Is Marvel Planning a Major Revolution via Disney Plus?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is experiencing a decline, particularly after Endgame. Even well-received films have been affected by this fatigue. Audiences are now considering alternatives. This issue is even more pronounced on the small screen, as Marvel has faced challenges with their streaming content. However, with the second season of Loki, Marvel seems to be making a comeback. This series stands out from others with its unconventional presentation and unique humor. Previous Marvel TV shows have faced criticism, but Secret Invasion has a high bar to meet.

Marvel's decision to end limited series

The limited series format has been the focus of Marvel's small-screen strategy since Disney Plus took over streaming. Unlike their Netflix offerings, which followed traditional drama show formats with multiple seasons and showrunners, shows like WandaVision, Loki, and Moon Knight resemble elongated movies adapted to fit specific runtime requirements. While some of these stories are better suited for this format than others, Disney has several intriguing corporate motives for creating these shows. Some posit that it is to retain subscribers to Disney Plus, while others argue it is a way to avoid paying royalties to writers and performers. However, with the recent unionization of their VFX workers, changes will need to be made. The shows have also experienced unusual viewership trends, with Loki having the highest-rated premiere in the franchise, garnering 2.5 million viewers, according to reliable metrics gathered by the German data visualization site Statista up until July.

Moon Knight and Falcon and the Winter Soldier tie for second with 1.8 million.

WandaVision brings in 1.6 million.

Hawkeye and She-Hulk earned around 1.5 million.

Secret Invasion fell under a million with 990,000.

Ms. Marvel was the clear loser, with only 780,000 views.

Multi-season shows could work much better

The viewership numbers indicate several trends, with a notable one being that the newer shows performed comparatively worse than the initial batch. Except for Moon Knight, which benefited from the star power of Oscar Isaac, the most-watched series are the earlier ones. Loki came third among the Marvel shows on Disney Plus, followed by Falcon in second place, and WandaVision as the first. On the other hand, Secret Invasion, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel are more recent additions, released after fans had a chance to tire of the format. The Statista piece came out last summer, prior to the release of Loki's second season. All the mentioned shows so far have only one season. The second season premiere of Loki garnered a staggering 10.9 million views, delivering a clear message. When a series successfully establishes itself with a beloved first season, the anticipation of future installments captivates viewers. It's easy for interest to wane in a series that is likely to conclude after just eight episodes. Conversely, a well-received first season guarantees a significant boost in viewership for its sequel. Instead of attempting to bury poorly received shows, Disney should bravely allow these stories the time to find their footing and further explore their narrative universe.

Marvel should copy the old Netflix model

Marvel spent the years from 2015 to 2018 creating the Defenders universe on Netflix. Their series featuring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage garnered mixed reviews, but the fans still eagerly await the return of certain beloved characters. However, bringing back Daredevil poses a challenge, as the limited series format is not suitable for the show's success. Daredevil thrives when given multiple seasons to develop its storylines. While the first season was enjoyable, the subsequent seasons greatly improved as the show found its stride. This issue extends beyond Marvel's productions, as many streaming TV shows are canceled before finding their footing or waste their promising ideas. To truly gauge the potential of a show, it is necessary to let its narrative unfold and evolve. Marvel's decision to move towards building multi-season story arcs with the help of showrunners is a positive step in the right direction. The approach of treating TV shows like extended movies has proven ineffective and it is time to abandon this strategy. Fans are ecstatic about Marvel's change in direction and the return to a format that has previously yielded successful results. The future Disney Plus shows hold great promise, even if they are simply returning to the method that should have been employed from the start.

Editor's P/S

Marvel's decision to shift their storytelling strategy by embracing multi-season TV shows for Disney Plus is a bold move that has the potential to revolutionize the superhero genre. By moving away from the limited series format, Marvel can create more complex and interconnected stories that will keep fans engaged for longer periods of time. This is a welcome change, as many of Marvel's recent TV shows have felt rushed and unsatisfying.

The success of Loki's second season, which garnered a staggering 10.9 million views, demonstrates the potential of this new approach. When a series successfully establishes itself with a beloved first season, the anticipation of future installments captivates viewers. It's easy for interest to wane in a series that is likely to conclude after just eight episodes. Conversely, a well-received first season guarantees a significant boost in viewership for its sequel.