There was a time when it seemed Marvel Studios couldn’t fail even if it tried. Everything it was releasing at the cinemas was box office gold and dominated cultural conversation.
Kids wore Iron Man costumes to Halloween parties and Book Week, or just on a regular Tuesday, and Marvel movies came in to stand for progressive values, even if those values were corporate and military friendly.
Fifteen years on and the behemoth that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe is buckling under the weight of its ambitions and heaving output.
Head honcho Kevin Feige in February even acknowledged that each release needed more clear air and that the breakneck premiere schedule will slow down.
Feige specifically called out Marvel’s shows on Disney+, “The pace at which we’re putting out the Disney+ shows will change so they can each get a chance to shine”.
When Marvel’s previously separate TV division was absorbed into Marvel Studios in late 2019, it ushered in a new era for its small-screen work.
The TV projects were a hodge-podge of broadcast and streaming (under deals with Netflix and Hulu) titles, but the new regime would all come under parent company Disney’s new streaming platform, Disney+.
And they would all be directly associated with the movies so that characters and events on screens big and small all existed in the same narrative universe.
Starting in January 2021 with WandaVision, Marvel Studios released a new streaming series every few months. That first year it debuted five titles which also included The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…? and Hawkeye.
In 2021 and 2022, between the streaming series and movies, Marvel released 15 new projects. That’s a lot for even the most dedicated fans, let alone a casual viewer. Fatigue had set in.
Six Marvel shows were originally slated to debut on Disney+ in 2023.
Camera IconFifteen years on and the behemoth that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe is buckling under the weight of its ambitions and heaving output. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconSix Marvel shows were originally slated to debut on Disney+ in 2023. Credit: Supplied
Now, it’s only two, the not-very-well received Secret Invasion and Loki season two.
The slowdown will give the studio a chance to reset its streaming division, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is exactly what’s going on.
The industry trade publication reported today Marvel TV is overhauling its approach to making TV shows so that it would resemble a more traditional process. It’s an acknowledgment that things were not all hunky dory.
THR said after the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again production was paused in June due to strike action, Marvel executives used the opportunity to review the episodes it had already filmed (fewer than half of its 18-episode order) and concluded it wasn’t on track.
In September, it parted ways with head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman, as well as the directors it had hired for the rest of the season.
A significant rejig of the show is on the cards with the studio looking for new writers and directors to finish the project.
Actor Vincent D’Onofrio, who is set to reprise his role of Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in Daredevil: Born Again, downplayed the upheaval on social media today.
He wrote: “Every cool project I’ve been involved with has evolved constantly during pre-production, production and post (-production). It’s just reported on these days as if it’s big news. It’s not. It’s a bunch of creatives doing their best to get it right.
Camera IconIn the traditional Hollywood system, TV and streaming shows are overseen by writers. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconBut on Marvel TV shows, there are no traditional showrunners, and production is led by a studio executive drawn from its movie business and the head writers are often not even involved in the post-production process. Credit: Supplied
“It’s a constant in this business. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Frankly, I’d be worried if we were settling for less.
“We are going to bring forward the best series we can. One we can be proud of. Have some trust, my friend, trust.”
However, according to THR, the Daredevil troubles are merely one part of the wider issues with how Marvel has been making its streaming shows.
In the traditional Hollywood system, TV and streaming shows are overseen by writers.
Generally, there will be a head writer, called the showrunner, who is in charge of most aspects of production, and directors come on for one or more episodes and work to realise the writers’ vision.
Think of powerful TV showrunners such as Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes or Michael Schur. This is in contrast to how movies are run, which is led by the director.
But on Marvel TV shows, there are no traditional showrunners, and production is led by a studio executive drawn from its movie business and the head writers are often not even involved in the post-production process.
Camera IconMarvel has signalled its willingness to kowtow to more traditional approaches to TV-making. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconThe lane change could be a great thing for fans who have shown a loyalty to 15 years of Marvel movies and had been hopeful its streaming output would be equally enthralling. Credit: Supplied
While it’s had great success with its executive-led approach on the film side, exporting people with theatrical experience and little TV know-how, has added to the perception its TV division is off-track.
The June release of the Samuel L. Jackson series Secret Invasion underwhelmed both critics and fans, and was saddled with the worst Rotten Tomatoes score (54 per cent) of the Disney+ series so far.
It also failed to generate much cultural buzz.
According to THR, Secret Invasion was plagued by behind-the-scenes drama. First, its original writer Kyle Bradstreet (Mr. Robot) was fired when the studio decided on a different direction.
Then, it hired new writers who had a string of TV experience between them. But by the time pre-production rolled around in mid-2022, THR wrote production was “debilitated” as “factions became entrenched, and leaders vied for supremacy”.
Multiple people in the creative team were eventually replaced.
Marvel has signalled its willingness to kowtow to more traditional approaches to TV-making.
Brad Winderbaum, a long-time Marvel movie producer now in charge of its streaming, TV and animation branch, told THR, “We’re trying to marry the Marvel culture with the traditional television culture.
It comes down to, ‘How can we tell stories in television that honour what’s so great about the source material?
“(Showrunners) is a term we’ve not only grown comfortable with but also learned to embrace.”
He also signalled the studio will be putting in charge people with more TV experience, “We need executives that are dedicated to this medium, that are going to focus on streaming, focus on television, because they are two different forms.”
The lane change could be a great thing for fans who have shown a loyalty to 15 years of Marvel movies and had been hopeful its streaming output would be equally enthralling.
At the very least, it looks like the retooling of Daredevil: Born Again is designed to meet the sky-high expectations of fans who not only love the character in print but also the 2015 Netflix series which this new iteration is rebirthing.
As for the future of Marvel streaming series, there are still many more to come, including Echo, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, Ironheart and more. And they will look more like traditional, serialised TV.
There was a time when it seemed Marvel Studios couldn’t fail even if it tried. Everything it was releasing at the cinemas was box office gold and dominated cultural conversation. Read More