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Marvel's New Phase 4 Slate Is Good For MCU's First Disney+ Shows
The recent delays to Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe could be good news for the Marvel Disney+ shows. Marvel Studios has spent the last eleven years dominating the big screen as the popularity of the MCU has grown across the globe. After seeing Avengers: Endgame become the highest-grossing movie of all-time, Phase 4 was announced and with that came the confirmation that Marvel Studios was moving to the small screen like never before.
As part of Disney's venture into the streaming wars, the launch of Disney+ in November 2019 established what will become a crucial part of the MCU's future. Marvel Studios announced The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, What If...?, and Hawkeye as the first batch of MCU Disney+ shows last summer. Later in the year, they confirmed that Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk shows are also in development. All of these shows will give starring roles to characters who previously only had supporting roles, or will be used to introduce heroes who will play vital roles in the MCU moving forward. This new part of the MCU will begin with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which was previously announced to start streaming on Disney+ in August 2020. However, the status of the show is one of many aspects of the MCU's future that has been affected in recent weeks by coronavirus lockdowns.
The global pandemic has dramatically changed many parts of life, and Hollywood has been significantly impacted. With theaters closed down around the world and productions on pause, the landscape of the MCU has changed as it pertains to the Phase 4 schedule. So far, the only official announcements have concerned to when MCU movies will hit theaters, leaving the status of the Disney+ shows unclear. It may come as a surprise, but there is potential for these delays to be a good thing for Marvel's Disney+ shows.
How Marvel's Phase 4 Slate Has Changed
Marvel Studios announced the Phase 4 slate at San Diego Comic-Con and D23 in 2019, but those original plans have gone through multiple changes in recent weeks. The first domino to fall was the decision to delay Black Widow from its May 2020 release and instead have it take Eternals' November 2020 date. This saw almost the entirety of Phase 4 change release dates: Eternals moved to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' February 2021 date, Shang-Chi took Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' May 2021 date, Doctor Strange 2 moved to Thor: Love and Thunder's November 2021 date, and Thor 4 claimed a February 2022 date that was previously empty. It was at this time that Marvel Studios also announced Captain Marvel 2 will arrive in July 2022.
When these changes were made, the only movies not to change release dates were Spider-Man 3 and Black Panther 2 - but Sony recently realized that Spider-Man 3 would not be done in time to hit its July 2021 date. Thanks to some cooperation with Marvel Studios and Disney, they moved Spider-Man 3 to November 2021. This resulted in Doctor Strange 2 being delayed until March 2022 and Thor 4 moving up one week to give the films some extra separation. Now the MCU has one movie coming out in 2020, three in 2021, and four (possibly five) in 2022.
Through all of these announcements, though, there has been no update on what these shifts mean for the MCU Disney+ shows. Marvel's Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige previously indicated that these shows will be necessary viewings for fans to follow future movies, with WandaVision confirmed to directly lead into Doctor Strange 2. It is reasonable to think that the movie delays will then impact when the Disney+ shows are released, but this could be avoided and instead be a blessing in disguise.
Marvel's First Disney+ Shows Could Benefit From Phase 4 Delays
The first piece of positive news for the MCU's Disney+ shows when it comes to the Phase 4 movies being delayed is their production schedules. All of Marvel's productions have been shut down due to coronavirus, and that leaves three shows that are not done filming. It has been confirmed by multiple cast members that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier still has a few weeks left to film, while WandaVision was close to finishing, and Loki had only just begun filming. Instead of potentially having to rush through the remaining production schedules, each show will have more time to finish filming and post-production once they are pushed back too.
There is also a chance that these delays could allow the MCU Disney+ shows not to be released so close to the films they possibly connect to. For instance, WandaVision originally was scheduled to begin streaming in December 2020, just six months before Doctor Strange 2 was released. This meant that the show would likely be released near the beginning of the film's marketing campaign. With WandaVision setting up the events of the sequel, that could have meant the trailers of Doctor Strange 2 would spoil aspects of how the Disney+ show ends. This leaves Disney+ subscribers with a limited window to watch the series. It is highly unlikely that Marvel will now hold off releasing WandaVision until late 2021 to be closer to Doctor Strange 2's March 2022 release date. If the series begins streaming on Disney+ early next year, people will have close to a year to watch the series before Doctor Strange 2 is released.
If this is the case, then Marvel's Disney+ shows could receive even more attention they might get otherwise. Sticking with the WandaVision/Doctor Strange 2 connection, the final episode of WandaVision will inevitably be the one that sets up the movie the most. Under the previous schedule, the finale and Doctor Strange 2's trailer might've only been separated by a couple of weeks. But, if WandaVision ends in the spring of 2021, then fans could have months to speculate how the ending sets up Doctor Strange 2 before a second of official footage is released.
Marvel's Delays Might Change Later Disney+ Shows
If Marvel does begin releasing their Disney+ shows further apart from the movies they're tied to, the question then becomes whether or not this could permanently change Marvel's production schedules. Marvel Studios has become a finely tuned machine in recent years and can crank out multiple movies a year without much trouble. But entering the TV game is a new challenge, and Marvel is now being forced to adjust their approach. Depending on production schedules, releasing these shows earlier could even help prevent spoilers from leaking. However, Marvel has so far only seen three of their seven live-action Disney+ shows impacted by the coronavirus delays and shutdowns. It remains to be seen how or if Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk will be affected.
It also is not known how each of those shows could be tied to upcoming MCU movies. With Ms. Marvel likely setting up Captain Marvel 2, will the show be held until 2022 or release as previously rumored in 2021? After all, these shows won't just potentially set up movies but very well will also deal with the fallout of previous ones. For instance, Kevin Feige confirmed Loki ties into Doctor Strange 2, and the show originally was scheduled to release after the film. Now that the sequel is delayed almost a full year, Tom Hiddleston's Disney+ series might not come out until spring/summer 2022 if it builds off something that happens in the multiverse.
At this time, it is too early to tell precisely how the Marvel's Disney+ strategy will be changed in the years to come, but there could be pros and cons to potential changes. Most of the positive outcomes might only pertain to the earlier shows that they have planned, while the later series' might be delayed along with the MCU movies.
Black Widow (2020)
Release Date: Nov 06, 2020
Eternals (2021)
Release Date: Feb 12, 2021
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)
Release Date: May 07, 2021
Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 (2021)
Release Date: Nov 05, 2021
Thor: Love And Thunder (2022)
Release Date: Feb 11, 2022
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
Release Date: Mar 25, 2022
Black Panther 2 (2022)
Release Date: May 06, 2022
Captain Marvel 2 (2022)
Release Date: Jul 08, 2022
