Before Marvel, Kevin Feige Worked On An Explosive Disaster Movie

20th Century Studios

These days, Kevin Feige is primarily known as Marvel Studios’ boss and the overseer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an ambition that started after he saw Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” and realized that superhero movies could be top-tier cinema. Before he spearheaded the MCU into existence, however, Feige started out as a humble production assistant on a pair of non-superhero flicks, including the 1998 Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks-starring romantic comedy “You’ve Got Mail.” The other project he worked on was 1997’s “Volcano,” an entertaining natural disaster movie that’s more in line with the action-packed blockbusters Feige is now synonymous with producing.

“Volcano” exploded onto screens around the same time “Dante’s Peak was released,” making 1997 a big year for movies about molten lava destroying properties. Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Don Cheadle, “Volcano” tells the story of an underground volcano wreaking havoc in Los Angeles following an earthquake, forcing scientists to step in to try and save the day. It doesn’t rewrite the rulebook for disaster films by any means, but some intense action sequences and reliably great performances from the aforementioned actors elevate “Volcano” to great heights.

 “Volcano” was regarded as a massive blockbuster in 1997, with the movie costing $90 million to make (excluding marketing costs and all that jazz). While the budgets for Marvel flicks exceed that and then some, the Mick Jackson-directed disaster flick was still a tentpole project in its own right back in the day. As Feige’s career has progressed, though, it seems that “Volcano” has become a footnote that he barely remembers.

Kevin Feige doesn’t spend too much time thinking about Volcano

20th Century Studios

It’s been almost 30 years since “Volcano” erupted into theaters, and some of the film’s stars and crew members have gone on to bigger — and arguably better — things since then. Kevin Feige is one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, while Tommy Lee Jones and Don Cheadle have become part of his golden goose MCU franchise after playing the characters Chester Phillips and James Rhodes, respectively. While speaking to Vanity Fair in 2017, Feige recalled talking to the actors about “Volcano” during filming on their Marvel projects, and let’s just say that it doesn’t cross their minds as often as their other works do. In his own words:

“When I bring that up to Don Cheadle or Tommy Lee Jones, when I would work with them years later, I’d go, “We worked together on ‘Volcano.'” They’d go, ‘Oh, that movie?'”

Don’t let Feige, Cheadle, and Jones’ words trick you into thinking “Volcano” is a forgettable movie, though. It’s actually a lot of fun, and if you are looking for an over-the-top disaster flick that ticks all of the right boxes, look no further than this explosive treat.

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