If there’s one thing more strenuous than creating a billion-dollar empire, it’s making it thrive, and while Bob Iger seems to have outdone himself for the most part, it’s no secret that Disney is trotting around in the depths of despair these days. With the company’s popular theme parks facing an alarming dearth of visitors, its streaming platform undergoing a horrendous loss of as many as 4 million subscribers, and films like Indiana Jones 5 and The Little Mermaid flopping tragically, it’s safe to say that the studio is struggling to get back on its feet.
And in the wake of such dire circumstances, it looks like Disney is planning on introducing major changes to one of its most lucrative and established subsidiaries, Marvel Studios.
Disney Toning It Down With Marvel Special Presentations?
When Michael Giacchino’s Werewolf by Night was released last year, the audience went absolutely berserk about it, devouring the horror flick and demanding more such television specials. Needless to say, fans wanted the Marvel Cinematic Universe to experiment more with its material instead of sticking to the drab, run-of-the-mill storylines coupled with tacky CGI. And the studio even promised to cater to people’s wishes with more of these hour-long projects in the foreseeable future.
Just a month or so later, Marvel gifted its fans with yet another special presentation in the form of James Gunn‘s GoTG Holiday Special. Much like the Halloween-themed film, the Christmas special too managed to hit the mark, leading to a unanimous agreement that these television specials held the potential to become the future of the MCU. But perhaps not.
Marvel’s parent company, Disney, which acquired the rights to the studio over a decade ago, is now reportedly looking to revamp the superhero franchise, and the first order of business is believed to be tamping down the much-anticipated special presentations project. Earlier this year in May, Disney+ announced a sudden rehaul of sorts, one which involved scrapping some select content from its streaming platform. But with the future of MCU special presentations in a state of limbo, it looks like Disney is going to be doing more than just purging content.
Fans Revolt at The Possibility of This New Decision
Although the rumors in question haven’t been confirmed by either Disney or Marvel yet, the prospect of it is shocking enough to send fans into a state of frenzy and confusion.
After shows like She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel failed to meet the expectations of fans, MCU ventures like Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special turned out to be a welcome respite from what were deemed to be unpleasant and monotonous attempts at something new. So, to think that the studio might be looking to axe the one thing that garnered endless love from the audience, people are chagrined at the possible development, to say the least.
BOOOOOO! Huge mistake. They should stop doing the shows and make more special presentations and movies instead.
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) July 12, 2023
Laaame. Werewolf by night was my biggest happy surprise of last year.
— Gwagga Thoughts (@gwaggathoughts) July 12, 2023
The two specials that came out so far were better and more enjoyable than most dramas.
— konuşan kağıt balığı (@kag_bal) July 12, 2023
Werewolf by Night was god tier mcu content so this breaks my heart
— 👁️⃤ (@AudreySolstice) July 12, 2023
It should be less shows and more Presentations/hour long specials ffs
— The ____ (@TheGGAPS) July 12, 2023
It’s the best thing they have on Disney+ tbh
— Pedro Henri (@PedroHe03197946) July 12, 2023
At the end of the day, however, none of this has been backed by the company yet so there’s still hope that the final verdict isn’t as disappointing as these reports.
Both the specials can be streamed on Disney+.
Source: Twitter
