The expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe onto the small screen by way of Disney+ is an exciting storytelling opportunity. With Marvel Studios running point on these TV shows, there’s a chance to expand the overall MCU story withlongform tangentsthat can spend six episodes really digging into one or two characters, versus the limited screentime one might get in anAvengersmovie. Case in point,WandaVisionseems poised to give us our deepest dive yet into the character of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), which will only increase the depth of her character when she returns to the big screen in the feature film sequelDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Marvel is developingat least 10 brand new TV showsto debut on Disney+, and they’re a mix of spinoffs featuring characters we already know and love (e.g.LokiandThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and launching pads for characters we’ve never met before (e.g.Ms. MarvelandShe-Hulk). Instead of squeezing in an awkward cameo inIron Man 2or anAvengersmovie, Marvel can now take an entire season to introduce audiences to a new MCU character, with the opportunity then for that character to segue into the big screen MCU.
That’s the plan for Ms. Marvel, who will first be introduced via aMs. MarvelDisney+ series before co-starring withBrie Larsonin the big-screen sequelCaptain Marvel 2. So with so many different Marvel shows in development, how does Marvel decide which characters get a Disney+ show and which ones debut on the big screen?
Collider’s own Steve Weintraub asked Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigeexactly this during the press day for the new Marvel seriesWandaVision, and he unsurprisingly noted that it all comes down to the individual stories:
“It really is about the individual stories you want to tell and a bit informed by the bigger picture. We knew that we wanted to introduce Ms. Marvel first and her family and all of her great supporting characters and her origin in a Disney+ long-form series, and then bring her into Captain Marvel 2. There will be some times where the opposite happens. The character is introduced in a movie and brought onto a Disney+ series. So, it really just varies based on the story or the genre that we want to explore.”
Genre is a big factor as well, and I’m excited to see how Marvel uses the television space to really dig into specific storytelling devices. They’re certainly not lacking for material as they’ve already announced a flurry of upcoming shows, with more on the way.
Look for more from ourWandaVisioninterviews on Collider ahead of the show’s debut on Friday, January 15th. And be sure to check out what Feige told us aboutDeadpool 3and their plans for theSecret InvasionDisney+ seriesstarringSamuel L. JacksonandBen Mendelsohn.
