The Multiverse Saga has been an interesting experience for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that evolution continues even now as it heads towards its inevitable conclusion. In many ways, it allowed the biggest franchise in the world to see if it could go even bigger than the billion-dollar success days of its Infinity Saga, but it ultimately left audiences asking if bigger was better.
After some ups and downs – which is more downs that MCU fans were used to from the franchise’s once-perfect run – the course has been corrected ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, which will officially set the conclusion of the saga in motion (with next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars set to be the final chapter in the Multiverse Saga). However, as Marvel Studios prepares to welcome in the X-Men for its upcoming “Mutants Era”, it sounds like it will be officially cutting ties with something that diluted its brand this time around.
Marvel pulling back on regular live-action MCU shows after the Multiverse Saga
It sounds like the days of regular live-action Marvel Television are over. After a lot of speculation about the franchise’s slate beyond Avengers: Secret Wars, <a href="https://collider.com/marvel-disney-plus-streaming-change-after-visionquest/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Collider has confirmed that Marvel Studios will be pulling back on regular live-action shows after the upcoming VisionQuest. This comes after the mixed response to multiple original series released during the Multiverse Saga, which ultimately had an impact on the franchise’s cinematic pull (and ran the risk of diluting its once-flawless track record).
It is important to note that this doesn’t extend to Daredevil: Born Againwhich is the only ongoing Marvel TV show right now and will return for its third season this coming March. There is no indication that the studio plans on ending the show right now, and reports say that a fourth season is still on the table. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen, as season 3 will be the last show of the Multiverse Saga, meaning that Marvel could officially chose to end this chapter of TV then and there.
While this is disappointing, it’s not surprising either; the writing was on the wall after Marvel renewed the critically-acclaimed Wonder Man for a second season out of the blue – and then turned around and cancelled the renewal just months later.
Clearly there had been a creative shift – which is pretty monumental considering that it was a previous creative shift that led to the studio producing more regular live-action TV shows (and less cinematic miniseries). And it was likely informed by the impending end of the Multiverse Saga.
Less is more for the MCU going forward
Marvel Television’s original series have been a part of the Disney Plus streaming service’s line-up since 2021 when WandaVision premiered to critical acclaim and awards buzz. The Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany-led series was revolutionary as it brought established MCU superheroes to the small screen for an adventure built for TV, ultimately leading to 23 Emmy nominations (including nominations for Olsen, Bettany, and Kathryn Hahn). But the incredible success would lead to an overexposure of the MCU on TV.
While the likes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Hawkeye provided us all with epic entertainment throughout the pandemic in 2021, the continued production of MCU TV shows watered the franchise down pretty quickly. Soon afterwards came Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, and Secret Invasion – the latter of which is widely regarded as the worst entry in the MCU as a whole.
The franchise did get back on track with Loki season 2 and WandaVision spinoff Agatha All Along, but its cinematic wing began failing, with misfires like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels also receiving poor receptions – and, as a result, massively underperforming at the box office. It took some time for the MCU to course-correct here, and even when it did, it couldn’t save critically-acclaimed entries like Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps from underperforming, too.
Television isn’t entirely the issue here, but it did see Marvel Studios spread itself too thin. For the first time, the MCU began to suffer as a result of this and it ultimately began affecting box office numbers. For the biggest movie franchise in history, that is not a good thing. And considering that at least half of the MCU shows received mixed reviews, paring things back is probably a wise idea.
I’m sure there will be exceptions to that rule down the line. For example, the WandaVision Trilogy will always remain a crown jewel in the MCU’s TV era. WandaVision and Agatha All Along both received praise for highlighting stories that Marvel movies simply wouldn’t have been able to pull off. Therefore, they actually felt like they were made for television (while the vast majority of the shows were criticized for simply feeling like a six-part MCU movie) and brought people together to try and solve the weekly mysteries as they unfolded. There is no doubt that the next installment, VisionQuest, will do the same.
Collider also confirmed that, like those aforementioned three shows, Marvel Studios will still make exceptions for occasional miniseries and Marvel Spotlight shows. While Wonder Man fell under the latter banner, the initial season 2 renewal reflected a movement that the studio is no longer operating under – producing ongoing television shows.
It’s been quite the journey for Marvel Television. After producing too many movie-like miniseries, the TV offshoot was redeveloped to focus specifically on multi-season TV shows. Now, it seems like it’s reverting to the initial movement for live-action projects, making miniseries as and when the narratives require it without producing too many at once. This also might explain the reports that planned Disney Plus shows Nova and Champions are potentially being redeveloped as movies instead.
Regardless of what comes next for the MCU, TV will continue to be a part of it; Marvel Television is just going to look a little different, primarily placing its focus on the ongoing animated shows (such as X-Men ’97, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Marvel Zombies), Daredevil: Born Again, and the occasional live-action show as and when they are needed.
Speaking as someone who loved so many of the MCU Disney Plus shows, this is a bittersweet announcement. While it will be sad to hear that the TV output from Marvel Studios will be reduced, it will make each installment that we do get that much more must-see – ensuring that each miniseries feels like it has the grandeur that WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and VisionQuest has. And that’s a really, really good thing – one that ensures the MCU will avoid the Multiverse Saga’s mistake of overexposure.
