Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, and Geoff Johns, chief creative officer at DC Entertainment are working very hard as of late. Both are overseeing some incredible Comic Book Movies over the next few years and if all goes well, much longer. Did you know they share a common history that dates back to interning at the production company of one of the first landmark CBM's? They both worked for Richard and Lauren Shuler Donner who produced Superman (1978). Johns, who graduated from Michigan State and Feige, from USC, were both so impressed by that movie they both sought out and landed jobs with the Donners. Shortly after starting with the company, Johns became assistant to Richard, while Feige became assistant to Lauren.
The Donners both remember these up and comers and knew they were rising stars.
Richard Donner "When Geoff walked in the door he knew more about Superman than I did. I knew he'd go far, because in the first week on the job, Geoff totaled my new car. But he walked away from it and opened his shirt, and he had a big 'S' under there. The writing was on the wall." Lauren Shuler Donner "I am sure one of the main reasons Kevin managed to get himself an intern position at our company was because of Superman. We had a lot of interns come and go depending if it was summer or winter, but there was something about Kevin that made me notice him; Kevin was smart, resourceful and a self-starter. Plus there was a decency, an honesty and integrity that Kevin possessed that spoke volumes to me. So I hired him as an assistant."
"Kevin is a walking encyclopedia of all things Marvel. That was a hint to the path he followed. Kathy Liska, my executive assistant, remembers that Geoff Johns would draw all the birthday cards for people in the company. That was how we first learned he was such a talented artist."
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, and Geoff Johns, chief creative officer at DC Entertainment, worked on many movies for the Donners and learned so much. The husband and wife team has always been known to be very hands on with assistants especially Feige and Johns, involving the two in pre-production, production and post-production process
Kevin Feige "In addition to being great producers, the Donners developed and produced two of the most seminal films in the superhero genre – Superman and X-Men. Why not work for the company that started it all? For a film student and comic book fan like me, there was no better place to merge my two passions."
"Both Dick and Lauren provided an incredible work environment which encouraged creativity and taking things as far as they could go. They readily supported the idea of assistants rising through the ranks and they were always quick to recognize talent in young folks – harness this talent and offer a platform in which up and coming producers and executives could grow." Geoff Johns "Pure and simple, they're responsible for some of my favorite films and, specifically, Dick was a director I always admired for his work on Superman, The Goonies and Lethal Weapon. And Lauren was launching the X-Men franchise when I was just moving out to L.A. I was lucky to be a part of the company during that time."
"I met Kevin about a month after I moved to Los Angeles. We used to talk about superheroes non-stop. I always wanted to see Green Lantern and a new Superman. He was always talking about Star Trek and Star Wars. But more importantly, Kevin's just a very smart and very creative guy. Like Dick and Lauren, one of the best." As the future of the comic book movie takes shape, it will be two young Donner assistants who were impressed by the
Superman movie that will lead it through the coming years.
"What's unique about them as a pair is this incredible ability to look past the now and see the big picture," Richard Donner said.
"And now that we've brought it up," he added,
"I remember Geoff never did pay me for that car.” For the full interview, click the link below.
ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.