Credit: Marvel StudiosIs less content from Marvel Studios coming?
Not long ago, Disney and Marvel Studios announced an almost staggering amount of content that was coming down the line. Much of this content was to be released this year, including many streaming series like those that audiences have already seen on Disney+. Then, things changed: leadership at Disney changed dramatically, Marvel Studios’ leadership has changed, and now, things for many streaming services look a little bleak.
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Originally, fans were expecting a huge slate of upcoming series, including Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Secret Invasion, Echo, Loki Season 2, Ironheart, X-Men ’97, and What If…? Season 2. A massive offering from the studio, including talent from the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, amazing writers, directors, and more. It seemed, for a while, like it was a very good time to be a Marvel fan! That hope was apparently short-lived.
Recently, many of these series have changed their release dates from 2023 or even early 2023 to “Coming Soon,” giving the studio a bit more flexibility on when to release each series. This could be in response to the poorly received Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), or it could be, as stated before, a refocus on quality over quantity, but in either case, it means less content in the immediate future…but how much less?
The Direct recently reported on a release from Variety which may shed some light on how many of these series fans can expect in 2023. According to the report, fans can only expect three or four of the original series planned to hit Disney+ this year, though there is still no clarification as to when this year that might be. So, which are likely to air this year?
There are certainly many possibilities, but if narrowed down to three, the most likely would have to be Secret Invasion, Loki, and What If…? Though some insiders have speculated later releases for each of these installments, there are many factors that make each likely to debut this year as opposed to the next.
Secret Invasion already has a trailer out, which means that much of the principal photography is already done. More and more details have been released about the Samuel L. Jackson-headed series, focusing on his character, Nick Fury, facing down an infiltration of Skrulls. Though it is marked as “coming soon,” it’s very likely that soon means 2023.
Loki Season 2 would also make plenty of sense, given that it not only is highly anticipated by fans but was also set up by Quantumania to rave reviews. It will also be a much more integral part of the franchise moving forward, as the new main villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), is sure to be the chief villain.
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Lastly, What If…? Season 2 is very likely to be released sooner rather than later, simply due to the sheer amount of merchandise that has been released from the series. Fans already have glimpses at many characters and variants of characters for the upcoming season, and it would be irresponsible to let that sort of tease wither on the vine while fans wait for years for the payoff. Of course, at this point, it’s all speculation, and any one of these series could hit Disney+ sooner or later than expected.
What series do you think will premiere on Disney+ in 2023? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!