2023 will be a new kind of year forMarvel Studios, and that’s mainly because, after Phase Four, many fans of the MCU will be expecting the company’s Disney Plus formula improves since it’s those series that will make up most of its content strategy.
All things considered, next year will seeMarvelrelease twice as many miniseries as movies, with 6 TV shows and 3 films, meaning it will have to bring its A game to streaming to defeat the notion that Disney Plus series dilute the MCU’s value or, at the very least, that not everything it puts out is a must-watch. Unequivocally, there’s been a declining trend in interest and viewership for the shows, not the movies, so what lessons are there to be learned from Phase Four’s TV experiments?
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Timing Is Everything, Even In The Multiverse
It’s safe to say the overall performance of Phase Four, from both an artistic and commercial standpoint was marked by experimentation, but regardless of the tinkeringthat affected that very successful Marvel formula, not all the changes were entirely voluntary. The MCU’s Disney Plus era, and the service as a whole, kicked off during the COVID pandemic, at a time when many consumers had extra viewing time they could allocate to entertainment, and thus were probably less picky with their choices.
WandaVision,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, andLoki, two of Marvel’s most-watched series, were all released when Marvel fans were experiencing post-Endgamewithdrawal symptoms as there weren’t really any superhero movies to compete with, nor hadStar Warsfully made its mark on streaming. That landscape changed when Marvel movies returned to theaters andnew Disney Plus content extended beyondjustThe Mandalorianand a few animated movies.
Under former CEO Bob Chapek, Disney Plus toyed around with the days it dropped new episodes for Marvel shows, whether it was on Wednesday or Fridays, as well as even double-dipping at times, since the relatively unknownMs. Marvelbriefly had to compete for attention withObi-Wan Kenobi. Similarly, all the series involving legacy characters from the Infinity Saga came out before the newcomers, and ultimately leftMoon KnightandShe-Hulkfor last.
There’s a reason concerts have opening acts and main events, and it’s arguable that Disney Plus could be set up this way, but unfortunately, 2023 will again feature Nick Fury’sSecret InvasionandLokiin the earlier part of the year and leaveIronheart,Echoand Agatha Harkness for later. While it’s clear this schedule is planned years ahead sometimes, withThe Marvelsclosing the movie slate in summer, Marvel Studios might have shot itself in the foot by relegating its least popular characters to a quieter period.
If Disney and Marvel want their new superheroes to succeed, they ought to give them the best chance to do so, and it should be a no-brainer that includes releases when interest in the franchise is high and fans' undivided attention can be shifted to streaming shows, not the other way around. By 2023, Disney and Marvel’s executives should have enough data in hand to have perfected their timing.
What’s Actually Wrong With Disney Plus’ MCU?
A common complaint among Marvel fans is that many of the Disney Plus series play out like 6 episodes that 4 years ago would have been turned into a movie. Another is that, despite the extended format and time, MCU shows continue to be rather formulaic in their approach, as fans have come to expect the typical big reveal in the penultimate episode, followed by a big CGI battle in the finale.
Television provides writers with newer avenues to explore, and that should involve partly ditching what’s become pretty much a port of the Marvel third act from movies. Disney Plus’ MCU currently does notfully embrace that change completely, except forShe-Hulk, as well asits two special presentations,Werewolf by NightandThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
Sure,She-Hulkwas one of Phase Four’s worst performers when it came to viewership, however,Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis proof that audiences don’t have any issues warming up to new Marvel characters, provided they’re presented in the right way. Like much ofWandaVision,She-Hulkadopts the TV format to its fullest, which is something thatEcho, a series that belongs inDaredevil’sworld, should definitely have in its DNA.
Back whenDaredevilwas on Netflix, nobody would contestJessica Jones,The Punisher, andLuke Cagewere not TV shows, and as such, they were never put next to Marvel Studios movies for comparison. As long as viewers continue to find the same tropes from MCU movies on Disney Plus, the latter will continue to be seen as a place for B-listers that weren’t deemed important enough to get their own movie.
TheSecret Invasionstoryline is very complex, and while Marvel Studios surely compromised many aspects of it, Nick Fury’s solo adventure already looks prone to falling into the “extra long movie” or “not enough episodes for a TV series categories.Lokiwas Disney Plus' biggest hit for Marvel, and judging from the fact it had a guaranteed second season, that was hardly a surprise for a studio thattrusted its importance in introducing Kang the Conqueror,as well as the mission-like style each episode had for Loki and Mobius.
Marvel’s problems on TV aren’t born out of failing to honor the MCU’s traditions, but rather from sticking too close to that formula. Considering all these series will get made anyhow, as Disney Plus will always need more content, showrunners should tackle streaming like a creative playing ground where new ideas unfold, much likeWhat If…?does. Failing to do so won’t kill the shows, but it will continue making them less special, especially as their frequency ramps up.
