Marvel Studios will stick to a somewhat reduced schedule for its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) projects, as Disney has announced plans to release no more than three movies and two shows per year.
Word on the superhero series’ new path comes from the company’s CEO, Bob Iger, who outlined the way forward during a recent earnings call. He says that the plan will see Marvel putting out an average of two movies a year “or a maximum of three.” Disney+ shows will be released even less often at only “about two” a year.
“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,” Iger said. “And we’re working hard on what that path is.”
Disney’s effort to reduce its Marvel output is almost certainly a response to fears of superhero fatigue and diminishing box office returns on recent MCU films. Marvel isn’t the only name in the business rapidly unleashing movies and shows into the market, but it might have been the busiest of the last decade, especially since the advent of streaming service Disney+. Now, it sounds like that will change.
Regardless, Iger says he is excited about Marvel’s upcoming schedule, adding that the goal with a stricter lineup is to increase quality over quantity.
“Overall, I feel great about the slate,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve committed to spending more and more time on. 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.”
It might sound like Marvel’s new release plans mark a major change, but it’s not completely new territory for the superhero company. The MCU’s busiest movie year, 2021, saw the release of four films: Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. So, while it does at least sound like the new limit means movies will arrive less often, the pivot isn’t quite so significant.
That said, Marvel is currently set to deliver a busy 2025. The MCU is currently set to see the release of four movies next year: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, and Blade. It’s possible one or more movies will be pushed in order to stick to this new outline, but as Iger notes, it will take some time to adapt to this new, reduced schedule.
The changes to how Disney+ MCU shows will roll out, on the other hand, sound to be pretty substantial. Marvel released a whopping five spinoff series on its streaming platform in 2021 alone. Three more followed in 2022, with another three premiering in 2023. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Eyes of Wakanda are both set to release this year, but it’s unclear when that will be.
For more, you can read everything Marvel fans can expect to watch at home and in theaters this year here. It’s currently set to be a relatively quiet year, with the only MCU movie on calendar being Deadpool and Wolverine, which comes to theaters in July.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
