Will We Actually See a Marvel Disney+ Series in 2020?

As production delays and content droughts become more and more common throughout the year of 2020, many Marvel fans find themselves asking the same question: Will we actually see any of the Marvel series promised for Disney+ this year? There were two shows originally slated for release in the second half of the year in the form of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and WandaVision. Both shows halted their productions in March as the coronavirus pandemic prompted a global pause on all film and TV. Some projects are getting back to work while others have not yet called “Action!” again.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was originally planned for an August release. The series was about half way through its production when the call came to halt everything with the team in the midst of working in Prague. Unconfirmed rumors on social media suggest a portion of the series may be reshot as the story called for the heroes preventing a virus from being unleashed. Whether or not those rumors are true, an August release for the Marvel series seems unlikely.

Compare the status of this series with that of The Walking Dead. AMC’s zombie series shot its final episode for Season 10 in November. The post-production team was still about two weeks away from completing the episode in March when California called for a shutdown and the episode has been delayed indefinitely. It’s not unlikely The Walking Dead required a bit more heavy lifting on the visual effects front but assuming episodes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier take about 10 production days to film, a number which is average for hour-long dramas, episodes slated for September releases would only have two months to complete all post-production work if the series resumed production next week (which it is not). Furthermore, Disney has promised “movie quality” production for all Star Wars and Marvel shows, so there may be addition days adding to the length of each episode’s production schedules.

Another factor to consider is the release of Black Widow. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is set after the events of Avengers: Endgame and Black Widow is set years prior to that film’s events but in the Marvel Cinematic Universe small connections can always be interspersed. As Black Widow was originally slated for release prior to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, its delay to November might become a factor in the decision on how and when Marvel Studios drops the series with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. 

Ultimately, the originally planned August release for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier seems highly unlikely. A release in 2020, however, is not out of the question. 

WandaVision

WandaVision, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, was originally slated for a release in December of 2020. The project is going to lead straight into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a movie which has now been delayed from a May of 2021 release to March of 2022. Unlike The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, there does not seem to be a direct conflict with the other Marvel Cinematic Universe titles which the WandaVision series release date would be impacted by.

WandaVision was deep into its production and nearly completed when the series was shut down. A report recently claimed the cast and crew would assemble again for more photography in July. It was being shot at Pinewood Studios, the same company which has shown its readiness to resume working on the Jurassic World sequel again in the United Kingdom.

While Doctor Strange pushing back to March of 2022 may be reactionary to an expected delay in WandaVision, the series seems more likely to arrive in 2021. Disney+ needs new content and a Marvel series will likely have yet to debut by the time WandaVision is ready to start releasing its episodes.

However, if Marvel is looking to have The Falcon and The Winter Soldier debut ahead of WandaVision, it may be delayed or keep its same release date. The possibility remains that The Mandalorian moves up a bit as it wrapped production and has been able to continue working on its post-production efforts throughout the year. 

Release dates of other titles might impact that of WandaVision but the series will likely be ready to debut in 2020. An earlier release is possible if The Falcon and The Winter Soldier gets pushed back but if it keeps its place in line on Marvel’s slate, it may get bumped to early 2021.

What If…?

What If…? could be a curveball here. The animated series which will tell stories of things which could never happen in live-action films has continued work throughout the global pandemic as animators and voice actors have remained dedicated to the project. 

Given the possible sense of urgency to get new content plugged into the Disney+ streaming services, episodes of What If…? might find themselves coming together far earlier than expected. The series is slated for 2021 and will likely stay that way but it is the only Marvel series which has been able to continue its work throughout 2020.