Rumors: Marvel Studios to Prioritize Animated Shows, Live-Action Series To Be a Lot More Grounded

In 2023, Marvel Studios faced challenges. The Multiverse Saga debut received a lukewarm response, and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ fell short of expectations. ‘Secret Invasion,’ a highly anticipated live-action series about Skrulls, received poor reviews despite loosely adapting a beloved comic storyline. The lone success was ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3,’ overshadowed by the disappointing performance of ‘The Marvels,’ Marvel Studios’ lowest-grossing film to date.

Acknowledging ‘The Marvels’ failure, Bob Iger admitted to its shortcomings, emphasizing a shift toward quality over quantity. Despite occasional announcements of new projects, ranging from street-level heroes to cosmic tales, most upcoming endeavors are animated.

This shift isn’t accidental. According to Daniel Richtman’s sources within Marvel Studios, the future will prioritize animated content, with live-action productions taking a back seat, focusing on more grounded narratives, and becoming less frequent.

Looking ahead to the 2024 release lineup, we have ‘Marvel Zombies,’ ‘Marvel X-Men ’97,’ ‘What If…?’ season 3, and ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ to anticipate. The only live-action show slated for 2024 is ‘Agatha: the Darkhold Diaries.’ There’s also talk about the animated series ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ possibly hitting screens this year, along with a rumored project centered on cosmic beings.

Regarding live-action shows in development, ‘Wonder Man,’ ‘Vision Quest,’ ‘Ironheart,’ and an untitled Nova project are still in the works. However, it’s uncertain if these will move forward, especially considering the prolonged development of ‘Ironheart’ without a confirmed release date.

It seems the future of the MCU lies heavily in animated content. Let’s hope they prioritize quality over quantity. Got something to share? Drop it in the comments below!