The most expensive shows on TV (and the even pricier ones on the way)
By Dan Selcke
Marvel shows can cost as much as $25 million per episode
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most successful movie empire in the history of cinema, and Disney is trying to replicate that success on TV. From WandaVision to Loki to Moon Knight and well beyond, Disney has big plans for Marvel superheroes on the small screen, and it’s paying handsomely to make them happen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, shows like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye cost “as much as $25 million per episode.” And that article came out before the first Marvel show actually premiered on Disney+, so we can assume that prices have only risen since then.
At first blush, that figure might seem extreme. Take a show like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Sure, it has high production values, but it’s set on Earth in the present day, meaning the producers don’t have to build a fantasy world from scratch like they have to do with The Mandalorian or House of the Dragon. Also, episodes of Marvel shows tend to be a bit shorter on average than the other series on our list. How could episodes like that possibly cost $25 million apiece?
This is a good time to bring up actor salaries. Marvel shows have something a lot of these other shows don’t: bankable stars. Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner…all of these actors had proved their worth as Marvel heroes on the big screen, and by this point had negotiated generous compensation packages. That no doubt transferred over to TV.
Look at the example of the ’90s sitcom Friends. As a multi-camera sitcom, Friends was a very simple show to shoot — most of the action took place on a few sets and there was little in the way of special effects — yet by the end of the show’s run it cost $10 million per episode. Why? Because NBC had to pay the six principle actors exorbitant sums to keep them around.
So it is with Marvel. And even if you don’t have to pay actors a ton in the beginning, their prices will go up if the show succeeds. Speaking of…