It may be impossible to quantify the impact Kevin Feige has had on cinema and television in the 21st Century. Feige was the mastermind behind the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. The franchise has drawn record audiences at the box office and also successfully expanded to television.
Along the way, Netflix's "Stranger Things" was introduced to the world. The series would become a behemoth hit in its own right, with plans underway for a significant franchise expansion. And perhaps with input from a familiar face.
The 'Stranger Things' team has apparently gotten expansion tips from Feige
MovieWeb and Syfy report that Kevin Feige has had input on the growing future for "Stranger Things". At least in part through his working relationship with Shawn Levy. Levy, along with brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, has been one of the driving forces behind the Netflix hit. He's also been hired to helm an upcoming chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the next "Deadpool" installment.
For his part, Levy stated that he was "learning a lot about how to manage a universe" from Feige. Adding that he was applying them to the STCU. That last part most certainly appears to stand for 'Stranger Things Cinematic Universe'.
It's not totally clear if that's just something of a cheeky reference to the MCU. Or if "Stranger Things" could actually be coming to a cinema near you in the future.
Earlier this year, the Duffer brothers did launch their own production company named Upside Down Pictures. For those who may not know, the Upside Down is a direct reference to "Stranger Things".
The company is expected to be a launching pad for projects set within the franchise, among other things, for Netflix. Netflix remains best-known as a streaming service. But it has been working at becoming a bigger player in the cinematic market.
Details about the next series have been kept closely-guarded
The Duffers have begun working on a new "very different" series set in the same universe as "Stranger Things".
This would be the first TV spinoff in the franchise to follow the initial series. It's expected to debut sometime after "Stranger Things" concludes its run.
Fans have frequently expressed hopes to see popular groupings such as Steve, Robin and Dustin on further adventures. It doesn't necessarily sound like that's what they'll be getting, at least at the on-set, as far as spinoffs go. New characters will apparently be the focal point in the next project. Whether or not established characters would appear at all hasn't seemed to be specifically ruled out. Or maybe even further projects down the road where fan-favorite characters might be more prominent.
In addition to television, and possibly Movies, an in-universe stage production has been in development. Projects in other formats, including books, comics and a scripted podcast, have already been released.
