Marvel reportedly taking a quality-over-quantity approach to Phases 5 and 6

Over the last 15 years, Disney has built the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the most successful film franchise in history. And they’re very much still on top; as we speak, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is cleaning up at the box office and people are enjoying the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+.

But the most recent run of Marvel content — known as “Phase 4” — has exposed some of the chinks in the studio’s armor. Sure, there have been huge hits like Spider-Man: No Way Home, but also movies that underperformed like Eternals, as well as hotly anticipated sequels that didn’t live up to expectations, like Thor: Love and Thunder. And on Disney+, the firehose of new Marvel shows has gotten a little wearying. WandaVision was a bonafide hit, but it was harder to get excited about stuff like Hawkeye and Moon Knight.

Now, according to sources at Cosmic Circus, Marvel Studios is reassessing things heading into Phases 5 and 6 of the MCU. “[A]s a preventative measure to assure quality control,” their sources report, Marvel and Disney are “re-evaluating the future releases” of movies and shows that aren’t already in production.

There could be fewer Marvel shows going forward…eventually

The higher-ups are reportedly looking to push a “quality-over-quantity” approach going forward. This could involve devloping “a sort of creative oversite” process in order to “establish more quality control moving forward.” You would also hope that they just might release fewer movies and shows, since no matter how good they are it’s hard to appreciate any one thing when there’s 30 new ones coming at you at any given time.

That said, there are a lot of movies and shows already in production and we shouldn’t expect cancellations. Just on the Disney+ front alone, 2023 will bring us the new shows Secret Invasion, Echo, Ironheart, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos, in addition to new seasons of Loki and What If…? And there are other new series like Vision Quest, Wonder Man and Daredevil: Born Again on the way.

But perhaps Disney won’t bring us any new shows for a while after that, as they let some of the others come and go and develop the hits. And we’ve seen them ease off the gas when it comes to Disney+ already, as for example when they took Armor Wars, which was going to be a TV series about Don Cheadle’s War Machine character, and turned it into a movie.

The MCU has felt a little overwhelming lately, and I think most fans would agree that a “quality over quantity” approach is best. It may take a while for Disney to change strategy given how many things are already moving full steam ahead, but it’s good to hear that they’re reacting to events on the ground.

The next Marvel thing, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, hits theaters on February 17 of next year.

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