Does Marvel TV (Disney+) Strengthen or Cheapen Marvel Franchises?

[Huntn]

After watching the first two Hawkeyes (tv episodes), Hawkeye who is a good character, I just don’t find myself engaged, nor with WandaVision, or Hawkeye and the Winter Shoulder or even Loki. Eh…nothing I’d like to particularly want to rewatch.

 

[Abazigal]

After watching the first two Hawkeyes (tv episodes), Hawkeye who is a good character, I just don’t find myself engaged, nor with WandaVision, or Hawkeye and the Winter Shoulder or even Loki. Eh…nothing I’d like to particularly want to rewatch.

I feel the TV shows serve a key purpose - to introduce new characters and further expand the marvel universe, as well as provide a ready audience for riskier concepts. Something like Wandavision would have been a hard sell as a 2-hour movie; I feel it’s really there just to explain Wanda’s power-up and pave the way for the future crossover with Dr Strange. But with Disney+, people have already paid up-front, so you don’t face the challenge of convincing people to pay for a cinema ticket.

Same with Falcon and Winter Soldier. He will have gotten his shield and new suit by the next Captain America movie and can jump right into the action. No need to “waste” time setting him up. Plus, it also introduced US Agent, setting the stage for Thunderbolts (sorta like the suicide squad of the Marvel universe).

Loki set up the idea of the multiverse (so you will know what it is prior to watching Spider-Man: No way home), and the origin of Kang the Conqueror (for the next Ant Man movie).

I like that side characters like Falcon are getting their own adventures, but so far, the shows haven’t really interested me, and I don’t really care for the social messaging they try to shoehorn inside.

They just feel slow; like Disney is stretching a 2-hour script to 6-8 episodes, and that’s what frustrates me. Disney also seems to have announced a whole slew of new shows (do we really need a Agatha spinoff?), but they seem spread out enough that I will probably still watch them and not feel overwhelmed.

I do concur with you that I am unlikely to rewatch any of those episodes myself anytime soon.

 

[JJayguy23]

The poll wasn't phrased property, it contradicts.

 

[diggy33]

Falcon and Winter Soldier was pretty much the only show I wasnt that engaged in. Wandavision was great, Loki was pretty good, and I enjoyed the first episode of Hawkeye.

 

[jaw04005]

Falcon and Winter Soldier had a convoluted plot. Wandavision and Loki were really good. I feel like those two got me excited for Dr. Strange 2 and what's beyond in the MCU.

Hawkeye is good. He's not that engaging of a character and they make light of that in the show, which is pretty funny. I don't feel like any of the Marvel offerings have been as good as the Mandalorian, but that's OK. These are shows that would have never made at as stand alone films and ABC would have never ran them as miniseries because of the costs. So, from that perspective, I hope we see more of these Disney+ shows to have a better representation of characters.

 

[Realityck]

After watching the first two Hawkeyes (tv episodes), Hawkeye who is a good character, I just don’t find myself engaged, nor with WandaVision, or Hawkeye and the Winter Shoulder or even Loki. Eh…nothing I’d like to particularly want to rewatch.

You need to consider each story as selecting a less exposed marvel characters that the box-office releases skipped out and didn't offer much screen time character development. They are all targeting the time point after endgame. While WandaVison was unusual Wanda was not the party that created that environment, but we learned a lot about Wanda and Vision that wasn't shown in the Movies. Winter Solder was the story of who took over for Captain America after Endgame, with getting to know Bucky (Winter Solder). Loki is still incomplete with a rather interesting twist for a story line. Hawkeye is really the origin story of Kate Bishop who becomes the next Hawkeye.

If one looks at the membership of the Young Avengers you see the following:
Iron Lad
Hawkeye
Hulkling
Kid Loki
Miss America
Noh-Varr
Patriot
Prodigy
Speed
Stature
Vision
Wiccan

So Disney is just plugging away with additional story lines to get to some semblance of Young Avengers and what they face, such as upcoming Secret Invasion

Now look back at the two sons of Wanda they were Speed and Wiccan they will be returning.

 

[Brien]

Disney+ is totally setting up Young Avengers.

 

[Realityck]

BTW what kind of poll question is "Does Disney+, Marvel TV Strengthen or Cheapen Marvel Franchises?"

So if Yes you believe it is strengthen Marvel and cheapening Marvel?
So if No, you believe it isn't strengthen Marvel or cheapening Marvel?

You can't conclude it is both, unless you feel that any TV series just ruins the movies. 😀

 

[Huntn]

I feel the TV shows serve a key purpose - to introduce new characters and further expand the marvel universe, as well as provide a ready audience for riskier concepts. Something like Wandavision would have been a hard sell as a 2-hour movie; I feel it’s really there just to explain Wanda’s power-up and pave the way for the future crossover with Dr Strange. But with Disney+, people have already paid up-front, so you don’t face the challenge of convincing people to pay for a cinema ticket.

