Marvel On Disney+: Everything We Learned About The MCU
Original shows, animated series, and Phase 4 of the MCU
The Netflix arm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be a thing of the past (RIP Daredevil, gone too soon), but that doesn't mean Disney plans on stopping the release of original TV content for very long--a task that just got a whole lot easier thanks to Disney+, its upcoming direct-to-consumer app.
We've known for a while that Disney+ is coming and that it would boast a slate of some pretty high profile MCU television, but at the Disney Investors presentation, Marvel Studios' own Kevin Feige took the stage to give us a look at just what that means, as well as present us with the first concrete details of what these shows will be all about. That includes some shows that had previously been confirmed or at least rumored, including those starring Loki, Vision and Scarlet Witch, and Winter Soldier and Falcon.
Luckily, we also got a launch date and a price point for the platform--and it's coming in cheaper than expected, at only $7 per month or $70 per year in the US, where it will be available first. Disney+ will be available there starting on November 12.
With so much coming, expect the news output about your favorite MCU characters and their jump from big to small screens to only get more intense. Consider it something to look forward to after Endgame inevitably emotionally demolishes us all, which will arrive on Disney+ in December. Below, you'll find a roundup of everything we learned about Marvel's efforts on Disney+.
Your favorite (and least favorite) MCU movies will be available
In addition to new original content, Disney+ will be the official home of a whole bunch of MCU movies of days gone by--including Captain Marvel, Thor: Ragnarok, and Black Panther. Also, Thor: The Dark World, for some reason, got a special call out as a launch title. Hey, someone has to love it!
While this means the other streaming services with MCU content will have to remove their titles, Disney+ also offers an unlimited and permanent download feature for all content as long as the subscription is active, so, silver linings.
There are 7 shows confirmed so far
So far, Falcon & Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Hawkeye, What If…?, Marvel 616, Heroes Project, and Loki have all been confirmed for the service--with more, likely, on the way.
These shows will be in MCU continuity
Disney+'s original MCU content will be in the larger MCU canon--no more having to reconcile the Netflix MCU with the big screen MCU and so on. All of these stories are part of the same cinematic universe you see in the theater.
And they'll all be "MCU quality"
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige assured investors that the shows would all be of the same quality that the MCU displays in theatrical releases--so expect some big budget visual effects and fight scenes, if nothing else.
Some will "continue storylines," others will be totally original
Just to really drive home the whole "in canon" theme here, some of the original shows will actually be picking up storylines and plots from the movies and running with them. Others will be completely original, exploring areas of the MCU we've never seen.
Big screen actors will be reprising their roles
So far we have confirmation that Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, and Sebastian Stan will all be returning to reprise their characters in their respective original shows--and with any luck, that list will keep growing as more information trickles out.
WandaVision will be "unexpected"
Investors were shown concept art of "WandaVision," the original show focusing on Wanda Maximoff and Vision--but it was not shared with the live stream. Feige, however, added some color commentary, joking with attendees that they should "try and figure out what's going on there" based on the image, and impressed that the show will be extremely unexpected thanks to the creative freedom afforded to Marvel by Disney+.
Who wants to bet that Wanda and Vision are going to get fused together into one creature in some sort of horrible Infinity Stone accident?
Stories from the shows will go on to inform future movies
Original content will not only be informed by the big screen MCU, it will also influence future MCU movies down the line. According to Feige, the marriage between show and film is going to be pretty integral to the future.
Falcon & Winter Soldier is definitely happening
Falcon & Winter Soldier was rumored way back in December, but we've got a real confirmation--and a logo--now to bank on. Feige teased that the show will involve Sam and Bucky being "forced" to team up for reasons unknown.
New animated series: What If…?
Not all of the original MCU content on Disney+ will be live action. What If…?, a series loosely based on the comics of the same name, will take a playful, animated approach to various points in MCU history, zeroing in on alternate outcomes for major moments. Feige teased that the first episode will feature a What If story about Peggy Carter being given the super serum and scrawny Steve Rogers going to war in a robotic suit made for him by Howard Stark.
MCU stars will be lending their voices to What If
No specific names were given, but Feige confirmed that MCU stars will voice their characters for the What If animated episodes--so maybe Chris Evans will be sticking with the MCU after all, if only as a cartoon.
New unscripted series: Marvel 616 and Heroes Project
Two more MCU projects for Disney+ will focus on the behind-the-scenes, unscripted content amassed over the last decade of movie-making. Details about what exactly will be the focus of both Marvel 616 and Heroes Project were pretty limited, but Feige assured investors that there are hundreds of hours of behind-the-scenes footage being put to use.
New details: Loki
We've known about the Loki TV show for a while, but this is the first time we've gotten anything directly from the horses' mouth. Yes, Tom Hiddleston will be back, and yes it will be in continuity--though how or to what end is a mystery. Feige teased that Loki's adventures in the show may not focus on Earth, but take him through the nine realms for all manner of mischief--he has "a lot of stories to tell" and they can "only be done in a long-form format."
Disney+ will directly affect Phase 4
Feige teased that the future of the MCU in the post-Endgame world will be extremely reliant on the content put out on Disney+ and that the landscape will look wildly different than what we've come to expect over the last 10 years. What this actually means is still a mystery, but it seems like this streaming service is going to be pretty crucial to whatever happens when the dust (pun intended) settles in the battle with Thanos, for better or for worse.