member of the MCU for us, Agent Coulson. But everything else, we just have to see.”

But Feige wanted to make it clear that he has nothing but respect for the work that Marvel Television did in the MCU sandbox for seven-ish years—and that respect extends to the fans. When presented with the notion that Marvel Television’s work wasn’t as successful as it could’ve been, Feige responded, “I think there are legions of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans and Daredevil fans and Jessica Jones fans and Luke Cage fans that would disagree with you in terms of success or not. There’s a very big fanbase for those shows.”

As for what separates those shows from a show like WandaVision and the upcoming The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? “It really just comes down to a different team, and a different team of storytellers telling stories in a different way. We are continuing into the [television] series just as we did as we developed our features, which is delving into the amazing characters that we get to utilize from the books and try to bring them to life in new and unexpected ways… It’s just telling stories the way we have since Iron Man 1 here at Marvel Studios.”

WandaVision’s final two episodes arrive on February 26 and March 5 on Disney+. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres on March 19, and Loki follows on June 11 on Disney+.