If someone were to assess the growth and development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting from the release of Iron Man in 2009, that person would have taken a wild guess and assumed that it would’ve made it big in the industry. They would be correct- the MCU is, and for long, has been the biggest movie franchise to ever exist.
Fast forward to 2022, the MCU has now successfully gone through four successful phases, the fourth ending with the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But the fourth phase has also been the subject of criticism from many fans and as a course-correction measure, Marvel Studios has reportedly decided to roll back the release of some important titles for Disney+ this year.
Marvel Studios Will Take Its Time With TV Shows For The MCU
It must be quite exhausting, but nevertheless exciting to take care of a franchise that has now become as big as the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Kevin Feige, and he’s been managing it through his seat as the president of Marvel Studios ever since 2007.
But the MCU is in a content crisis, or so fans have complained. Around mid-2022, there was a massive outpouring of criticism from fans of the billion-dollar franchise toward Marvel Studios- some say its a mixed bag, some say the fourth phase is being rushed, others have been critical of the poor performance of Thor: Love and Thunder, and so on.
And now, according to a report from a Disney+ Japan blog post, Marvel Studios is planning to finally slow down its production rate, or release rate, which probably came after a critical assessment of Phase Four of the MCU.
As the report says, three shows are still on schedule for release in the upcoming year, these are – Secret Invasion, Loki Season 2, and Ironheart. These are just only three TV series, what’s missing is the bigger picture- a potential release of 2-4 more projects for Disney+ that might just get held off for release until 2024.
It Makes Sense That Marvel Studios Is Taking This Approach For The MCU
This whole ordeal is mainly a criticism of Marvel Studios prioritizing its output rate (of shows and movies) rather than focusing on creating and developing much more meaningful projects.
But when a franchise’s reputation is literally earning them box-office records in theaters and millions of views on the Disney+ channel, then it won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
After having created a legacy of movies and TV series that have been loved by everyone even during their limited release, it would be a gamble for the MCU to not adjust and adhere to the demands of its fans who have been loyal to the franchise for so long.
Regardless, fans should trust Kevin Feige and his team to work on the problems that have been brought up by fans themselves and allow time for the studio to focus on quality-of-life improvements for the MCU.
All shows mentioned will be, and some are already, available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: CBR
