As Marvel Studios has returned to box office dominance with “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” its famed chief Kevin Feige was honored Wednesday by the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation with its annual Pioneer of the Year award.
The Oscar-nominated producer and mastermind of the Marvel Cinematic Universe received a tribute from “Iron Man” director Jon Favreau and “Guardians of the Galaxy” leading man Chris Pratt, the latter of whom credited Feige with giving him the opportunity to become a box office superstar.
Prior to “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Pratt was best known for his comedic work on “Parks and Recreation.” The actor said that Feige insisted to “Guardians” director James Gunn that he get a chance to audition to play Star-Lord, a role that has led Pratt to other hit franchises like “Jurassic World” and “Super Mario Bros.”
“It took someone with real vision to look at me and say, ‘Yeah, that’s a guy that can guard the galaxy.’ Because at that point, if anyone knew me, I was Andy Dwyer,” Pratt said.
Pratt said he had previously auditioned to play Captain America and one of the Warriors Three in “Thor.” He added that after those rejections, he was done auditioning for Marvel, but gave it one more chance because of Feige’s confidence in him.
“He believed that I could take this character, this guy who was funny and flawed and selfish, and somehow make people care about him. That belief changed my life. It changed the course of my career,” he said. “I am now featured on two Disney Parks attractions and a walk-around Disney character. Also, a couple of Universal Studios rides, but I don’t need to talk about that.”
Favreau noted that it wasn’t just Pratt whose career has been changed by Feige. He praised the producer for giving him and other filmmakers a chance to make films on the biggest stage possible, showing how they can tell stories on a blockbuster scale.
“More than anyone else in the industry, Kevin has given career-defining opportunities to lots of people who didn’t already have a long list of feature film credits to their names, and I’m talking about Ryan Coogler, Destin Daniel Cretton, James Gunn, Taika Waititi, the Russo Brothers. Kevin recognized that they were talented. They had the ability. He trusted them to keep the largest platform in film. So, Kevin, thank you for taking that chance on me,” he said.
Created over 75 years ago, the Pioneer of the Year Award dinner has served as an annual fundraising gala for the benefit of the Pioneer Assistance Fund, which provides financial aid and assistance to entertainment industry workers in need.
Now run by the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, the dinner has honored leading Hollywood figures such as Bob Hope, Donna Langley, Alan Horn, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson and most recently, “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig. This year’s event raised $1.9 million for the foundation.
“I got into this business because I love movies, and long before I understood anything about how they were made, I was the audience,” Feige said in his acceptance speech, as he reflected on his childhood going to the Rialto Theatre in Westville, N.J.
“It’s where I escaped when I ditched my SAT prep class around the corner, and we go to the Rialto, which was a much better use of my time. It’s where I learned about storytelling and empathy and drama and comedy. And it’s hard to believe that I would wind up here on the other side of the country, following the footsteps of the great pioneers that I worshipped there,” he continued.
