5 MCU Disney+ Shows in Jeopardy Amid Marvel Cuts

The future of Marvel Studios Animation is currently in an uncomfortable state of limbo, leaving a few MCU projects coming to Disney+ in serious danger of being scrapped.

2021 brought Marvel Studios its first fully animated outing with the release of What if..?, delivering an exciting round of alternate universe stories featuring the voice talents of nearly every on-screen actor in MCU history. This was the first of a number of animated outings to come to Disney+ over the next few years, though a recent report could put those releases in jeopardy.

Insider KC Walsh shared on Twitter that Marvel Studios Animation is dealing with a number of internal layoffs and that Marvel Studios will not greenlight new seasons of animated shows without seeing positive results from those already in the works. This is largely due to the fact that animated shows take so long to develop, but it does mean that the MCU’s new venture into animated storytelling could be over before it really gets going.

With those rumors in mind, here are five Disney+ animated shows that could be at risk of cancellation in lieu of those layoffs and cutbacks.

What if…? Season 3

What if…? Season 2 is already deep in development ahead of its release next year, and will feature new stories featuring characters such as Captain Carter, Melina Vostokoff and the Scarlet Witch. Marvel also announced at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) that development is already underway for Season 3, but there is no indication of when it will debut on Disney+.

At least Season 3 will have a new writer developing the series, as AC Bradley confirmed that she would be leaving her position after Season 2. But with so much time before these new episodes are likely to arrive on Disney+, there’s no way to confirm whether the series is really safe from being canned after the news of Marvel Studios Animation.

What if…? Season 2 was announced to premiere on Disney+ in early 2023.

Marvel zombies

Marvel Studios confirmed that episode 5 of What if…? Season 1 would spin off into its own entire series, Marvel zombieswhich was first teased to fans at SDCC 2022. Following the initial announcement during Disney+ Day 2021, viewers have more than a dozen classic Marvel characters to look forward to in this alternate universe, both as zombies and zombie hunters.

The first season of Marvel zombies is already well underway, although it won’t be coming to Disney+ for more than a year. There are no firm plans for this creepy series to continue into a second season, but with it confirmed to be the MCU’s first mature-rated show, fans are already hoping that the studio will continue to build this more adult-oriented project.

Marvel zombies is currently set to arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2024.

Spider-Man: Second Year

In front of Spider-Man: Freshman Year with its debut on Disney+, Marvel confirmed that a second season was already in development for the web-slinger in this alternate universe history. This will be a different version of Spider-Man than the one you see in it What if…?, bringing nearly a dozen of his iconic villains into the animated realm; although it may not be more than one season to enter the wall.

Although Spider-Man: Second Year was announced at Comic-Con, the entire cast will be made up of creative artists other than those who created its first season, potentially putting it at risk of cancellation. And with Freshman year still more than 12 months after its arrival at least, this new season is undoubtedly looking the most on the chopping block.

Spider-Man: Freshman Year will premiere on Disney+ in 2024.

X-Men ’97

X-Men ’97 is the most unique entry on this list, coming in as a direct sequel to the original X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s. Series writer Beau DeMayo shared how much passion he has for the story and how hard he’s working to bring it to life, making it the first X-Men-centric project of any kind to debut under the Marvel Studios umbrella.

Although Season 1 is less than a year away, no plans have yet been confirmed for a second season, even with many longtime fans excited to see the animated mutants return. And with these new issues emerging behind the scenes, there’s a real danger that this reboot could potentially only last a 10-episode run.

X-Men ’97 premieres on Disney+ in autumn 2023.

Brian Kesinger’s Untitled Series

In September 2022, Disney animator Brian Kesinger announced that he had signed with Marvel to direct an undisclosed animated series with Marvel Studios this fall. He is best known for his work on Disney films such as Big Hero 6 and Zootopiamaking for a smooth transition in the Disney to Marvel side of the equation.

While that announcement came straight from Kesinger himself some time ago, there have been no updates on the specific project he’s working on or when it will be in development. If fans don’t hear anything about this post soon, there’s reason to believe it could be one left on the drawing board as Marvel makes drastic cuts in its animated department.

Marvel Studios certainly took a bold and unexpected step by transitioning to animated storytelling during Phase 4 of the MCU, although things aren’t looking as promising as they once did due to this rumor of layoffs and other hard calls regarding development. Whether that changes as the franchise continues to grow remains a mystery, but the hope is that fans who love these entries will be able to enjoy new content releases at the same pace as the studio’s live-action counterpart.