Universe Builders

Universe Builders is an American biographical comedy-drama film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is written by Jon Favreau and Paul Scheer and directed by Jonathan Levine. It stars Emory Cohen, Teri Hatcher, Peter Stomare, Skylar Astin, Jack Huston, Vincent Kartheiser, America Ferrera and Bryan Cranston. The film chronicles Kevin Feige stepping in as president of Marvel Studios and the development of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk.

Synopsis
The story of Kevin Feige and the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Plot
In 2005, Marvel Studios releases Fantastic Four through 20th Century Fox. While the film is a commercial success, it is critically maligned. Associate executive Kevin Feige openly voices his distaste towards the film. To his surprise, his superior Lauren Shuler Donner commends him for his honesty and for having such a strong admiration for Marvel Comics. He gets an audience with studio president Avi Arad who agrees that having the staple characters at different studios was a bad idea, but does not think a shared universe concept, Feige's dream, will ever work. Nevertheless, Arad begins to consider looking at Feige for a leadership role.

Deciding to start from scratch with a character who has never been seen in live-action before, Feige turns to adapting Iron Man, which Stan Lee approves of after hearing his plan to create a shared universe. However, he is dumbfounded to hear that the general audience thinks the character is a robot and hastily creates a marketing tour to change people's perception on the character. Shortly after, Arad steps down from Marvel Studios and names Feige as his successor. Now put in charge of the company, he has Louis D'Esposito and Victoria Alonso placed as his main executive producers and begins to seriously consider his shared universe idea. Arad once again belittles the idea before leaving for good.

Feige meets with a Universal executive who reveals that the studio is interested in doing another Hulk film, but does not want it to be a sequel and instead want to "reboot" it, which Feige approves of under the condition that they keep him updated on the progress. Feige meets with Jon Favreau who is interested in directing Iron Man. The other executives think it is a bad idea as the only other major films he had done were Elf and Zathura, but with the support of Lee and Donner, Feige hires him. When it comes time to getting a star, Favreau sets it sights on Robert Downey Jr., much to the studio's chagrin. Favreau and Feige meet with Downey Jr. personally who has just recovered from his drug addiction. He worries about the role, but upon hearing about the character of Tony Stark and noticing similarities with his own life, he accepts the part.

Filming for Iron Man starts in 2007 with The Incredible Hulk starting a couple of months later. Feige is nervous about the production, especially after learning that the script for Iron Man is constantly being rewritten, sometimes on the day of shooting. However, he and Favreau are relieved to see Downey Jr. taking to the role of Tony thanks to his adlibbing, with his co-stars also showing their admiration towards him. As they film the post-credits stinger for the film, Downey Jr. thanks Feige and Favreau for reinvigorating him. The Incredible Hulk nears the end of its filming when Feige gives director Louis Leterrier the idea to shoot an end tag with Downey Jr. He manages to slip away from Tropic Thunder to film, what would eventually be, the first true crossover moment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As the release of Iron Man draws near, Feige becomes nervous about his plan when Lee gives him a visit and encourages him to keep moving forward and the pull through. Iron Man releases as a critical and commercial success. Months later, The Incredible Hulk releases and while not as successful as Iron Man, the film gains some attention due to Downey Jr.'s cameo. While in the middle of discussions for the casting of James Rhodes, Feige is informed that Walt Disney Studios is interested in purchasing the entire Marvel Entertainment slate due to to the success of Iron Man and the potential for the franchise. Feige meets with Donner to thank her for giving him his big break all those years ago. He offers if she would like any help with the X-Men franchise to which she says, "Maybe someday, Kevin".

Cast
Additionally, Charles Michael Davis, Michael Cudlitz and Annabelle Wallis appear as Iron Man co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, respectively. Tom Bateman makes a brief appearance as The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier. Andrea Anders appears as Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal. Samuel L. Jackson appears as himself while the late William Hurt appears via archival footage.
 * Emory Cohen as Kevin Feige
 * Teri Hatcher as Lauren Shuler Donner
 * Peter Stomare as Avi Arad
 * Skylar Astin as Jon Favreau
 * Jack Huston as Robert Downey Jr.
 * Vincent Kartheiser as Louis D'Esposito
 * America Ferrera as Victoria Alonso
 * Bryan Cranston as Stan Lee

Max Thieriot appears as Jason Mintz, a fictitious Universal executive and friend of Kevin Feige. Mintz serves as an amalgam of several different executives that were involved in the making of The Incredible Hulk. His surname is a reference to Charles Mintz, the man who gave Walt Disney his big break.

Several other MCU actors, as well as those who are Marvel adjacent, have cameo appearances, including:
 * Tom Holland as Spider-Man fan
 * Clark Gregg as Comic book store owner
 * Mike Colter as Man celebrating Nick Fury cameo.
 * Eric Bana as Guy who hated Hulk
 * Diamond White as Comic-Con girlfriend
 * Ryan Potter as Comic-Con boyfriend