Marvel Disney+ Series To Experiment With Self-Contained Episodes
With the fifth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe set to begin later this month, there has been some reflection over the previous phase, which introduced some new formats, including series and special presentations for Disney+. Over the past few years, we’ve seen some incredible shows like “WandaVision” and “Loki”, which generally play out like an extended film, allowing creators to tell a larger story and to expand characters easier than in a film. But in the last Marvel series, “She-Hulk: Attorney At Law”, the format changed slightly, with some single story episodes, with an overarching storyline, and it looks like we might see more of this in the future.
During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly to promote the new Marvel Studios film, “Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania”, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was asked about embracing television and what have the biggest adjustments to this format, where he replied:
I guess the learnings have been that you are rewarded creatively and by the audience by going to unexpected places. We always knew that to a certain extent, but it’s fun to see. We want to do shows that can only be shows. I want to continue to make them even more episodic, which may seem counterintuitive. But I do think there is something fun about leaning back and watching an episode that can be relatively self-contained.
Lost was an incredibly influential show because it was this serialized story, which was not seen in television much. Now it’s been how long, 20 years? Since then, almost everything has become like that. So now — and I think you’re seeing this not just with our shows, but with many other shows — you’re starting to see the fun of a self-contained, episodic story week to week. We’re going to experiment with that in some of our upcoming things.
Kevin also expressed his interest in creating self-contained episodes for Disney+.
Yes. I mean, cliffhangers are great, and I like watching a show where you should go to bed, but you see the cliffhanger and you just have to watch the next episode. You certainly want to keep people engaged. But I’m a big Star Trek fan, and I still find it soothing to watch an episode of Next Gen with a beginning and an end. So, I think we’re going to keep experimenting with that going forward.
While Marvel Disney+ shows continue to evolve, would you like to see some of the upcoming shows feature self-contained stories or “monster of the week” episodes, rather than a single story? Let us know on social media!
Roger Palmer
Related Article
Marvel’s “Daredevil: Born Again” Disney+ Release Window Revealed
Marvel Confirms “Ironheart” Disney+ Release In 2025
