The Marvel Cinematic Universe is slowly going off the rails. The franchise grew to dominate blockbuster cinema over ten years. Everything has gone downhill afterEndgame. Even good films have suffered under the weight of fatigue. Audiences see any alternative as an appealing option. The problem is more significant on the small screen. After several streaming disasters, Marvel has adopted a new standard operating procedure that could change the franchise.
Loki’s second season hasbeen hailed as a return to form for Marvel. The series was one of the best Disney Plus offerings. Its off-kilter presentation and unique comedic style set it apart from almost every other Marvel TV show. The second season’s positive reception comes after several series were slapped with negative reviews and widespread denigration.Secret Invasionis an easy act to follow.
Marvel’s decision to end limited series
Multi-season shows could work much better
The viewership numbers suggest a few trends. Most notably, newer shows performed much worse than the first batch. Aside fromMoon Knight, which had thepower of Oscar Isaacbehind it, the most-watched series are the early outings.Lokiwas the third Disney Plus Marvel show,Falconwas the second, andWandaVisionwas the first.Secret Invasion, She-Hulk,andMs. Marvelare more recent offerings, released after fans had a chance to get sick of the format. The Statista piece was released last summer beforeLokireleased its second season. All the shows mentioned have only one season.Loki’s second season premiere earned a whopping 10.9 million views. The message is unmistakable. Once a series proves itself with a beloved first outing, the promise of future follow-ups encourages viewers. It’s easy to lose interest in something likely to end with its eighth episode. Simultaneously, a celebrated first season guarantees a substantial rise in audience for the sequel. Instead of trying to sweep poorly received series under the rug, Disney should boldly grant their storiestime to find their footingand explore their world.
Marvel should copy the old Netflix model
From 2015 to 2018, Marvelbuilt theDefendersuniverseon Netflix.Daredevil,Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, andLuke Cageenjoyed multiple seasons of varying quality, eventually pushing toward a team-up vehicle. Aside fromIron Fist, those series are easily Marvel’s finest TV outings. Fans still bray for the return of Daredevil, Kingpin, and Punisher. They’ll get their wish soon, but that raises a problem.Daredevilwould not have worked under the limited series format. It only functions as a multi-season procedural. The first season ofDaredevilwas fun, but the series needed time to find its ideal circumstances. That’s why the second and third outings are so much better. This is a problem across modern streaming TV. Shows are canceled before they can find their legs. Some ideasneed a season or twoto plant all the fireworks they plan to set off. Others start strong and butcher all their good ideas. The only way to discover what the studio has on their hands is to let their stories play out. Marvel’s new direction is an unmixed good.
Tackling TV showslike long movies isan approach that has fallen flat. It’s time to give up on this strategy. Marvel’s announcement that they’ll be recruiting showrunners and building multi-season arcs was met with joy and disdain. People are as excited to see them start making TV shows like they should be made as they were disappointed to realize Marvel’s previous format wasn’t working. Why did it take themthis long to noticefans weren’t happy with the Disney Plus series? If Marvel returns to the tried and true method they used in the 2010s, their shows will almost certainly improve. Fans have a lot to look forward to in future Disney Plus shows, even if they’re only doing what should have come naturally.
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