Same with Falcon and Winter Soldier. He will have gotten his shield and new suit by the next Captain America movie and can jump right into the action. No need to “waste” time setting him up. Plus, it also introduced US Agent, setting the stage for Thunderbolts (sorta like the suicide squad of the Marvel universe).

Loki set up the idea of the multiverse (so you will know what it is prior to watching Spider-Man: No way home), and the origin of Kang the Conqueror (for the next Ant Man movie).

I like that side characters like Falcon are getting their own adventures, but so far, the shows haven’t really interested me, and I don’t really care for the social messaging they try to shoehorn inside.

They just feel slow; like Disney is stretching a 2-hour script to 6-8 episodes, and that’s what frustrates me. Disney also seems to have announced a whole slew of new shows (do we really need a Agatha spinoff?), but they seem spread out enough that I will probably still watch them and not feel overwhelmed.

I do concur with you that I am unlikely to rewatch any of those episodes myself anytime soon.

I think the same argument can be made for Disney StarWars, over saturation which cheapens, stories that are forgettable and bloated.

The essence of my argument:

• Movie franchise brought to TV are cheapened by virtue of relative over exposure, especially when stories are bloated and when less effort is put into the scripts.
• TV series turned into movies typically have pacing issues or they feel like you are just getting a taste.
• I’ll admit there are some exceptions.

Would I want to see the weekly adventures of the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, or see the serialized version of the Infinity Stone saga? What is amazing in this one case, there are so many Marvel movies with Infinity Stones in the middle of them, it is almost serialized, but maintains the impact of movie story telling.

TV is a different critter and there are TV shows built with substance and staying power that I became vested in, a different pace of story telling and almost universally I am disappointed when these franchises are turned into movies. For example I’ve been crazy in love with certain shows like Star Trek Next Generation, Rome (HBO), Dexter (1st 2 seasons Showtime), Battlestar Galactica, Dallas (believe it or not 😉), Homeland (First two seasons, Showtime), Downton Abbey (PBS).

However there has not been a Star Trek movie I’ve liked (until the JJ reboot). My argument has to do with the tempo of these movies (prior to JJ) vs the no nonsense tempo of STNG, where the episode has to be told in 45 minutes. The Downtown Abbey movie was good enough, but still feels like just a taste instead of 10-20 hours of solid story telling which is what you get in a good TV series, a steady feed of intriguing content that comes at a different pace and lasts longer. Word has it that there could be Game of Thrones movies in the works, that’s a remain to be seen if they are worthy.

 

[Cunir]

I didn’t get past episode 2 of wandavision which was just too weird for me, but I’ve heard it picks up later so I’ll give it another go. But I liked all the other TV series they’ve done, I even went back and watched agent carter.

 

[Huntn]

The poll wasn't phrased property, it contradicts.

Yes a total brain fart, I’lll see if I can have this fixed. 😵‍💫
1. Strengthen
2. Cheapen
3. Case by case
4. Undecided

Fixed!

 

[Realityck]

I didn’t get past episode 2 of wandavision which was just too weird for me, but I’ve heard it picks up later so I’ll give it another go. But I liked all the other TV series they’ve done, I even went back and watched agent carter.

Think of it like a twilight zone set of episodes that gradually peel back whats really happening. It was torture to fans that didn't need a celebration of TV sitcoms. The quick exit of a character at the end of the ep 3 is the start of where the shows diverges to whats outside and whats inside. Its still a bit slow until ep 6 then 7, 8, 9 are great.

 

[Huntn]

Think of it like a twilight zone set of episodes that gradually peel back whats really happening. It was torture to fans that didn't need a celebration of TV sitcoms. The quick exit of a character at the end of the ep 3 is the start of where the shows diverges to whats outside and whats inside. Its still a bit slow until ep 6 then 7, 8, 9 are great.

As someone who grew up with sitcoms in the 60’s it was kind of amazing how this could be accomplished so accurately. It was a very creative idea, and because I knew what existed at the beginning of this show due to a delayed viewing, was not the reality it was easy to watch. But it’s interesting I think that some Marvel fans at the very beginning may have actually thought Marvel/Disney decided to create a 60s style sitcom starring 2 of their Avenger related characters. 🙂

 

[Huntn]

Falcon and Winter Soldier was pretty much the only show I wasnt that engaged in. Wandavision was great, Loki was pretty good, and I enjoyed the first episode of Hawkeye.

Would you feel compelled to go back and rewatch them? As in their is something special about revisiting them? This is a feeling I get with the movies I fall for and purchase for reviewing. At best the short Marvel TV series do act as bridges and I guess in the big picture they could be viewed as strengthening the movie franchises by setting up the next phase of movies. But if a particular franchise were now to exist as TV series, they would be diminished.

