As Marvel prepares to kick off the start of its Phase 5 slate of films and TV series with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Marvel Studios head Kevin Fiege opened up about the future of the massive superhero franchise. Most interestingly, Feige seemed to acknowledge that the MCU may have been a bit overzealous with its non-stop release of Disney+ series. He even went so far to suggest that Marvel will pull back on its streaming output.
“It is harder to hit the zeitgeist when there’s so much product out there — and so much ‘content,’ as they say, which is a word that I hate,” Feige told Entertainment Weekly. “But we want Marvel Studios and the MCU projects to really stand out and stand above. So, people will see that as we get further into Phase 5 and 6. The pace at which we’re putting out the Disney+ shows will change so they can each get a chance to shine.”
When asked if that means “spacing them out or putting out fewer shows a year,” Feige responded, “Both, I think.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, that plan may already be in motion:
In what feels like a different timeline ago, at July’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel chief Kevin Feige put the pedal to the metal when he outlined five Disney+ shows for 2023 — What If …? season two, Echo, Loki season two, Ironheart and Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Now, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Loki season two and the Samuel L. Jackson-led Secret Invasion are the only sure bets to debut this year. Even projects that wrapped months ago, such as the Hawkeye spinoff Echo and Wakanda Forever spinoff Ironheart, are unlikely to arrive in 2023 as the studio spreads out its content and tinkers in postproduction.
Of course, this decision isn’t entirely about catering to the perception that Marvel oversaturated the market. Returning Disney CEO Bob Iger is reportedly laser-focused on curtailing “extraordinarily expensive” streaming series. “We want the quality on the screen, but we have to look at what they cost us,” Iger said earlier this month, and even a powerhouse like Marvel isn’t safe from being under the microscope.
“There is going to be a level of rigor on Marvel and across the entire company,” an insider told THR. “Numbers matter now, and costs are going to be outlined and enforced.”
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)