When Marvel started releasing the Disney+ series that tied in with the MCU, fans were very excited. Not only did some minor characters get their time to shine, but no one thought that having more Marvel shows could be a bad thing. But as the shows began to release, some serious flaws began to emerge.
The MCU’s Disney+ series are all pretty good, but they started to cause some problems with Marvel’s overall plan. Since Phase 4 is already struggling to top Phase 3, the problems presented by the Disney+ shows only serve to weaken the phase more.
10/10 WandaVision created unrealistic expectations
WandaVision was definitely one of the most entertaining Phase 4 streaming shows. It had a unique setup and helped add depth to some MCU characters that definitely needed it. However, the inclusion of a specific character got fans excited for a crossover that never materialized.
IN WandaVisionEvan Peters apparently reprized his role as Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver from X men Movies. Even with the falsehood that this was just an actor named Ralph Bohner, many fans believed that Quicksilver’s inclusion set the stage for more X-Men to enter the MCU. Unfortunately, this was not the case and fans lost a lot of hope in Phase 4.
9/10 Wanda’s Arc didn’t cross paths between TV and film
Fans are used to MCU projects carrying stories from one to the next. When the Disney+ shows started coming out, many fans expected the same. Some viewers were disappointed when they went to watch Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and found out that Wanda’s character originated from WandaVision had been reversed.
A big part of Wanda’s arc in WandaVision she decided to let go of Vision and the children she had created with her powers. Fans believed this signaled a huge moment of growth for her, and that she was finally starting to process her grief. However, i Doctor Strange 2, Wanda was the villain and wanted the children back. There was a short mark in it WandaVision about the Darkhold, but not enough time was spent setting up how it corrupted Wanda.
8/10 The events of Loki still haven’t changed anything
When the final off Loki aired on Disney+, fans were very excited to see how the show would affect the wider MCU. Audiences had just gotten their first look at the new major threat to the Marvel Universe in the form of Kang, and he hinted that big things were coming.
Unfortunately, Loki events didn’t impact the rest of Phase 4. Having one of the first projects in Phase 4 tease such a massive threat without payoff was a pretty big letdown. It made fans wonder what impact Disney+ shows would even have on the movies going forward.
7/10 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a required viewing for several properties
As the Disney+ series are released, it seems that there is more content that Marvel fans need to see in order to understand future movies. Probably the worst case of this The Falcon and the Winter Soldierwhich seems like a prerequisite to understanding several future MCU movies.
Captain America: New World Order obviously continues the events from The Falcon and the Winter Soldierand the audience probably has to have seen the show to follow along. FATWS characters have also appeared in other projects, creating even more pressure for fans. Fans who aren’t Disney+ subscribers likely feel left out of a lot of this information and may decide to simply stop following Marvel.
6/10 Hawkeye significantly defanged the Kingpin
Marvel fans were thrilled to see Vincent D’Onofrio return as the surprise villain in the Hawkeye. However, the way his character was handled did some damage to his reputation. Kingpin from Daredevil was terrifying, and Matt Murdock’s confrontation with him built up over time. Hawkeye took a less effective approach.
Because Kingpin’s involvement in Hawkeye was kept a secret for so much of the series, there wasn’t really enough time to establish him as a threat. He was made even less terrifying when one of his brief scenes involved him losing a battle. Kingpin seemed more like an easily defeated mini-boss. Unfortunately, this may make him less creepy Daredevil: Born Again.
5/10 Moon Knight felt disconnected from the MCU
Moon Knight was a fun entry into Phase 4, but fans hoping for hints of future Marvel projects will have been sorely disappointed. Actual, Moon Knight felt as disconnected from the rest of the MCU as early Phase 1 films did.
While not every Marvel project needs to be intertwined with the others, it’s still frustrating that fans don’t know which Disney+ series will be relevant and which they can skip if they only care about the overall Phase 4 arc. Moon Knight was very enjoyable on its own, but it didn’t seem to have the significance that other projects in earlier phases had.
4/10 Fans may need to watch two Disney+ shows to understand the Marvels
Captain Marvel’s second outing, The Marvels, hasn’t been set up much in the MCU movies. Instead, most of the groundwork for it is laid in two shows, Mrs. Marvel and Wandavision. However, because the Disney+ shows have an inconsistent connection to other Phase 4 projects, some audiences may have skipped these series.
This puts Marvel in an odd position: spending a lot of valuable screen time on it The Marvels trying to catch the fans on these shows or should it assume the fans have seen everything? Die-hard Marvel fans might feel disappointed if part of the movie is a recap, but the movie risks being inaccessible to casual fans if it doesn’t.
3/10 She-Hulk’s jokes may have hit too close to home
In many ways, She-Hulk was the MCU’s version of a Deadpool film. It poked fun at tropes and flaws found in other MCU projects, while also covering the inherent humor of living in a world populated by superheroes. While the latter isn’t much of a problem, the former could come back to bite Marvel.
The explosive end of Phase 3, Playoffs, made the beginning of phase 4 feel somewhat lackluster. Marvel may just have been kidding with the formulaic nature of their movies She-Hulkbut pointing out serious flaws with the franchise when fan engagement is on hiatus might not be doing them any favors.
2/10 Disney+ shows prevented certain characters from appearing in movies
Many Marvel projects have to be shot around the same time, given how close they are to each other. This means that if an actor is in the middle of filming a Disney+ show, they may not be able to appear in an MCU movie. This has kept some important characters out of films they would have helped improve.
The biggest example of this might be Loki’s absence from Thor: Love and Thunder. The relationship between Loki and Thor was always a highlight Thor movies, so don’t bring them both Love and thunder felt like a big loss.
1/10 Too many shows led to Marvel Fatigue
Journalists and critics have debated the concept of Marvel fatigue for a long time now. When the talk first started, fans latched onto the idea because one or two movies a year were pretty easy to keep up with. But as more and more Marvel projects are released, it’s hard to keep up.
Dedicated fans who want to see every movie are now left with a difficult choice: watch a plethora of Disney+ shows of varying quality or start skipping some MCU entries. Even if fans manage to watch every new Disney+ show, they’ll likely start to feel burned out and may lose enthusiasm for big Phase 4 movies as a result.