Kevin Feige wants to assure fans that the upcoming slate of Marvel original shows coming to the Disney+ streaming service will maintain the high level of quality established by the films. Not only that, but the new shows– ‘Falcon & Winter Soldier’, ‘WandaVision’, and ‘Loki’— will have an impact on the film universe and vice versa. In fact, Feige made sure that it was clear that these are the first TV shows from Marvel Studios, the makers of the films, to draw a distinction between them and existing shows on other platforms like ABC’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’, Hulu’s ‘Runaways’, Freeform’s ‘Cloak & Dagger’ and the various Netflix entries which were created without input from the film division and, as such, have no impact on it.
As Feige stated at the press conference:
“These shows will be on the same level of quality that you’d come to expect from Marvel Studios. They will be taking advantage of that creative freedom that Disney+ offers exploring the MCU, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with our favorite characters over multiple episodes. These will be both new and continuing stories, and one of the things we’re most excited about is that these will be major storylines set in the MCU with ramifications that will be felt both through the other Disney+ series we’re producing and our features on the big screen.”
While none of the new programs will be available when Disney+ launches in November, ‘Falcon & Winter Soldier’ will be released within the first year of the service, with ‘WandaVision’, and ‘Loki’ releasing in the second year. Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and Tom Hiddleston will return to reprise their respective roles from the movies.
There was no mention of ‘Hawkeye’, the most recently revealed series, but presumably, that’s a couple of years away from fruition.
A number of actors from the films will also lend their voices to ‘What If…?’ the first animated series from Marvel Studios, which will also be exclusively available on Disney+ within its first year. Based on various Marvel Comics series, these stories will examine the possibilities of what could have happened if certain events had played out differently.
As Feige explained:
“For instance, our first episode will ask the questions: what if Peggy Carter was the one who became a super soldier and what if Steve Rogers stayed a scrawny, young kid but joined the fight with an armored suit built by Howard Stark? This gives you the sense of how he plan to explore the MCU and fresh and exciting ways in the series. in addition new and returning cast members will be lending their voice to their animated counterparts.”
As Feige indicated, these stories will take place within the continuity of the MCU (or at least adjacent to it). While the existing Disney cartoons based on the Marvel characters are heavily influenced by the films, they aren’t technically in canon.
What do you think? Are these Marvel offerings enough to get you to sign up for Disney+?
Disney+ launches on November 12, 2019. Monthly subscriptions will cost $6.99, with annual subscriptions at $69.99. There are plans to offer a bundle deal for Hulu subscribers, which will also include ESPN+.
Source: iO9
