Marvel Is Going To Model Traditional TV Soon

Marvel Studios is shifting its approach to television and moving away from the movie mindset they’ve brought to its shows. According to recent statements from Brad Winderbaum, Head of Marvel Streaming, Television, and Animation, they want to adopt a more conventional model emphasizing long-term storytelling and character development.

This change in strategy comes after a mixed reception to Marvel’s initial slate of Disney+ series. While shows like WandaVision and Loki were met with critical acclaim, others struggled to find their footing. Winderbaum told EW this has led to concerns about the studio’s approach to streaming content sustainability.

In a way, we’re making television more in a traditional style where we are going to write multiple pilots and show bibles before we decide what we want to produce and actually bring to the screen, which gives us an opportunity to experiment and also to plan all sorts of different Marvel sandboxes.

Brad Winderbaum

Marvel wants to keep making television shows with a lasting cultural impact, much like traditional TV series that run for multiple seasons. The studio plans to focus on developing shows concurrently, experimenting with pilots and show bibles before greenlighting production. This approach is part of the traditional television development process, which apparently wasn’t a part of the process before.

One example of this shift is the handling of the Vision spinoff series. Originally conceived by Jac Schaeffer, showrunner of WandaVision and Agatha All Along, the series has been handed over to Terry Matalas, known for his work on Star Trek: Picard. While the transition represents a change in leadership, Winderbaum spoke on past instances in the MCU where different filmmakers have successfully taken the reins on established franchises.

The upcoming Agatha All Along series, a spinoff from WandaVision, is viewed as a trailblazer for this new approach. The series will expand the WandaVision corner of the MCU, focusing on the character of Agatha Harkness and delving deeper into the world of witchcraft. Meanwhile, Vision Quest, the aforementioned Vision spinoff, will explore the identity crisis White Vision faces as he grapples with the memories of his original counterpart.

This isn’t to say that the change will be immediate. Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart are slated for release in 2025, so the full effect of Marvel’s revamped television strategy is expected to be felt in 2026 or 2027.