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MCU Disney Plus: Feige’s Expanded Vision
- Michael
- Nov 12, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 7, 2020
With Marvel set to dominate the streaming market, there seems to be no sign of Kevin Feige (president of Marvel Studios) slowing down.
The MCU slate continues to grow ever larger with the introduction of integrated TV shows, positioned to star new and recurring characters. Through this, the possibilities are seemingly endless.
The Transition To Streaming
Through the recent launch of Disney Plus, we can expect to see many familiar faces popping up on our TV screens. Fan favourites are making the move to streaming, and this bodes well for the type of overlapping Feige has said will be taking place with the larger-scale movies.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (Late 2020) — Featuring the iconic pairing of Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, the eponymous characters will be leading the way with their own show.
Picking up after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the series will explore Falcon’s transition into Captain America, following Cap’s passing of the torch (or should I say shield?). Furthermore, Civil War's scheming villain, Zemo, is also marked to appear again alongside Sharon Carter.
While not my most anticipated of the lot, it will be nice to see these fantastic actors take centre stage. Zemo in particular is a character I felt was very underused, so hopefully this will give him more time to shine (with his infamous mask too!).
WandaVision (Early 2021) — Following The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, the next likely show set to hit our screens in early 2021 is none other than WandaVision. Unsurprisingly, this show features its namesake characters of Wanda Maximoff and Vision. The intricate details of the plot are still yet to be revealed, but the series is clearly taking inspiration from writer Tom King’s run on Vision. Popular with critics, this seems like a strong place to start.
The comic focuses on Vision’s creation of a robotic family, so could we see the pair’s children, Wiccan and Speed, be introduced into the MCU? With clear foundations set for a new generation of young heroes, evident with core Young Avengers members Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang already confirmed, this seems increasingly possible.
Loki (Early 2021) — As many of you will have picked up on in Endgame, Loki made a speedy escape in New York thanks to the time-hopping escapades of our starring heroes. So, what happened to Loki if he was never sent back to Asgard? That’s what this show aims to find out, with Tom Hiddleston returning yet again to play the charming on-off villain.
What If? (Mid-2021) — A surprising entry into Marvel’s announcements is an animated series exploring alternative storylines featuring established characters. Concepts that have been revealed to us include Peggy Carter taking the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers as well as T’Challa embodying the role as famous outlaw Star Lord.
While I am not sold on the animated format, I will of course be giving this a look. As a comic reader, alternate universes are not new to me, so the possibilities for great stories have been proven time and time again.
Hawkeye (Late 2021) — Now, this show not only sees everyone’s favourite archer make a reappearance but brings with it popular Young Avenger Kate Bishop. Having read Matt Fraction’s run on the character, I can’t wait to see their partnership dynamic realised in live action. Based on the logo and concept art, featuring none other than the famous 'Pizza Dog' himself, this is no doubt the inspiration for the show.
Hailee Steinfeld is currently the frontrunner to portray Bishop, so keep an eye out for confirmation in the near future as the show approaches its later 2021 release date.
Exploring New Characters
Ms Marvel (Release Date TBD) — Kamala Khan is a recent, popular hero, paving her way to success in the comics and bringing a needed sense of diversity to the medium. Marvel are capitalising on this newfound popularity through the development of her own show. While a release date is yet to be confirmed, this will be one to look out for.
She-Hulk (Release Date TBD) — Jennifer Walters, better known as She-Hulk, is the cousin to Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. Given her powers by a blood transfusion with her cousin, Walters became a hero in her own right. However, it is still unclear if this is the direction that they will be taking the character given the ambiguous issues relating to adaptation rights.
Working simultaneously as a lawyer, I can see why Marvel chose to go the TV route with her character. This presents the chance to explore both the real-life aspects of being a practitioner in the legal system as well as presenting the super heroics of her equally engaging persona.
Moon Knight (Release Date TBD) — Out of all the announced shows, this is by far the one I am most intrigued in. For years, I have been telling anyone who would listen how much I want Moon Knight to feature in the MCU, and it’s finally happening! At first, the idea of Moon Knight being confined to TV was a bit disappointing, but Feige’s recent comments all but confirming that he will make the move into cinema have me even more exhilarated to see what he has in store.
For those of you unfamiliar, Marc Spector is Moon Knight — an ex mercenary brought back to life by the Egyptian God Khonshu. With split personalities as a result of his reincarnation, the character brings to life (no pun intended) an interesting study on mental health. There is a constant idea that maybe Marc is just mentally ill, with Khonshu his mind’s response to his close encounter with death.
Hopefully Marvel go heavy on these mature themes, bringing the spotlight to real-world issues not often covered in superhero media. If they do this, Moon Knight will undoubtedly bring a fresh perspective to an increasingly crowded roster of heroes.
The Possibilities
As we look forward to a future of continuous Marvel content being beamed into our eyeballs, the possibilities look endless. Now we know they’re willing to explore areas of the Marvel Universe previously ignored in the films, speculation can run rampant. Anybody’s fan favourites from the comics could be in the works to make an appearance on both the big and small screens. I personally would love to see the Sentry adapted into a series, and a resurgence of Daredevil and his fellow Netflix compatriots would be a nice bonus too.
Given the sheer scope of content scheduled to be released in the coming years, it does pose the question of whether audiences will be able to, or even want to, keep up. I have no doubt that Feige knows what he’s doing, and I wouldn’t dare claim that this would be the end of the MCU — a brave statement I have heard uttered countless times since the universe’s inception in 2007. But I do wonder whether this could detriment the films in some way, bringing not so much an oversaturation but a lack cohesion.
Discounting my apprehensions, I commend this exciting progression to the MCU, bringing with it many more positives than negatives — at least in the short term. I look forward to checking out this content as it is doled out to us, and I urge you do the same if you have enjoyed Marvel’s catalogue of entertainment in the past.
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