Marvel Studios Exec Reveals How MCU Is Learning From Recent Mistakes

It's no secret that Marvel Studios has been struggling to get the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise back to the level of hype and success it enjoyed during the later years of the Infinity Saga. Since Avengers: Endgame, Phases 4 and 5 of the MCU have stumbled in telling a compelling and cohesive franchise universe storyline – even as the playing field has broadened into the alternate realities of the current "Multiverse Saga" storyline. 

Behind the scenes, there have been reports that Marvel Studios has been in major turmoil since Bob Iger handed the reigns to his successor Bob Chapek – which became part of the reason that Iger came back and Chapek was ultimately ousted from his position as Disney's CEO. However, the ocean liner that is the MCU doesn't turn easily – and there have been many new trials (literally and figuratively) and errors of the last few years that Marvel needs to learn from. 

During the press junket for Marvel's new Echo TV series, Executive producer Brad Winderbaum addressed the challenges that Marvel Studios has faced in recent years – and what the studio has learned from them: 

We've learned a lot," Winderbaum admitted. "We produced a lot of content very quickly, and we're primarily a filmmaking company. So, you can see that our first round of shows have a very movie-like structure: they arc-out the characters by the end; they feel like a standalone limited series." 

Without a single hint of blame or claim of mistaken strategy, Winderbaum deftly acknowledges that Chapek's policy of flooding the market with MCU content proved to be too much for the studio, and franchise fans. He also acknowledges that MCU Disney+ series were often treated as miniseries-style pockets of the movie universe, used to advanced franchise developments like Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) becoming the new Captain America, or Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) fully embracing her identity as Scarlet Witch. It wasn't "television" in the traditional sense of the word – and certainly didn't offer the reliable returns or hype of traditional TV content. 

...So what has Marvel Studios learned? 

MCU Movies & TV Shows Will Be Different Now

As Winderbaum continued to talk, he made it clear that there is now going to be a clear line of separation between MCU Movies and TV series: 

"Moving forward, our content is going to feel a lot more like television. It kind of drives toward the horizon; drives towards the future, and keeps people engaged for longer periods of time, in the more leaned-back setting of your living room. To set it apart, frankly, from the big, cinematic event experiences in the movie theater." 

Echo will premiere on Hulu/Disney+ on January 9th.