Disney and Marvel Studios will continue their plan of releasing 3-4 Marvel Cinematic Universe films a year in the future. The studio has come a long way since the release of 2008's Iron Man, the very first MCU film that also kicked off the decade-long Infinity Saga. Thanks to the Avengers Initiative, the heroes of the MCU have battled many villains over the years. In this year's Avengers: Endgame, they finally defeated the biggest one of them all, Thanos, and broke several box office records along the way. Marvel also released Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home this year, both of which became hits for the studio.

It's been a busy year for Marvel off-screen as well. Over the summer, there was a well-publicized battle with Sony over re-upping their Spider-Man deal. However, the two studios eventually came to an agreement allowing Tom Holland's Peter Parker to make at least one more MCU crossover appearance and another standalone film. More recently, several well-known directors such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola critiqued the cinematic quality of Marvel films. Scorsese originally called Marvel movies "not cinema," though he later amended his comments, saying they were a "different cinema form." This prompted MCU creatives like James Gunn, Natalie Portman, and Taika Waititi to come out in support of the franchise.

Related: Why Marvel’s Phase 3 Announcement Was More Successful Than The DCEU’s

Marvel has also made headlines for its ambitious release strategy in coming years. In a conversation with THR and several Hollywood executives, Walt Disney Studios co-chairman and chief creative officer Alan Horn discussed the number of films Marvel will release per year. Horn said: "[Marvel Studios head] Kevin Feige is working away. He will be making three or four a year." This number lines up with the Marvel films and release dates announced at both San Diego Comic-Con and the D23 Expo held over the summer. Horn also mentioned the variety of films, continuing, "And they are very different from one another, so we'll see." Next year, the studio with kick start Phase 4 of the MCU with the long-awaited Black Widow movie and The Eternals with Angelina Jolie.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Age of Ultron Red Room

Marvel's also deepening its relationship to the small screen with the launch of Disney+ next month. In addition to housing MCU films, the streaming service will feature several original Marvel series created especially for the platform. This includes The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which will follow Captain America's Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes for six episodes. Though that series premieres in 2020, others are being held for 2021 and beyond. These include Loki, WandaVision, and the animated What If...? series that will explore alternate realities in the MCU. One confirmed episode will feature Peggy Carter becoming Captain America instead of Steve Rogers.

Horn's comments shouldn't come as much of a surprise to fans, given what they already knew about Marvel's release schedule. The 3-4 films a year strategy won't really take effect until 2021, which makes sense. The studio just had a huge year, and it's smart to give viewers a breather after the conclusion of The Infinity Saga. Though it's an ambitious number of movies to make going forward, Marvel Studios has shown that it's up to the task. What's more, fans have proven that they'll continue to show up for MCU films regardless of how many are made per year.

Next: There May Be A New Marvel Studios Release Every 2 Weeks In 2021

Source: THR

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