Marvel Studios could be making some massive changes to their Phase 5 and Phase 6 lineups after the negative reception to some of the content in Phase 4.
There's no denying that this first new Phase of MCU content post-Avengers: Endgame was mixed. While projects like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Spider-Man: No Way Home were widely praised, movies such as Eternals and Thor: Love and Thunder missed the mark for many.
Many feel that this is due to Marvel Studios and Disney focusing on quantity over quality, especially when it comes to utilizing Disney+ as a storytelling tool. Nearly all of those new MCU shows had reactions ranging all over the place, with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier taking the brunt of the negativity.
Now, following the lukewarm reception to Phase 4, and the firing of former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, Marvel Studios is looking to make some changes.
MCU Multiverse Saga Shuffle on the Way?
A new report from The Cosmic Circus sources revealed how Marvel Studios might be facing some big changes after Bob Iger's return as CEO at Disney and the negative feedback Phase 4 has received from fans & critics.
Many believe the last two years of Marvel content have been lukewarm and that the studio is prioritizing quantity over quality.
According to Cosmic Circus and the outlet's sources, Marvel themselves have picked up on those worries about the overall approach for Phase 4. So now, "as a preventative measure to assure quality control," both Marvel and Disney are "re-evaluating the future releases" of Phase 5 and beyond that are not already in production.
Their sources say that Marvel Studios is hoping to hammer in a quality-over-quantity take on its future projects to avoid the issues it faced with Phase 4.
They note that one move behind considered by Marvel and Disney is to "develop a sort of creative oversite" on the MCU's future releases in order to "establish more quality control moving forward."
The Cosmic Circus also reiterated how they heard that Special Presentations are gaining more traction behind the scenes as a medium to deliver more potential projects moving forward.
It's worth noting that even with any changes, Phase 5 is likely to contain a similar amount of releases to Phase 4, assuming nothing already announced is outright canceled.
The important thing is that fans shouldn't expect Marvel Studios to start increasing its output even more than the studio is currently doing.
What Will Change for Phases 5 and 6?
After hearing that news, there's likely one question running through the mind: what changes should be expected?
As Cosmic Circus pointed out, any outright cancelations of Disney+ series or theatrical movies are unlikely. Shifts in format are more probable, such as the rumor of Nova shifting from series to Special Presentation or Armor Wars going from show to movie.
Looking ahead into 2024, only two series are known: Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Daredevil: Born Again. Charlie Cox's show even has 18 episodes, meaning that it will run for a good chunk of the year.
Past that, the only two projects that seem to still be in the works as shows are Vision Quest and Wonder Man. Currently, it isn't known if they'd be a part of Phase 5 or Phase 6.
It's hard to pinpoint if this will lead to fewer shows overall or just fewer new IPs. For example, while there might not be as many newly introduced series, there will be more space for Marvel to explore second seasons for characters such as Ms. Marvel or Moon Knight.
With how much content Marvel Studios has access to, some might not be able to help but feel that the MCU won't be able to build everything it needs to in time for Avengers: Secret Wars.
Whatever happens, this is a good move for Marvel Studios. Phase 4 was a mixed bag for many, and a re-evaluation like this should help assure fans that the company cares about the final products it pushes out the door.
The next MCU project, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, is set to hit theaters on February 17, 2023.
