Marvel Studios will do something never seen before with the MCU pertaining to the release strategy for the franchise's newest Disney+ series. Marvel is in the middle of a massive slate of new entries for the MCU, with six animated and live-action streaming series set to hit the small screen before the end of 2025.
Marvel Studios' Ironheart will have its first three episodes released on Disney+ on its upcoming June 24 release date. This will be the first time that any Marvel Studios show will have a three-episode premiere and still have more episodes left to make their debut on Disney+ after the first week.
Two MCU series have had their full season drop on the same day. The first was 2022's I Am Groot Season 1 (August 10, 2022), consisting of a series of animated shorts that were about 19 minutes long in terms of combined runtime. The only full series to have its full season released all at once was Echo, whose five episodes premiered via a binge drop on both Hulu and Disney+ on January 9, 2024.
Most recently, the MCU's last Disney+ show, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, came with a two-episode premiere on January 29 before the rest of the episodes came weekly. Other shows like WandaVision, Hawkeye, and Daredevil: Born Again also had their first two episodes premiere on the same day.
Ironheart will mark Dominique Thorne's return to the MCU as Riri Williams following her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, taking her story to her Chicago roots. Alongside Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, and Alden Ehrenreich, she will find herself taking on a force unlike anything she's ever seen, with magic and the supernatural involved. Ironheart's first three episodes will debut on Disney+ on June 24.
Explaining Marvel's Decision for Ironheart Release on Disney+
No Disney+ show has faced more delays to its release than Ironheart, which was first announced over four years ago for development. On that same note, its first trailer was not released until 42 days before its Disney+ debut, which broke the record for the shortest time for a trailer to be released ahead of an MCU streaming project.
Apart from a round of dislike-bombing from fans after that trailer's arrival, Ironheart's issues have been no small story, with filming for the show having been completed since late 2022. Even considering how popular Ironheart became after her debut in Black Panther 2, the sheer length of time since her last appearance has fans weary about her solo series not being up to the MCU standard.
This three-episode premiere could be a way for Marvel to get the show out a quickly as possible if the studio is not feeling confident in the final product. Additionally, it gives the MCU plenty of time between the end of Ironheart and the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is expected to be the biggest MCU project of the year.
However everything plays out, the hope is that this release schedule will give Ironheart the best chance at success after years of problems behind the scenes.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
