Credit: Marvel StudiosWandaVision may be over three years old, but this capsule of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has plenty more stories to tell.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is undergoing significant changes as The Walt Disney Company, led by CEO Bob Iger, aims to correct its troubled course.
In early May, Iger announced that Marvel Studios would limit its output to no more than three films and two Disney+ shows annually. This decision comes amid a creative overhaul at Marvel Studios, driven by the poor performance of several recent MCU projects across both big and small screens.
The franchise’s Phase Five opener, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), started strong with a $104 million opening weekend but quickly floundered due to negative reviews.
Meanwhile, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) performed well, netting close to $900 million globally, but other projects like Disney+’s Secret Invasion and The Marvels (2023) did not, with The Marvels becoming the worst-performing MCU movie to date.
To address various criticisms, Marvel is implementing new strategies, including the introduction of Marvel Spotlight. This strategy aims to make the MCU more accessible by allowing fans to enjoy individual stories without needing to follow the entire interconnected universe.
The first project under the Spotlight banner was January’s Echo. Destin Daniel Cretton’s Wonder Man will also be placed here.
Additionally, the just-released Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) has become a record-breaking R-rated movie, snatching over $500 million already. Shawn Levy’s movie marks the MCU debut of Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).
Amid these shifts, Marvel Studios confirmed the reboot of its solo Vision series project, initially reported in 2022 and previously titled Vision Quest.
Paul Bettany, known for his role as Vision, is set to return under the guidance of Terry Matalas, who will bring this project to Disney+ in 2026. This series marks Marvel’s first new live-action series pickup in almost two years, signaling a shift towards a traditional TV production model with dedicated showrunners.
“With Matalas coming on board, this will be Marvel’s first new live-action series pickup in almost two years, representing a significant shift in how the company produces television for Disney+,” wrote Variety in May 2024. “Originally, Marvel adopted a features model, hiring head writers to create predetermined (and, often, already announced) shows, but assigning most leadership responsibilities to the directors and creative executives.”
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Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently discussed hiring Terry Matalas, showrunner of Star Trek: Picard, to help restart development on the Vision Disney+ series.
“That’s how I got to know him,” Feige, an avid Star Trek fan, told Inverse. “It was from his amazing [work on Picard Season 3. I said: This is incredible. I don’t know how this exists. Let me find the person who made this.”
By bringing on Terry Matalas, a WGA-nominated writer recognized for his work on the Season 3 finale of Picard (“The Last Generation”), Disney is demonstrating its commitment to investing in the traditional TV production model. This move highlights the company’s dedication to quality and solid storytelling.
Meanwhile, Agatha All Along, another WandaVision spinoff, is set to premiere with a two-episode event on September 18, 2024. It will feature Kathryn Hahn reprising her role as Agatha Harkness and is set to include musical elements and deal with the Witches’ Road.
The series, which has been called an abundance of titles including Agatha: House of Harkness and Agatha: Coven of Chaos, was ultimately revealed as Agatha All Along–a reference to the twist and viral song from WandaVision.
Hahn is joined by Joe Locke from Heartstopper, who is rumored to play Billy Kaplan but is currently listed as “Teen,” Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) as Rio Vidal, and Broadway legend Patti LuPone (Beau Is Afraid) as the 450-year-old Sicilian witch Lilia Calderu.
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Including the Witches’ Road may suggest that Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff is not dead after all. The powerful Avenger was last seen destroying the Darkhold in the final act of Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
There was no mention of Vision at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, where Marvel Studios returned to Hall H. However, what took the spotlight was the reveal that Avengers 5, formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026), had been renamed Avengers: Doomsday, with the bombshell casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Doom.
Are you looking forward to seeing Vision back in the MCU? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!