Marvel’s Phase 4 has come to an finish, and it’s been an attention-grabbing trip with many thrilling adjustments and rising pains for the MCU. The largest has been the addition of Disney+ content material, which within the final two years included 9 exhibits — seven stay motion, one animated, and a sequence of shorts titled I Am Groot.
However, in late 2022 one other sport changer for the franchise emerged: the Special Presentations format. These initiatives, spanning round 45 minutes in size every, perform as “bonus” and standalone tales that don’t require the quantity of devoted time to observe {that a} sequence or perhaps a film may demand. There have solely been two Marvel Special Presentations to date, however some followers are already calling for them to exchange the sequence format fully.
While the appearance of Special Presentations opens up a number of potentialities for future MCU content material, there’s undoubtedly nonetheless a spot for all three codecs within the franchise transferring ahead. Whether or not a format “works” is only a matter of how Marvel Studios chooses to make the most of every one among them.
Movies
The basis of Marvel Studios was constructed on motion pictures. For most of its existence, this was the one format the corporate utilized. So the oldsters working the Marvel Cinematic Universe know the way to put collectively a great film whereas curating tales to suit the conventions and size of time anticipated for the medium.
That stated, there are nonetheless a number of MCU motion pictures that might most likely have been served higher in different codecs. For instance, lower-stakes fare just like the Ant-Man motion pictures could have been formatted into Special Presentations had that sequence begun after the Infinity Saga. Additionally, whereas the character all the time deserved a film, Black Widow’s need to share the backstory of Natasha Romanoff might have made for an attention-grabbing Disney+ sequence displaying the totally different eras of her life whereas nonetheless introducing new characters like Yelena Belova.
But the obvious one is Eternals, which, as a part of Phase 4, theoretically might have been a sequence. Eternals served as an origin story for 10 totally different characters, every of whom had been round for hundreds of years. They all had huge backstories, and whereas the movie offers every of them not less than a few moments to shine, introducing all of them and telling the story of their reunion was lots to suit into one film, even for one of many longest movies within the franchise.
While among the great visuals of the film would have doubtless been sacrificed, the story of Eternals would have been a lot better fitted to the miniseries format — ideally the 9 half-hour episode format somewhat than the six 50-minute episode one. Most episodes might focus largely on one or two characters, with the “modern” sections bookending the flashbacks and offering the “hooks” for viewers to tune again in, ending on the finale with the group battling it out as within the film. As it stands, Eternals ended up being an origin and reunion movie that left a number of story on the desk and targeted on characters that doubtless received’t be tremendous central to the MCU transferring ahead.
Now, a challenge not being necessary to the “overall story” doesn’t imply that it shouldn’t get made. But for the needs of the MCU, motion pictures must really feel like occasions. Fair or not, that’s the viewers expectation at this level. There are solely so many slots for movies and they’re the initiatives which is able to get probably the most eyeballs (and cash), so the majority of — if not all — the initiatives “essential” to understanding the general narrative needs to be on this format. This means the “main” characters of the present period needs to be showing within the motion pictures and audiences ought to be capable of perceive them and their journeys sufficient to get hooked up to them through the movies alone.
Special Presentations
A TV particular is sort of a mini-movie, or generally, a protracted episode of a TV present. The stakes are normally someplace in the midst of what one would anticipate for every of these two codecs.
So far, there have solely been two Marvel Studios Special Presentations. Werewolf by Night served as an introduction for brand spanking new characters, a chance for style experimentation inside the MCU, and the directorial debut of composer Michael Giacchino. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special allowed audiences to have extra time with some fan-favorite characters in a low-stakes story that fills a distinct segment (Christmas content material) that the studio most likely wouldn’t dedicate a film to.
The above descriptions just about cowl the roles Special Presentations can fill. There are a number of issues Marvel can do with them because the class with the bottom danger, runtime, and budgets, and their launch dates are rather more versatile than these of films or sequence. The greatest use of the Special Presentations transferring ahead can be to provide display time and improvement to characters who received’t get it within the motion pictures or sequence, whether or not or not it’s characters who Marvel is uncertain about together with within the larger initiatives like in Werewolf by Night or ones who’re usually extra on the sidelines in the principle stuff like Mantis within the the Guardians franchise. They may also be used to introduce or flesh out new characters that deserve their very own backstories, however who the flicks simply don’t have time for, which is a task a number of Disney+ exhibits have performed — however we’ll get to that in a second.
Audiences usually tend to be keen to provide a one-shot story an opportunity than a sequence. But once more, not everybody who sees the flicks could have entry to Disney+, so these one-offs can’t have the meat of the general story in them. Special Presentations ought to primarily be for the experimental and underappreciated corners of the MCU that may assist viewers recognize the franchise’s primary narrative whereas additionally offering the choice to stray from specializing in issues related to that large story if the artistic group needs.