 

[diggy33]

Would you feel compelled to go back and rewatch them? As in their is something special about revisiting them? This is a feeling I get with the movies I fall for and purchase for reviewing. At best the short Marvel TV series do act as bridges and I guess in the big picture they could be viewed as strengthening the movie franchises by setting up the next phase of movies. But if a particular franchise were now to exist as TV series, they would be diminished.

My wife and I have already watched Wandavision again, and plan on watching Loki again once we're done with a few other shows.

 

[400]

I have not seen the last few Avenger films (was saving them for ron) but Wandavision I struggled with, Loki I thought was great as was Falcon and just started Hawkeye and not forgetting the Animated ones.

Personally, coming from "a film was the way to get your fix of whatever", in that to see the next in the series you had to wait years at times, I think a well written and funded TV series is a fantastic way to lead the version you like to different heights. Of course bigger budgets and you can tie in the lead characters.

Not Disney I know but a TV series on Alien/Predator or crossover on both would be good with the right writers.

Meaning its not just for Marvel, I wish more would do it especially as TV is now a big outlet for big productions.

I often revisit the ones that I like.

 

[Realityck]

What I find interesting is the view that Marvel TV series cheapens the Marvel franchise? ABC had seven seasons of Agents of Shield. Netflix had DareDevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Defender’s. The problem with limiting Marvel franchise to just Movies is there is way too many characters that haven’t been utilized for entertainment. I realize we are also trying to keep movies concerning superheroes to be a select few as too much would turn off movie goers. But Marvel comics spans a large number of characters. We already seen very dark examples, instead of just hero's. I really don’t see the possible proliferation of storylines as any different compared to Manga, and Anime with TV series. Just another way to reap a lot of stories utilizing owned content rights.

Given that Disney owns so much other content I expect a wide divergence from Movies to utilize TV series content that will satisfy fans waiting patiently for future movies whatever they might be based on. 🙂

 

[400]

^^^
Interesting graphic.

 

[decafjava]

What I find interesting is the view that Marvel TV series cheapens the Marvel franchise? ABC had seven seasons of Agents of Shield. Netflix had DareDevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Defender’s. The problem with limiting Marvel franchise to just Movies is there is way too many characters that haven’t been utilized for entertainment. I realize we are also trying to keep movies concerning superheroes to be a select few as too much would turn off movie goers. But Marvel comics spans a large number of characters. We already seen very dark examples, instead of just hero's. I really don’t see the possible proliferation of storylines as any different compared to Manga, and Anime with TV series. Just another way to reap a lot of stories utilizing owned content rights.



Given that Disney owns so much other content I expect a wide divergence from Movies to utilize TV series content that will satisfy fans waiting patiently for future movies whatever they might be based on. 🙂

Sorry deleted the graphic but am in complete agreement with you. I won't be able to follow everything but eg. enjoyed Agents of Shield and Wandavision and am looking forward to Loki over the holidays.

 

[rhett7660]

Falcon and Winter Soldier was pretty much the only show I wasnt that engaged in. Wandavision was great, Loki was pretty good, and I enjoyed the first episode of Hawkeye.

I loved Wandavision... FAWS was a let down for me, other than the fact they introduced Isiah Bradley, which I hope they do a show on him! But the show as a whole was a let down. It was ok, not great. So far I am digging Hawkee and Loki was a blast!

 

[Fozzybadfeet]

I think it strengthens the MCU as a whole. World-building and introducing secondary characters that have connections to future main characters (Echo tied to Kingpin and Daredevil). I can see why people may not like ever series and that's fine. Without the series, we'd be waiting even longer for other characters to make their debut. It's fun and with all that Kevin Feige has accomplished up to this point, I have no doubts.

Also, as of right now, there's a nice six month break until DS2: Multiverse of Madness. So unless Marvel decides to release a new series, there's going to be a lot of hype building up to DS2.

IMO, I think Hawkeye could've been a movie. Enjoyed the production value and the storyline, but IMO, the series could've had an additional 1-2 episodes. The finally seemed choppy jumping to various storylines.

 

[ian87w]

Imo the TV shows are there to expand and prep the course for the major movies. Eg. Wandavision, Loki, the What If series, they are there to set things up for Dr Strange 2. Falcon is a neat expansion upon Endgame and prep for possibility of next Captain America. Have not watched Hawkeye entirely, but so far it's a neat expansion from Endgame, brings new future recurring characters, and also tied in Daredevil (in addition to one movie). As an expectator, they are all seem like a very entertaining pieces of puzzles, falling down nicely to their places of the bigger MCU picture, forming a cohesive universe.

I'm just glad Kevin Feige is brilliant enough to be able to map out and set things up in a way that is cohesive and purposeful for the MCU. I mean if you don't have good writers, this can easily be a waste and just filled with random shows that served no purpose.