The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always evolving. The last major change came in 2021, when WandaVision kicked off a range of Marvel Studios TV shows much more closely tied to continuity than previous series like Agents of SHIELD. In truth, these were driven more by business needs than creative opportunities; all Disney studios were under orders to prioritize shows that would help make Disney+ a success. It wasn’t entirely successful, with Marvel overextended; former CEO Bob Iger ultimately admitted there’d been an element of brand dilution for Marvel as a result.
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More recently, Marvel has moved to a slimmed-down MCU release schedule on Disney+. Viewers can now expect two live-action shows a year at most, with additional animated series to keep the hardcore fanbase engaged. While some will be disappointed by this reduced output, it should allow Marvel to focus on making sure there’s a consistent quality, while also preventing the problem of brand dilution. But now, the surprising news that Wonder Man has been renewed for a second season confirms another major change.
We’re Finally Moving to Ongoing MCU TV Shows
The first wave of MCU Disney+ TV shows were all essentially “limited series.” With the sole exception of Loki, they were “one and done” stories designed either to tell a complete story in their own right, or to set up a movie (with mixed success). The Falcon and the Winter Soldier filled the gap between Avengers: Endgame and Captain America: Brave New World, while WandaVision became setup for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Even Moon Knight failed to get a Season 2, despite the fact it felt more distinct from the movies.
Marvel Studios’ Brad Winderbaum, Head of Streaming, Television and Animation at Marvel Studios, explained the problems with the MCU’s TV release strategy last year. “Producing shows with marquee names, it made it really challenging to produce second seasons,” he noted. “The margins on TV are smaller.” There’s a sense in which the MCU was simply too ambitious in trying to get film stars to dedicate the time to make TV shows, while simultaneously wanting them to film Marvel movies as well. This first wave of MCU TV shows became inordinately expensive, to diminishing returns in terms of viewership.
We’re now entering a different era, however. Wonder Man is the second live-action TV show to be renewed of late, with Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 returning to the small screen and a third season already in production. It doesn’t mean Marvel is forgetting the idea of interconnectivity; rather, it means that it’s being done more strategically, with the different mediums filming in different ways. Marvel Studios has been making TV shows for years now, but the studio is finally doing things right.
Marvel’s New Approach Is So Much Better for the MCU
In truth, this is the approach Marvel should have been taking all along. The first phase of MCU TV shows were essentially longer movies, split up into chapters (sometimes quite poorly). The advantage of a TV series, though, lies in the fact it is a longer-form medium; a viewer can spend time with characters, enjoy their journeys, and relate to them. Characters can go through much longer, more sophisticated arcs over multiple seasons. Marvel’s first attempt at TV missed out on these opportunities, simply because the focus was on marquee names and connectivity.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 reportedly had a budget of $200 million, not unusual for MCU TV shows. But the second season should be cheaper, simply because it can reuse sets and designs; there are financial advantages to running multiple seasons of the same show. Wonder Man was unusually VFX-lite, meaning there are estimates it was cheap for Marvel, and the second season should be even cheaper. Cost control is a priority for the MCU right now, and multi-season shows really help.
The MCU Is Finally Getting Its World Under Control
This does mean the MCU is going to change quite dramatically, though. Over the last few years, the MCU has introduced far too many new characters – both on the big screen and the small. As a result, many of these characters have never been properly developed, and their stories have been left unresolved for ridiculous lengths of time. Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi will make his return in this year’s Avengers: Doomsday, having last appeared in 2021. Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight made his MCU debut in 2022, and hasn’t been seen since. It’s a relief to know Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams won’t share the same fate.
But there is a catch, of course. This change coincides with a reduced number of Marvel TV shows. Every renewal means another idea won’t happen; if Marvel is only putting out two live-action shows a year, then Wonder Man‘s renewal has implications for what’s coming next. It’s entirely possible next year will see only Daredevil: Brand New Day Season 3 and Wonder Man Season 2. That said, as frustrating as this may be for other characters and concepts, it should prevent the universe becoming over-crowded (and there’s always the possibility of a Werewolf-by-Night or Punisher-style Special Presentation too).
It certainly helps that Wonder Man is most certainly deserving on renewal. It’s frankly Marvel’s best TV show, not least because Wonder Man‘s ending clearly set up a continuing story. Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley put out phenomenal performances, creating something that won both popular and critical acclaim. There had initially been concerns Marvel lacked confidence with Wonder Man, given the single-day drop for all eight episodes, but those fear proved unjustified. Wonder Man‘s renewal is a smart call, signifying generally positive changes for the MCU as a whole, and it’s great news for fans of prestige television.
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