When Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase One began in 2008, Marvel Studios released 33 films and 10 TV series set in the multiverse. Several of its titles became some of the highest-grossing films of all time, with Avengers: Endgame becoming the highest-grossing film ever. The same thing could be said when it started streaming shows in 2021, with WandaVision and Loki turning out to be big hits. However, things began to change in 2022 and 2023, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels becoming commercial flops and the TV series Secret Invasion receiving the lowest Disney+ Marvel show rating. That said, Disney has now announced its decision to reduce Marvel TV series and film releases per year.
During Disney’s quarterly earnings call, the company’s CEO, Bob Iger, revealed (via Variety) that they would slowly decrease the output and only release two TV series and a maximum of three movies per year. This would be part of the House of Mouse’s new strategy to focus on quality over quantity, which the boss said was “particularly true with Marvel.”
“We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three,” he explained. “And we’re working hard on what that path is.”
Despite that, fans don’t have to worry, as Iger assured them there would be a “couple of good films” coming in 2025, teasing them that there would be more Avengers movies. The media executive expressed excitement over the upcoming slate, which he had committed to spending more time on.
“Overall, I feel great about the slate. It’s something that I’ve committed to spending more and more time on,” he continued. “The team is one that I have tremendous confidence in and the IP that we’re mining, including all the sequels that we’re doing, is second to none.”
What movies and TV series are coming from Marvel in the coming years?
In 2025, Marvel Studios is about to release four new movies: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, The Fantastic Four and Blade. Phase Six will continue in 2026, with four more Marvel movies, including Avengers 5, while Avengers: Secret Wars is set to be released in 2027.
When it comes to TV series, the WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Darkhold Diaries is slated to premiere this year, while Ironheart and Daredevil: Born Again are expected to come out in 2025. There’s also only one movie coming out this year, Deadpool & Wolverine, which is set to hit theaters on July 26.
“It’ll just be a balance, which we think is right,” Iger said.
This isn’t the first time Iger revealed Disney’s plans to reduce its Marvel output. In July 2023, he admitted that the increase in output for Disney+ caused “some disappointments,” resulting in not meeting the audience’s expectations due to the number of streaming content and admitting that it “diluted” viewers’ focus and attention.
Disney’s decision to reduce its output comes amid the talks about superhero fatigue. As Marvel Studios seems to have lost its touch in releasing some of the most sought-after superhero movies and series, it may be the right time to redirect its attention and ensure its projects’ quality.
