Marvel Studios will be slowing down its project releases for Phase 5 and 6's MCU series on Disney+, as confirmed by president Kevin Feige.
The reception to Phase 4 was mixed, to say the least—something that’s sadly leaking into Phase 5 as well, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania currently holding a rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Not too long ago, it was rumored that in response to these worries from the wider audiences, Marvel Studios would shift to focusing on quality over quantity. This meant the company was completely re-evaluating its future slate.
Not long after, three specific Disney+ shows were rumored to have been heavily delayed: What If…? Season 2, Echo, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Additionally, Blade got a reset, and Armor Wars became a movie instead of a series.
It looks like these changes are truly a sign of Marvel Studios making important adjustments.
Kevin Feige Confirms Slower Disney+ Release Rollout
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige spoke candidly about the amount of output that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently pushing, particularly on Disney+.
After referring to a Saturday Night Live sketch that poked fun at how frequently the MCU was putting out series, Feige admitted that the sheer volume of projects has made it more difficult for the studio to tap into one of its most impressive feats: its ability to "hit the zeitgeist:"
"I do think one of the powerful aspects of being at Marvel Studios is having these films and shows hit the zeitgeist. 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. [Laughs]"
The MCU producer continued by affirming that the rate at which Disney+ shows release will be reduced, in order to give each individual project "a chance to shine:"
"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."
After being asked whether this change of pace would mean spacing out the releases of shows or releasing fewer shows a year, Feige responded, "Both, I think."
Marvel Studios Changing Course?
The reception of Quantumania truly embodies the rocky road the MCU is going down—which may worry fans since Paul Rudd’s movie came after loads of complaints and feedback.
However, it is important to note that any major big changes Marvel Studios might make for the better when it comes to shows or movies won’t be felt for a long while.
One has to remember that they work on these projects way ahead of time—many future movies or shows are too far into development to make any sizable changes.
The earliest some of these more systematic changes could truly be seen is next year. With either Daredevil: Born Again or Captain America: New World Order, both of which will be entering production in March.
Some changes can already be felt, however. 2021 held five Disney+ series, while 2023 will only have three. Though, fans don’t even have an estimated release for any of them, so the debut of the next streaming show is a mystery.
Hopefully, Marvel Studios can pull its act together and change course, finally getting more of that positive praise it was so used to. It would be a shame if the whole MCU collapsed before getting to Avengers: Secret Wars or the X-Men.
The next Disney+ show to air is suspected to be Secret Invasion, which was most recently set to release in Spring 2023.