Series
Disney+ sequence have been the most important contributor to the numerous improve in MCU content material per yr since Phase 4 started. There have been eight of them in simply two years, which has been overwhelming for lots of viewers — particularly extra informal ones. Now that Marvel has debuted its Special Presentations format, many followers are questioning if the sequence format ought to merely be retired in favor of this type of programming that requires far much less of a time dedication.
It could also be simple for some to overlook, provided that none of Marvel’s Disney+ sequence in 2022 reached the cultural affect that a few of its 2021 exhibits did, however there are issues that Marvel can solely do with this format. With that in thoughts, there ought to nonetheless be a spot for extra of it within the franchise’s future.
The MCU has all the time felt like one thing of a TV sequence for the large display, so the addition of precise tv sequence inside the franchise (in addition to the dubiously canon ones on ABC and Netflix) appeared like a pure match. The group at Marvel Studios is in a little bit of a troublesome spot with these sequence, although. Like with the Special Presentations, they’ve to ensure the sequence should not “required” viewing in order that followers with out entry to Disney+ can nonetheless observe the storyline being instructed within the motion pictures. However, the sequence format brings an expectation of “importance” to stated total story that Special Presentations are largely free from.
The peak of buzz for any Marvel Disney+ sequence in Phase 4 was for WandaVision. Part of this was doubtless due to the novelty of a sequence set within the MCU, together with it being the primary launch from Marvel Studios in a yr and a half whereas popping out at a time when a number of COVID-19 lockdowns have been in impact. But trying on the present alongside the opposite most profitable sequence of Phase 4, Loki, it turns into clear simply what the Disney+ format delivers that different codecs can’t.
The better part concerning the sequence format for Marvel has been the collective week-to-week hypothesis amongst followers. The two aforementioned sequence, WandaVision and Loki, have been by far one of the best at this, delivering twists and cliffhangers each episode to maintain followers watching and speculating. Some of the opposite MCU sequence haven’t been capable of obtain this, significantly sure origin tales which have struggled to fill out six episodes’ value of story (that is the place the Special Presentations format would have come in useful for exhibits like She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel, and perhaps even the semi-origin story of Hawkeye).
Marvel is thought for being water cooler discuss fare; if a challenge doesn’t create buzz, it hasn’t finished its job. Disney+’s weekly episode drop mannequin for its headlining sequence implies that any exhibits that come from Marvel Studios want to have the ability to preserve their momentum going for a set quantity of weeks, and not all of them have been in a position to try this. Both Hawkeye and She-Hulk meandered for a lot of their respective runs, and probably the most thrilling and impactful elements of these exhibits might have been integrated into Special Presentation variations of the initiatives with little of worth misplaced and increased total cultural affect. These exhibits could have been extra relaxed chapters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however sequence on this franchise must preserve individuals on the sting of their seat, in any other case many will tune out.
Basically, in the case of the MCU, sequence needs to be tales that really want an extended size of time to be instructed than a film. Some of those from Phase 4 really feel extra like initiatives that weren’t deemed worthy sufficient to grow to be motion pictures by the studio for no matter purpose and have been subsequently stretched out into sequence somewhat than ones that really profit from a weekly launch. Really, the one two stay motion ones which have undoubtedly warranted their sequence standing are Loki, for its means to interrupt the story up into distinct sections every befitting to an episode of their very own, and WandaVision, for a similar factor plus its tv motif and formatting.
That’s to not say different Marvel exhibits haven’t benefited in some methods from the sequence format. While Moon Knight was one of many ones that felt like a film damaged up into chunks, it did have a few good cliffhangers to get individuals speaking and the longer format allowed for extra introspection, which was among the greatest stuff to return out of that challenge. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had a lot floor to cowl that wouldn’t be potential in another format however a extra targeted model of the story — doubtlessly in movie kind — with sure plotlines minimize could have resulted in a extra polished closing product. And the anthology format of the animated What If…? was okay as a sequence in principle, although the studio might need been higher off simply making Special Presentations out of one of the best few concepts for that challenge than produce it as a weekly present that felt obligated to tie itself all collectively on the finish.
The backside line is that MCU motion pictures must really feel like occasions (not all the time Avengers-level occasions, however occasions nonetheless) with excessive stakes, MCU sequence must be meaty tales which sustain the week-to-week buzz, and MCU Special Presentations are the time to experiment with kinds and characters the franchise’s viewers aren’t used to seeing within the highlight.
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