Kevin Feige knows better than anyone what it takes to lead a major franchise. The Marvel Studios president is largely responsible for the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe, serving as a major help in the creation of one of the most successful film franchises ever seen. He's produced every single film in the expansive catalog, and is ready to wrap up Phase 4 with the imminent release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever next month.

Now, James Gunn is facing a similarly daunting task on the DC Universe side of things, as he was recently named the co-chair and co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. The pair will report to David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. Gunn will be tasked with expanding the DC Universe for years to come, as Zaslav has previously mentioned he wanted to lay out a ten-year plan similar to what Feige has done with Marvel.

Deadline recently caught up with the Marvel Studios president on the red carpet premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and asked Feige what he thought of the recent move by Gunn and DC. Feige doesn't treat the partnership as any sort of competition, but is rather excited to see what the filmmaker can do on the other side of the comic book world.

"Yes. Well, he's got a lot of work to do for Marvel between now and May which he's well aware of [laughs]. But after that I'll be first in line to see anything he does."

Related: Kevin Feige Addresses When the X-Men Will Arrive in the MCU: 'We're Getting Close'

What is James Gunn Working on For Marvel?

James Gunn is a frequent collaborator with Marvel, helming the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies for the franchise. The films are essentially his projects, as he not only directed but also served as lead writer on the first two installments. His time with the rag tag group of heroes is far from done, as Feige mentions in his statement.

Next month, fans will finally get to see the long awaited Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, with a trailer recently releasing. The Disney+ special will see the beloved group including Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, and Karen Gillan return alongside Sean Gunn as Kraglin. Kevin Bacon will make his MCU debut as himself, while Bautista's Drax and Klementieff's Mantis rush to capture the popular actor as a present for Pratt's Star-Lord. The Holiday special arrives at Disney+ later next month on Nov. 25.

Next year, Gunn will release the third entry in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. The film will follow Peter Quill as he rallies his team to defend the universe once again in a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians. Zoe Saldana will return alongside the rest of the main cast. After Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives on May 5, 2023, Gunn will turn his sights to DC where he can continue work on Peacemaker, and everything else that comes with his newly acquired role.