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Kevin Feige breaks Hollywood

Moving the Market: Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is about to break the record for a Hollywood box office opening with "Avengers: Endgame," surpassing the record set by "Avengers: Infinity War" last year — another sign of Disney's cinematic supremacy in an era supposedly dominated by the rise of streaming.

• The Big Picture: Marvel is still providing the world with shared storytelling experiences at a time when audiences are increasingly splintering into niche groups. All told, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought in more than $18.5 billion at the box office.

• "This is absolutely insane," Amazon Studios alum Matthew Ball says of the "Endgame" projections. "There hasn't been a (non-sports) globally monocultural event like this... Ever."

The Estimates, per sources close to Disney:

• "Endgame" is expected to crack $300 million at the domestic box office this weekend, far outperforming Infinity War's $257-million record.

• The movie could also go so far as to net $1 billion at the global box office, with somewhere around $300 million in China alone.

• The movie could ultimately bring in well north of $2 billion and surpass Titanic ($2.2 billion) and even Avatar ($2.8 billion).

Driving the Turnout: From Marvel's "Avengers" to HBO's "Game of Thrones," there is unprecedented demand in the marketplace for hero narratives set in mythical lands.

• That is why Marvel keeps pumping out comic book sagas and HBO's competitors are spending hundreds of millions in pursuit of the next "Thrones."

• CNN's Brian Lowry calls it "peak geek."

Reviews from last night's premiere:

• NYT's Dave Itzkoff: "I was not prepared for the range of emotions that #Endgame put me through, from utter despair to pure elation."

• Variety's Ramin Setoodeh: "There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the credits rolled for #AvengersEndgame."

• Rotten Tomatoes' Joel Maeres: "Fans are going to go APESHIT."

What's Next: "Endgame" will test Disney's plan to pull its cinematic content from Netflix and make it exclusive to its own Disney+ platform, which launches this fall.

• The move will cost Disney an estimated $150 million in lost licensing fees, but could reap major rewards down the line if fans see films like "Endgame" are must-have content.

Bonus: Bob Iger on Feige, in Variety: "This kind of creative success is never an accident; it’s the result of talent, vision, passion and courage — and at Marvel Studios, that all begins with Kevin.”

• Plus, photos from last night's "Endgame" premiere.

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Talk of Tinseltown: Ryan Murphy, Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane and several of Hollywood's most powerful gay executives, producers and agents will co-host a fundraiser this summer for Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg.

• The event will be held June 19 and be hosted by Murphy and his husband David Miller at their home in Los Angeles.

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Ted Sarandos' Oscar test

The Award Circuit: Netflix's Oscar ambitions will be tested tonight when the 54-member board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gathers for its annual April rules meeting.

• The Board has the power to impose rules for award eligibility that could force Netflix to take a more traditional approach toward theatrical releases if it wants to compete for an Oscar.

• But, per THR's Scott Feinberg: "If a measure declaring war on the fastest-growing content creator in town is indeed raised by someone, it is not at all clear that there is sufficient board support to pass it."

The Big Picture: Hollywood's old guard is slow-walking itself to the inevitable moment that Netflix fields a Best Picture winner — a moment that could come as early as this year with Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman."

• "Roma is a black-and-white, non-English-language film starring nobody anyone in Hollywood had previously heard of," Feinberg writes. "What happens when the streamer fields ... a more palatable contender?"

✂️ Rally the Market ✂️

Shop Talk: LeBron James and Maverick Carter's "The Shop" returns May 4 on HBO with Seth Rogen, DeAndre Hopkins, Travis Scott, Pharrell Williams, Lonzo Ball, Don Cheadle, Jimmy Iovine and Paul Rivera.

• The Big Picture: I finally watched the first three episodes on my last JFK-LAX flight, and now I'm hooked.

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Matt Sacks' podcast gamble

The (Audio) Streaming Wars: Matt Sacks, the 28-year-old son of asset management chief Michael Sacks, will launch a podcast subscription service today that aspires to be the Netflix of podcasting — but early setbacks suggest he may fall short of that vision.

• Sacks' Luminary has $100 million at its disposal and is spending as much as $1.5 million for exclusive rights to shows.

• Luminary's business is based not on advertising but on $8-a-month subscriptions for exclusive content, like shows from Trevor Noah, Lena Dunham and Karamo Brown.

• But Luminary is launching without several popular podcasts, including The New York Times' "The Daily" and the full slate of Spotify's Gimlet, Anchor and Parcast shows.

• Podcast industry sources tell me shows and rival networks have little incentive to help Luminary build its subscription business with their content, especially without ad revenue.

The Big Picture: The fledgling podcast industry is on the verge of transforming into a mature business, complete with new innovations in production, distribution and advertising, but there's little evidence so far that Luminary will be the one to guide it into that future.

• It's not just about the shows Luminary does or doesn't have. It's about creating a platform that incentivizes participation and/or differentiates itself from established players with existing (and substantial) subscriber bases.

Market Links

• Elizabeth Holmes wins a delay in her trial-date decision (WSJ)

• Sundar Pichai faces new pressure from employee activists (Wired)

• Randall Stephenson settles his 5G false advertising suit (Law360)

• Rich Antoniello expects Complex to turn $30 million in profit (BI Prime)

• David Goldberg raises $1 billion for the Founders Pledge (Recode)

Bloomberg/Getty

Sheryl Sandberg adds two

Big in the Bay, big in the Beltway: Sheryl Sandberg has added a veteran Washington attorney and a seasoned communications chief to her team, as Facebook deals with ongoing public relations issues and prepares for new regulatory battles in Washington and abroad.

• The Big Picture: The new hires, both of whom replace outgoing senior officials, join Facebook as it is mounting an aggressive campaign to turn the page on two-and-a-half years of scandal and controversy.

The New Hands:

• Jennifer Newstead is Facebook's new general counsel. She previously served as the State Department’s top legal adviser, before which she was a partner at Davis, Polk & Wardwell. She replaces Colin Stretch.

• John Pinette is Facebook's new vice president of global communications. He previously served as an adviser to Bill Gates, Paul Allen and Bill Ackman. He replaces Caryn Marooney.

How It's Playing: Both Newstead and Pinette are smart, seasoned and highly respected in their respective fields, though Newstead's co-authorship of the Patriot Act while serving in the George W. Bush administration has drawn some criticism.

• Sandberg: "Jennifer is a seasoned leader whose global perspective and experience will help us fulfill our mission ... John’s deep understanding of the technology industry and his experience leading communications teams will be invaluable..."

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Russell Wilson's Amazon buy

Big in Amazonia (or, one for Pinette): Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has gifted each of his 13 linemen with $12,000 in Amazon shares, amounting to a $156,000 stock purchase, per TMZ.

• The Big Picture: Wilson just signed a four-year, $140 million contract, making him the highest paid player in the NFL.

From Wilson's letter to his linemen:

• "Every Sunday we go to battle... You sacrifice your physical and mental well-being to protect me, which in turn allows me to provide and care for my family."

• "Now it is my turn to return the favor."

• "We have to constantly prepare for life after football... One of the ways I prepare is by investing in companies and ideas that I believe will grow and change the world. One of these companies is Amazon."

• "I am gifting you and your family $12,000 worth of Amazon stock to help you achieve your dreams."

Lessons in Leadership: Protect those who protect you.

• Read the full letter.

What Next: Two days til the NFL Draft.

See you tomorrow.