Disney's Streaming Shows Will Be Made By Marvel Studios, Not Marvel TV
But the new shows are different. According to first reports, these series will be produced by Marvel Studios, with Kevin Feige himself overseeing their development. Some will introduce new characters, while others will see movie stars like Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen reprise their roles. What's more, they'll also command studio-level budgets.
The budget makes sense. Streaming services have always tended to put content above cost. Netflix, for example, spends a whopping $130 million per season for The Crown, making it the most expensive TV series in history. Disney wants their new streaming service to compete directly with Netflix, meaning they need to aim for a similar quality of production. Given that's the case, it's no surprise that the Disney Play shows confirmed so far have staggering budgets; Jon Favreau's upcoming Star Wars series is expected to cost $100 million.
But here's the catch; as far as the average viewer is concerned, these are all just Marvel TV shows. Audiences will naturally compare and contrast the Marvel Studios productions with the Marvel Television ones. They'll notice the very different quality in terms of production levels, and they'll pick up on the fact that some series feature movie actors, while others don't. Marvel Studios will produce a TV show in which Elizabeth Olsen uses her telekinesis to toss enemies around with ease; Marvel Television couldn't afford a scene in which Finn Jones's Iron Fist confronted a CGI dragon.
Related: When Are Marvel's Other Netflix Shows Returning?
This Makes Marvel Television Third Tier Instead of Second
This dramatically reshapes the MCU's approach to canon. No longer do we have a two-tier system; now it will be a three-tier one, with current Marvel Television at the bottom.
The top tier will still be the movies, and they'll surely remain self-contained, with minimal impact on the movies. After all, Marvel's logic - that most viewers will only watch the films, and won't tune in to the TV series - will still hold true. Disney may be willing to pay for some tremendously expensive shows to launch on their new streaming service, but they're not going to risk damaging the films as well by adding another layer of complexity to their continuity.
The new Marvel Studios shows, then, will be second-tier in terms of their canonicity. They'll be tie-ins and spinoffs from the films in the truest sense of the word, exploring the characters and concepts that have been introduced through the movies, and adding new depth to the shared universe. They could tell Loki's backstory, or explore Wakanda with Shuri; they could reveal just what happened to Black Widow and Hawkeye in Budapest, or show Falcon on a mission against the Ten Rings. Marvel Studios may even choose to introduce new characters into the MCU through these shows; perhaps that's how we'll meet Kamala Khan, or Richard Rider's Nova. But, per the initial report, they won't feature the main Avengers.
And then there'll be Marvel Television, relegated to the fringes of the MCU, with lower production levels and starring characters who will never be seen on the big screen. Their new heroes will essentially be the dregs, passed up by Marvel Studios for both film and TV development. There's simply no getting around the facts; Marvel Television will be the third tier of the MCU's story, far removed from the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
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While Marvel fans were understandably thrilled when they first heard of these new Marvel Studios TV shows, anyone hoping the likes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, or anyone on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would ever make their way onto the big screen can kiss those dreams goodbye. The only shows Marvel Studios is going to care about are the ones they're producing.
More: A Complete History Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Captain Marvel (2019)Release date: Mar 08, 2019
- The Avengers 4 / Avengers: Endgame (2019)Release date: Apr 26, 2019
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)Release date: Jul 02, 2019