Kevin Feige (born June 2, 1973) is an American film and television producer who has served as the president of Marvel Studios since 2007. Widely recognized as the principal architect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Feige is considered one of the most successful and influential figures in contemporary cinema. Under his leadership, Marvel Studios transformed from an independent production house into a global media powerhouse, fundamentally altering the landscape of blockbuster filmmaking through the introduction of a highly interconnected, serialized shared universe. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Feige spent much of his youth in Westfield, New Jersey, where he moved at the age of three. His early exposure to the entertainment industry was influenced by his maternal grandfather, Robert E. Short, a television producer in the 1950s who worked on long-running soap operas such as The Guiding Light and As the World Turns. During his upbringing, Feige developed an avid interest in film, citing major franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the Back to the Future trilogy as pivotal inspirations. Following high school, Feige attended the University of Southern California (USC), the alma mater of several directors he admired, including George Lucas, Ron Howard, and Robert Zemeckis. After five previous applications to the prestigious USC School of Cinematic Arts were rejected, Feige was accepted on his sixth attempt, eventually graduating with a degree in film in 1995. In 2023, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the institution. Feige began his professional career shortly after graduation, securing an internship that led to a position as an assistant to producer Lauren Shuler Donner. Working with Donner, he contributed to productions such as the disaster film Volcano (1997) and the romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail (1998). His deep knowledge of Marvel Comics proved instrumental during the development of the 2000 film X-Men, where Donner appointed him as an associate producer. This work brought him to the attention of Avi Arad, then the head of Marvel Studios, who subsequently hired Feige as his second-in-command. In 2007, Feige was appointed president of Marvel Studios. His tenure began with a strategic shift in the studio’s business model: rather than licensing characters to other studios, Marvel would finance and produce its own films. This vision culminated in the release of Iron Man (2008), which launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By prioritizing interconnected storytelling, casting against type, and maintaining creative continuity, Feige oversaw an unprecedented string of commercial successes, most notably The Avengers (2012), which served as the first major convergence of the franchise's characters. In October 2019, Feige’s role was expanded when he was named chief creative officer for Marvel Entertainment, granting him oversight of Marvel Comics, Marvel Television, and Marvel Animation. Feige’s work has garnered immense financial and critical attention; the films produced under his supervision have collectively grossed over $31 billion at the global box office. Notable milestones include the massive success of Avengers: Endgame (2019), which became one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Additionally, his work on Black Panther (2018) earned the film a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture—a first for a superhero film—and represented a significant cultural milestone. Regarding his personal life, Feige maintains a low profile, emphasizing privacy despite his public-facing role. He has been married to Caitlin Feige, a cardiothoracic nurse, since approximately 2007. The couple has two children, a daughter born in 2009 and a son born in 2012. He remains a member of the Producers Guild of America and continues to manage the expanding development of the Marvel brand across film and streaming platforms.