Fewer movies, but better movies. That's the promise Bob Iger has been making for several months regarding the Marvel franchise. The Disney boss admitted to pushing the envelope too far with his superheroes. Since Endgame in 2019, 13 films have been released in theaters. With a hiatus in 2020 due to the health crisis, the franchise has been busy. This has also been true on the small screen since the launch of Disney+. With Wandavision in 2021, Kevin Feige's company has set itself the mission of expanding its platform's catalog with supporting or new heroes. Around fifteen series, both live-action and animated, have been released between two theatrical releases. Enough to make you feel sick? At least that's the lesson we can learn from the brand's recent failures in cinemas and on Disney+?
Aware of having cut back on quality at the expense of quantity, Bob Iger and Kevin Feige have announced that they want to ease off in the coming years. After the release of Fantastic Four this summer, Marvel will take a year and a half hiatus until Avengers: Doomsday in December 2026. While a few series are promised, such as Ironheart and Wonder Man, Kevin Feige's company will be more discreet than usual. We could even hope that it would finally take the break it needed for its proper reboot, as was anticipated with the finale of the Infinity Saga. Good news or bad news? The sequel is already underway. Indeed, Marvel and Disney have just secured the date of December 15, 2028 for a mysterious film. This will be the fourth film scheduled for 2028, after those promised for February, May, and November 2028. Slow down, you say? However, this new date could also be just the postponement of one of the projects announced earlier.
In which direction?
The future of the MCU is uncertain, as it was before the release of 'Endgame. Indeed, Secret Wars is intended to serve as a tipping point towards a new saga, apparently centered on the X-Men. After exploring the multiverse, with varying degrees of success (rather less), Marvel wants to tackle the question of mutants and their place in society. The acquisition of 20th Century Fox finally gives him the opportunity to do so, years after the sale of the adaptation rights by Marvel Comics. Since 2019, some of these heroes have made an appearance in the MCU, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness then in Deadpool & Wolverine or even The Marvels. According to the latest rumors, a film dedicated to Professor Xavier's team is in the works. It is not yet known if it will be a complete remake with new actors or if the saga will choose to rely on certain iconic faces to continue the journey.
It seems very clear that the X-Men are the new priority of the entertainment giant, just like The Fantastic Four. The latter could also already be promised a return (aside from their appearance in the next two Avengers). The question now arises as to how these universes and characters will coexist. More than ever, the MCU wants to play on several fronts to attract viewers. Will they be there? Marvel hopes so.
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