Armor Wars' Movie News Hints Disney+ Is Fixing Its MCU Formula Problem

Armor Wars will now be a movie instead of a show, and that could indicate a change in the MCU’s Disney+ strategy. Taking many by surprise, THR reported that Armor Wars starring Don Cheadle is being reworked as a movie for a theatrical release. Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce the Armor Wars movie, which would make it the first MCU project to be changed from a Disney+ series to a theatrical feature film.

Armor Wars is set to be War Machine’s first solo adventure in the MCU. Introduced in the very first MCU film Iron Man (2008), James Rhodes was originally played by Terrence Howard. After a paying dispute led to Howard not returning for the sequel, Don Cheadle was cast as James Rhodes in Iron Man 2. Cheadle reprised his role as War Machine in Iron Man 3, every Avengers movie other than the first one, Captain America: Civil War, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Don Cheadle had expressed interest in better developing Rhodes as a character, especially after Avengers: Endgame. That opportunity arrived in the form of Armor Wars, a Disney+ MCU series that would draw inspiration from the homonymous comic but would mainly be an original story. With Armor Wars now becoming a movie, Marvel proves that it is willing to break its Disney+ formula if the story asks for it – which is great news for the rest of the Multiverse Saga and for the future of the franchise as a whole. Not every story can work in a limited series format, as proved by flaws that productions such as WandaVision and Hawkeye have shown. This new approach suggests that the MCU is displaying hitherto unseen flexibility, boding well for the rest of the franchise.

Why Is Armor Wars Becoming A Movie?

In the original THR report that broke the news of the Armor Wars movie, it is stated that Marvel Studios was “committed to getting the story told the right away” and realized after a long process that the project would work better as a feature film rather than a TV show. The Armor Wars development process began in December 2020 when Marvel announced that Don Cheadle would return as War Machine in a Disney+ show inspired by the comic book arc Armor Wars. Not much was heard about Armor Wars until August 2021 when Yassi Lester joined the project as the show’s head writer. Still, almost two years after the original Armor Wars announcement, the show had yet to start shooting.

The news that Armor Wars will now be a show instead of a Disney+ series comes as a surprise considering that Marvel had just confirmed the show at D23 2022. While Don Cheadle was not on stage, Kevin Feige revealed a brand new Armor Wars logo and described the project as a six-episode series. Three weeks later, Marvel is now reportedly keen on an Armor Wars movie rather than a show. Yassi Lester remains attached to the project as the head writer, but neither a director nor a release date has been announced. Considering how Armor Wars was not part of Marvel’s Phase 5 slate revealed at D23, an Armor Wars movie would likely be part of Phase 6.

Marvel’s Disney+ Strategy Is Flawed

Moon Knight atop a building looking down.

The fact that Armor Wars was turned into a feature film in order for the creatives involved to get the story right proposes a reflection on Marvel’s Disney strategy. With the MCU having to “start from starch” after Avengers: Endgame concluded the Infinity Saga, the Disney+ platform offered a great opportunity for Marvel to introduce new characters or better develop those who had survived Endgame and would still play a part in the future of the franchise. The Disney+ platform also meant that Marvel Studios could be more experimental with the MCU, as it is easier to combine genres and bend tropes in a streaming format than it is on the big screen. Disney’s streaming service also allows the MCU to keep expanding without creating a “Marvel movie fatigue”, as the TV shows would add a breath of fresh air into the franchise.

However, almost two years after Marvel’s first Disney+ series WandaVision, almost every MCU show has had problems with pacing, structure, and story. Those problems come from the fact that Marvel’s Disney+ productions are not a movie but are also not traditional serialized TV – they are something in between. Most of the MCU Disney+ series like WandaVision, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel have had a six-episode run, which Kevin Feige and the creators involved would often refer to as a “six-hour movie”. While that approach may seem exciting, it leads to an unusual pace that doesn’t resemble that of an actual MCU movie but that also doesn’t resemble a traditional, serialized story. That leads to a lot of the MCU series feeling too long to be a movie but too short to be a satisfying show, a problem that has extended from WandaVision to Ms. Marvel.

An Armor Was Movie Avoids Repeating Marvel’s Disney+ Formula

Reshaping the Armor Wars show into a movie can avoid that a promising story ends up not achieving its true potential. After six MCU Disney+ productions followed the six-episode format, the Armor Wars show risked becoming as predictable as recent Marvel shows. An upgraded suit towards the end of the show, a shocking villain twist midway through the season, and an action-packed battle in the season finale are tropes that can be found in almost every Marvel Phase 4 series. In theory, WandaVision should not have the same story beats as Hawkeye, yet the limitations of the six-episode format have made the MCU shows too much like each other.

A few Marvel shows have not followed this formula, which made them feel at least more unpredictable. For example, while Loki did feature many of the most common tropes in another six-episode run, the show is confirmed to have a follow-up second season and didn’t try to resolve every conflict in a rushed finale. Another example is What If…?, an animated anthology series that surprised a lot of viewers when all of the stories converged into one season finale. Still, having Armor Wars as a movie guarantees that it will not repeat many of the most egregious Marvel Disney+ show mistakes.

The Armor Wars Movie Can Set A Great Precedent For The MCU

War Machine pointing his weapons at something off-screen.

Even if Armor Wars’ change from a Disney+ show into a movie applies to this situation only and doesn’t affect future MCU projects, it is at least good to know that Marvel Studios is willing to deviate from an original plan if the story asks for it. The Disney+ platform is a great tool for Marvel Studios to expand the MCU and move the saga faster, but a six-episode event series will not work for every character or story. Hopefully, Armor Wars becoming a movie will lead the MCU to better consider which projects should be a series and which should go to the big screen. Not only that, but it will hopefully lead the MCU not to be so strict when it comes to the format of the Disney+ shows.

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