Doug Finberg, Head of Marketing for Marvel Studios, came to the Saturn Awards to accept on behalf of Iron Man. Jon Favreau is still shooting the sequel with Robert Downey Jr. and even Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige is in prep on Thor, Captain America and The Avengers. So Finberg spoke for the team’s upcoming slate.
Crave Online: There was some uproar in the online community over news coming from the Iron Man 2 set recently. Were you upset over that?
Doug Finberg: No, not at all. Actually, we’re quite pleased with the way the production’s happening and everybody’s been extremely happy so we’re really excited about the new movie.
Crave Online: With changes to the Iron Man universe, including actors and writers, what will remain the same and what is new and different?
Doug Finberg: The combination of what Kevin has and what everybody at Marvel Studios brings to the table is really a winning formula that we look forward to repeating so we’re really hopeful that audiences continue to come and that’s our goal.
Crave Online: How do you commission a script on Avengers before the Thor and Captain America scripts are done?
Doug Finberg: I think that’s a tribute to just how rich the Marvel universe is, that it actually is that deep and the fabric is that intertwined that it takes that long to actually develop the process before we can actually get to the point of shooting a script.
Crave Online: You ultimately signed Samuel L. Jackson to continue playing Nick Fury in all those films. Is there an eye toward a Nick Fury movie?
Doug Finberg: We’ll have to see how those cards play out but we always consider all of our options.
Crave Online: So first Iron Man 2, then Thor and Captain America?
Doug Finberg: Thor is actually in May of 2011 and The First Avenger: Captain America is actually going to be in July of 2011 with The Avengers in 2012.
Crave Online: You have your Thor cast now, right?
Doug Finberg: We just got done with some of the casting and some of the announcements that have just hit the press. Thor is actually [Chris Hemsworth] that was in Star Trek so we’re really excited about him and everybody, we’re really pulling a great team together.
Crave Online: Who are you thinking of for Captain America?
Doug Finberg: Let’s get through Thor before we actually get that far.
Crave Online: Would an Avengers movie introduce any new supporting characters, who might not get their own film?
Doug Finberg: It’s ultimately about we want to get Thor right and then move on and actually just really give that the time that it needs to develop it, get it on screen, bring it to the audience. Then we’re going to move on to Captain America so we’re a little far out for The Avengers, so we’ll get there.
Crave Online: Are you better prepared for Downey’s style of improvisation on Iron Man 2?
Doug Finberg: He’s been amazing. I think the first film was a real learning experience for everybody and now that everybody’s back in the same crew on the second movie, it’s really like a rhythm that they have going.
