It's fair to say that the MCU has come in for more criticism of late than it has in the past, with fans complaining of a dip in quality in recent years as the slate has expanded.
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Fans had become accustomed to a whole host of series and films being released each year, with 2021 for instance seeing five TV series set in the MCU arriving on Disney Plus, and four films being released in cinemas.
However, with Deadpool & Wolverine the only MCU film currently on the schedule for this year, and only one more live action series, Agatha, currently known to be releasing in 2024, it seems the release pattern for Marvel Studios is slowing down – and Disney CEO Bob Iger has confirmed this is fully intentional.
Speaking on Disney’s fiscal Q2 earnings call, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Iger said: "I’ve been working hard with the studio to reduce output and focus more on quality, that’s particularly true with Marvel.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn in Fantastic Four. Marvel Studios
He continued: "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, at the maximum, three.
"And we’re working hard on what that path is, we’ve got a couple of good films in '25 and then we’re heading to more Avengers, which we’re extremely excited about.
"Overall, I feel great about the slate, 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."
As Iger says, there are also two new Avengers films on the way, currently slated for 2026 and 2027, although a director has yet to be assigned for either movie.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
