Kevin Feige, producer and president of Marvel Studios, named USC’s 2023 commencement speaker
USC’s 140th commencement ceremony will be headlined by one of the most influential figures in filmmaking today: Kevin Feige, producer and president of Marvel Studios. Feige will give the keynote address at the ceremony on May 12.
A 1995 graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Feige is head of Marvel Studios, the home of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a collection of interconnected films and streaming series that has made an indelible mark on popular culture and filmmaking. Feige, who returns frequently to campus for screenings and to talk with students, serves as an inspiration for students at the world’s top film school.
“I’m so excited to have Kevin Feige as our rookie speaker. He is a creative force: an impresario who builds extraordinary teams and tells magical, diverse stories that captivate people around the world.” USC President Carol L. Folt. “He sat in the same chairs and walked the same paths as so many of our students – and look where his adventure has taken him. I can’t wait to hear his inspiring stories.”
Feige serves on the Board of Councilors of the School of Cinematic Arts. In 2017, he established a fund to promote the success of film students at USC. The Kevin Feige Endowed Fund for Creative Producing supports courses that teach budding filmmakers how to turn an idea into a successful commercial release. Feige is also the recipient of the 2014 Mary Pickford Alumni Award for achievements that have distinguished the school and the entertainment industry.
“My USC experience played such a fundamental role in who I’ve become, both as a filmmaker and as a person,” said Kevin Feige. “Of course they don’t have to ask me twice to come back and talk to students. But I’m honored and humbled to be asked to be the fledgling speaker celebrating the graduating class of 2023 as they bring their own USC experience into the world to do great things as part of the next generation of storytellers and innovators and leaders .
Feige, 49, oversees Marvel Studios’ feature film productions, with 30 film releases that have all opened No. 1 at the box office and collectively grossed more than $28 billion worldwide. Ten films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, and two films — Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War — have grossed more than $2 billion. Feige was honored with the 2019 David O. Selznick Achievement Award from the Producers Guild of America, as well as the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in 2018.
USC’s 140th commencement ceremony will be held May 12. It begins at 8:30 a.m. at Alumni Memorial Park on the USC University Park Campus.