Unveiling the Top Glitches That Hindered the Success of MCU's TV Shows
The MCU's TV shows struggle with missed opportunities, disconnected narratives, messy productions, weak showrunners, unfulfilled promises, overhyped reveals, unresolved storylines, and an overreliance on the Infinity Saga
Summary
MCU TV shows have suffered from poor reception and low viewership due to major mistakes made by Marvel, hindering their success in the world of television.
Several MCU TV shows would have been improved if they were made into movies. They often seem like elongated versions of their cinematic counterparts, lacking impactful endings and larger financial resources.
Certain MCU TV shows do not directly connect to the broader MCU, resulting in fewer viewers and an absence of storytelling closure. Additionally, some fail to fully utilize their distinctive concepts.
The MCU's TV shows have been received poorly, below expectations, due to significant mistakes made by Marvel. These shows have suffered significant losses in viewership and received tragic reviews. While some shows are worse than others, every show has made mistakes during Marvel's venture into the TV world.
It is important to remember that Marvel TV shows did not start with WandaVision, even though it was meant to launch a new era of MCU properties. Unfortunately, the MCU TV shows on Disney+ are mostly behind their big-screen counterparts in terms of quality and reliability. However, there is hope for improvement. By examining the past mistakes, it becomes easier to see how future MCU TV installments have addressed these issues.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
10 Most MCU TV Shows Don't Take Big Risks
The MCU's foray into gothic horror in Werewolf By Night showcased the studio's ability to break away from the traditional superhero formula. While action-packed films have their place on the big screen, the freedom of TV shows allows for more experimentation. By exploring different genres, the MCU can bring fresh ideas while introducing lesser-known characters like Werewolf By Night and Man-Thing from the source materials. Unfortunately, Marvel tends to lean towards mini-series that may be better suited for a different medium.
9 Some MCU Shows Would Have Been Better Movies
MCU TV shows have faced criticism for being labeled as "6-hour movies," which implies that it becomes challenging to distinguish these miniseries from their corresponding films, other than the fact that they are spread across multiple episodes. One of the numerous criticisms aimed at Secret Invasion involves its prolonged portrayal of an iconic comic book story, which would have been better suited for a movie adaptation. Having a larger budget, additional main characters, and a conclusion that has a significant impact on the wider MCU would have created a game-changing experience for Secret Invasion. However, instead, the series concludes with Fury's return to space just in time for The Marvels, without delivering a satisfying resolution to the presence of Skrulls on Earth.
8 Some MCU TV Shows Don't Directly Tie Into The MCU
Marvel has been facing a challenge in terms of viewership for recent TV shows, excluding She-Hulk and, of course, Loki. One possible reason for this is that many Marvel TV shows can be overlooked without any significant consequences of missing out. While this approach may be a healthier way of integrating the TV and Movie universes, it also puts more pressure on TV shows to wrap up narrative threads completely, as seen in Secret Invasion. Consequently, even though Moon Knight is considered one of the MCU's finest TV shows, casual viewers are less likely to tune in.
7 MCU TV Shows Have Notoriously Messy Productions
Even though the production of a show may encounter difficulties, it does not necessarily result in a poor outcome. Despite She-Hulk facing various creative influences from different directors and writers, it ultimately excelled in terms of quality. However, in most cases, it is advisable to avoid such risks. Secret Invasion serves as a prime example of the negative impact that a chaotic production can have. Its troubles during the pre-production phase only contributed to the final product feeling rushed, disjointed, and overall disappointing.
6 MCU TV Shows Don't Hire Showrunners
To address the aforementioned issue, Marvel has taken a new approach to producing TV shows. In a strategic move, they have decided to prioritize the involvement of showrunners, who play a crucial role in maintaining the creative direction of a show throughout its episodes. In line with this, Marvel has officially announced that Daredevil: Born Again will be the first MCU TV show to embrace the use of showrunners. This decision aims to prevent the turmoil caused by frequent writer and director changes, which had adversely affected certain MCU TV shows like She-Hulk in the past.
5 Some MCU TV Shows Don't Capitalize On Their Premise
What if...? had complete creative control over the Marvel properties - and it largely utilized that freedom effectively - particularly in its portrayal of the heroic Thanos. Despite this, there were certain episodes that seemed to fall short of their potential, like What if...Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark, which might have been better suited as an exploration of What if...Killmonger Won. Secret Invasion, once again, failed to fulfill its initial premise, reducing the supposed "invasion" to a mere conflict between a Skrull dictator and Nick Fury before abruptly resolving the entire situation.
4 Some MCU Shows Don't Deliver On Teases
One of the major flaws in WandaVision was how Marvel deceived viewers with various demonic references, only to ultimately exclude Mephisto from the storyline. Although these hints were likely deliberate and meant to set up a future revelation, it left a negative impression that overshadowed the overall quality of the show. Given Marvel's reputation for incorporating Easter eggs, they cannot claim ignorance when the audience responds unfavorably to their bait-and-switch tactics. Conversely, this issue can also arise in other TV shows.
3 Some MCU TV Shows Over-Signpost Big Reveals
2 Some TV Shows Have Been Left In Limbo
Kingpin's anticipated entrance into Hawkeye was met with minimal surprise, as the buildup had been substantial. Similarly, Sharon Carter's appearance on-screen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier confirmed her as the Power Broker, leaving little room for speculation. Conversely, the overflowing trailers for TV series like Loki have begun to inadvertently spoil significant revelations, diminishing the impact of these pivotal moments.
The canonicity of Marvel's earliest television offerings, like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Inhumans, has long been a point of debate, as Marvel has not confirmed their status definitively. However, characters from these shows have made appearances in official MCU releases, such as Black Bolt in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, leaving fans questioning the place of these Marvel TV shows within the broader universe. Their uncertain future has caused frustration, especially considering that some of them were highly successful but now seem to have been disregarded.
1 MCU TV Shows Depend Too Much On The Infinity Saga
Marvel is currently halfway through its Multiverse Saga, but surprisingly little focus has been given to the imminent danger posed by the multiverse's main villain, except in Loki. Instead, the origin stories of the new lineup constantly refer back to the first three phases of the MCU and the original Avengers, without any connection to each other. The Phase 5 installments need to start merging these storylines soon, before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, in order to showcase the new characters' capability to confront a threat presumed to be even more formidable than Thanos.
