Summary
- MCU shows often lack long-term commitment, frustrating fans craving more seasons.
- Marvel Studios plans to create TV shows designed for multiple seasons, released annually.
- Second seasons for hit shows like Hawkeye and Daredevil: Born Again hint at a bigger impact in the MCU.
Marvel Studios has created some fantastic content with its television shows. The likes of Loki, WandaVision, and Hawkeye have all entertained audiences and successfully driven the Marvel Cinematic Universe forward with significant plots. However, the MCU shows on Disney Plus have often felt like an afterthought, mainly due to the lack of long-term commitments to them.
The vast majority of Marvel’s televised content on Disney Plus has only lasted for one season, leaving audiences frustrated. People have developed connections to characters and worlds but had them pulled after just a handful of episodes. Marvel fans are desperate for more regarding the television side of the MCU, and it appears that those in charge are listening.
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How Is Marvel Changing Its Approach To Television Shows?
The announcement that Moon Knight is expected to return, but not with a second season, disappointed many people. It was another example of a show not being given enough commitment to see through all the potential storylines. That’s something that has become a running theme with many television shows, even if storylines seemed to naturally run their course, people still wanted more. That’s how television typically works, with viewers connecting to a show as they then want to see it develop over the course of several seasons. That’s what leads to iconic shows taking place, and the fact Loki is one of the best MCU shows to date, and has two seasons is not a fluke.
Marvel is looking to address that situation, and Entertainment Weekly recently spoke to Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Brad Winderbaum, who provided a positive outlook on the future of television shows. He said, “As we develop things for the future, I think they’re going to be designed to be multiple seasons, have more of a pattern, and be able to be released annually.”
Marvel Studios Is Already Putting This Into Practice
Sometimes, when major studios make announcements about future projects and ideas, they can end up being hollow and have no meaning. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case in regards to Marvel’s plans for its televised content. Winderbaum gave a positive outlook about the future of Agatha All Along, admitting, “I think it’s ‘linear series potential,’ giving the hit show the possibility of a second season. He also confirmed that Marvel is exploring ideas for the future of Hawkeye, which audiences would enjoy seeing return for a second season to further develop that storyline and characters such as Kate Bishop.
It has also been confirmed that Daredevil: Born Again will be getting a second season, which is a significant step forward for the MCU. The show’s initial season hasn’t even aired on Disney Plus, yet Marvel Studios is already moving forward with a second season. That means that those in charge are pleased with what has been created for the first season, and developing a second season will allow further stories to be told and explored within this particular franchise. It has also been reported that there are tentative plans for Daredevil: Born Again to get a third season, which would be a major change in how Marvel Studios typically operates. However, if this is a sign of things to come from the television content they’re going to produce, then it can only be seen as a good thing.
Marvel Cinematic Universe Television Shows Will Have A Much Bigger Impact
Marvel’s television shows have a lot of potential to cause a huge impact in the MCU, and they offer the writing team an opportunity to dive deeper into the characters and the overall plot of the MCU throughout this longer format. It can greatly benefit the popularity of characters, as it has done for Scarlet Witch. She was always a popular hero, but WandaVision took her to new heights with Marvel fans because the show was high quality. Yet that is why audiences were disappointed that it was only planned to be a one-and-done scenario, as it felt like there was a lot more to be explored within that setting and with those characters.
The quality of Marvel’s television shows has never been a problem, with the team involved in this side of the studios evidently having a firm grip on how to produce great television. However, they have to last longer for those shows to truly matter or have any chance of standing the test of time and helping Marvel plant a flag in the television industry. Marvel Studios shook things up with the MCU, changing the film industry forever with its long-term vision. Now, Marvel has the chance to make a similar impact in streaming, giving audiences great quality television with beloved characters. While there is still a long way to go in making that happen, the latest news is a step in the right direction for the MCU’s television shows.