Since the launch of Disney+, Marvel Studios shows have been a cornerstone of the streaming service and one of the biggest reasons why fans are subscribed to the platform.  While the former Marvel Television division created many shows like “Daredevil”, “Cloak & Dagger” and “Agents Of Shield”, Marvel Studios took control over creating shows, resulting in hits like “WandaVision” and “The Falcon And The Winter Solider”.

One of the core ideas was that Marvel Studios wanted the films and shows to be much more intertwined, so they feel part of the same universe, but there have been many issues for Marvel Studios.  The initial idea was that each show would be a limited series or event, ideally, building to other projects, such as how we are seeing Ms Marvel appear in the new “The Marvels” film.

But along the way, Marvel Studios has been learning that making television is different from making movies.  Instead of using the traditional method of creating TV shows, such as using showrunners, they used film executives.   Relying on the use of post-production and reshoots to fix things that weren’t working.  As Marvel found out with the recent “Secret Invasion” show, this system can be very expensive when things go wrong, as that show’s budget ballooned with months of additional reshoots.

One of the issues that was made by Marvel Studios creating so many shows for Disney+,  was there has been a reduction in quality, and an overall feeling of superhero fatigue from audiences, because there have simply been too many shows and specials to keep up with.

However, things are going to be changing, as Marvel is making major changes in how it will create Disney+ shows moving forward.   One of the big changes is that Marvel is now hiring showrunners to create its series. During an interview with THR, Marvel’s head of streaming, Brad Winderbaum, said:

“We’re trying to marry the Marvel culture with the traditional television culture.  It comes down to, ‘How can we tell stories in television that honor what’s so great about the source material?’”

This change in how Marvel is looking at creating content is going to be impacting first on “Daredevil: Born Again”, which was filming before the strikes started in the summer, but now the writers and directors have been let go, in order to put a new team in place to create a better quality show.  However, they will still be trying to reuse some of the footage already shot.

While “She-Hulk: Attorney At Law” was criticised by many fans, the creation of the show went much smoother, due to the involvement of the show’s head writer, Jessica Gao, who was brought back onto the show to oversee production, basically acting as a showrunner, which no other Marvel show has had, a creative involved in the show from the start to finish.  This will hopefully reduce the need to go back and reshoot or rework shows after they’ve been filmed.

Marvel will now shift how it creates its Disney+ series moving forward, treating them like TV shows, rather than films.  They will now use full-time TV executives, rather than having film executives involved. Brad Winderbaum explained;

“We need executives that are dedicated to this medium, that are going to focus on streaming, focus on television, because they are two different forms.”

Disney is currently releasing the second season of “Loki” on Disney+, and it marks the first time we’ve seen a second season of any Marvel show, as they’ve all been positioned as limited series or events, rather than traditional television shows. Things are going to be changing, as Marvel is now planning on creating shows that will run for several seasons and allow characters to develop relationships with an audience, rather than feeling like they are setting something up as part of the next crossover event, like an “Avengers” movie.

They are also planning on creating shows that tell more personal stories, as Brad explained that he wants people to watch the shows because they love the characters. It should work, he says, “beyond the fact that it ties into [other projects] or if they are going to be in a movie or if it is setting up an Avengers film.”

This will undoubtedly be a huge shift in how we see Marvel shows in the future.  While there have been many highlights from the Disney+ Marvel shows, they’ve struggled on many occasions to either hit the landing or feel stretched out.  Forcing stories to fit within a six-episode limited series format doesn’t suit every story.  And not every Marvel show needs to be setting up the next Avengers movie. It’ll also help keep the films feel like something special, as it’s likely, that Marvel shows are going to be a little different in the future, ironically, becoming more like TV shows than a movie cut up into six parts.  Hopefully, we won’t have too many TV shows like “Inhumans” and more shows like “Daredevil” in the future.

Do you think it’s a good idea for Marvel Studios to make this change?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

View all posts