Summary

Marvel Studios is considering producing multi-season television series in response to fan demand for more in-depth storytelling. The success of shows like WandaVision, which directly influenced subsequent MCU stories, has highlighted the potential for expanded narratives in the television format. The premiere of Loki Season 2, which promises to be a crucial part of the Multiverse Saga, suggests that popular characters appearing in multiple seasons could be the future direction for Marvel’s television output.

Marvel Studios has crafted one of the largest interconnected projects ever seen on the big screen with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Having spent over a decade building what became known as The Infinity Saga, 2021 saw focus shift to the new arena of television thanks to the arrival of Disney+. However, things have not been quite as rosy on the small screen, with the franchise often struggling to meet high fan expectations. Now it seems that there could be another shift coming to the world’s biggest franchise.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, it seems that Marvel Studios has come to a big decision about what its future television output will look like, and this allegedly involves more of what a lot of fans have been asking for since the arrival of WandaVision; multi-season series.

In the main, Marvel Studios treat their Disney+ output almost like the appendices of a book, delivering stories that share a more detailed look at the lives of certain characters that there just hasn’t been room to show in a movie. The main problem is that even successful shows like WandaVision, that have gone on to directly influence subsequent MCU stories, in themselves feel like they tell a tale that could be expanded further in its own right.

Now it seems this is Marvel’s plan going forward with the rumor that the studio wants to “create shows that run several seasons, where characters can take time to develop relationships with the audience rather than feeling like they are the set up for a big crossover event.”

Related: Marvel Studios’ TV Efforts Face Internal Criticism, Secret Invasion Issues Revealed

Loki Season 2 is A Big Piece of the Multiverse Puzzle.
Marvel Studios

Although that statement comes with a lot of scope, Marvel Studios has recently been pulling back on its upcoming list of projects after coming under fire for putting out too much content and focusing on quantity over quality.

Having originally been set to air early in the year, Loki has just premiered its second season last week and is one of just two Disney+ live-action series to hit the platform this year compared to the 4 or 5 that were announced last year. The Tom Hiddleston-led show was one of the most popular entires in the franchise during its first season, and became the first and so far only show to go beyond being a limited series.

Loki arrived with the promise of being an integral piece of the Multiverse Saga’s larger puzzle, with an appearance by Jonathan Majors’ Kang and a story firmly rooted in the “what if” of the Marvel multiverse. Although the show has a long way to go, responses to the first episode have been very positive, and it could certainly be a sign that popular characters appearing in multiple seasons of their own series may be the way forward in the future.

So far, Daredevil: Born Again already planned to run for more than one season, even before the huge 18-part first season has completed filming, but many others have been left in limbo despite fan outcry. Fans have been awaiting news on a possible second season of Moon Knight, another outing for Werewolf by Night and others such as Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law also left the door open for more seasons to follow. Whether this latest update offers hope for any of these shows to get a second crack of the whip is yet to be seen, but once again it is clear that the path of the MCU is one that has as many branches as its multiverse.