Don't Worry, Marvel Studios Hears You: Disney+ Will Release Fewer Shows From Now on
Okay, the beginning of Marvel Studios' Phase 5 hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. The reception for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has been lukewarm at best (just a notch above stone cold, really, if we're looking at the film's Rotten Tomatoes reviews). After a dismal Phase 4, you'd think studio president Kevin Feige would have learned from Marvel's recent blunders, and will be making the appropriate adjustments moving forward. In fact, the Marcel Cinematic Universe is looking to shift its focus, and that includes slowing down on its Disney+ releases this year.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Feige admitted that the jokes about the MCU putting too much, too soon into their shows was weighing on him and the rest of the producers. He also clarified that it will be spacing out its show releases.
"I do think one of the powerful aspects of being at Marvel Studios is having these films and shows hit the zeitgeist," he said. "It is harder to hit the zeitgeist when there's so much product out there—and so much 'content,' as they say, which is a word that I hate."
Quantumania is currently scoring a lackluster 53 percent on the Tomatometer.
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He continued: "But we want Marvel Studios and the MCU projects to really stand out and stand above. So, people will see that as we get further into Phase 5 and 6. The pace at which we're putting out the Disney+ shows will change so they can each get a chance to shine."
Recently, we've heard reports of calculated delays on Marvel's part. Previously announced shows like What If…? Season 2, Echo, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos had each been shelved for further re-evaluation. Hell, Armor Wars was tabled, as the franchise plans to turn it into a film instead.
With Phase 4 being a "transitional" period for the franchise, Phase 5's next big projects are likely going to be Daredevil: Born Again, Captain America: New World Order, and Blade (with freaking Mahershala Ali!). As for Disney+ series, the franchise will only be churning out three this year. An Avengers: Secret Wars or X-Men flick (hey, Hugh Jackman is coming back for the franchise's first Deadpool MCU film), on the other hand, should be expected in Phase 6.
Quantumania marks the 31st film for the MCU, and Feige is well-aware of the perceived Marvel fatigue at this point. But that's not going to stop the franchise from experimenting more with its stories.
"It's like when people go to the comic shops. There's Spider-Man and the Avengers and the big title ones. And sometimes you pick up a one-off or an experiment from an artist or writer that you're a fan of. That's why the comics have been around for 80-plus years, and I want Marvel Studios to be around that long, if not longer," he told Entertainment Weekly.
Feige added: "So, we have to continue to do different types of things. Does everything have to appeal to everybody? It would be nice. But I think that's impossible. And if you try to do that, you're going to find yourself in such a small funnel and pipeline that things will get similar and boring and atrophy very, very quickly."
