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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
Last week Disney revealed a wealth of information regarding their long awaited (and highly anticipated) streaming service, “Disney+,” and, while it’s not slated for release until later this year (November 12th) it’s coming chockfull, with not only the older Disney Classics we all know and love, but also some interesting new projects that stem from many of the massive acquisitions Disney has made in the past decade; which include Lucasfilm, FOX Networks Group, and Marvel Entertainment/Studios – the last of which will be my primary focus.
Now, for those who are familiar with the MCU – which, with the record breaking pre-sale numbers for this month’s Avengers: Endgame, should be everyone – know that it extends well past just the silver screen. In fact, ever since the Avengers entered their second phase (i.e. movies that came after the first Avengers film) they have had a number of TV properties which include tiles such as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Cloak and Dagger, The Runaways, as well as a number of different titles which revolve around different members of The Defenders. However, while these shows may take place within the same shared universe, their paths hardly ever cross – this is especially true of the Netflix titles, which don’t even refer to the Avengers by their names. In fact, of all of the shows, the only properties that have done a decent job of connecting the TV realm with the movies in a substantial way is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and – to a lesser, but still notable, extent - Cloak and Dagger.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a lot going for it from the jump, as it follows Agent Phil Coulson who appeared in over half of the Phase 1 films. Even more so, the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was heavily influenced by the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as the dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D. had lasting ramifications for the show. However, as the show lingered on, it seemed to almost entirely lose its connection to the larger MCU, eventually becoming its own thing entirely. Cloak and Dagger isn’t as “in your face” with its connectivity, but where it excels is in the fact that it manages to provide a level of connectivity with all aspects of the MCU – even bridging the gap between the Netflix properties and the movies, which is pretty incredible.
Now, I mention all of this because, Disney+ has promised to present audiences with a number of new Marvel shows; however, where other shows have only alluded to the MCU films & its characters (with Agents being the exception), these shows will be led by many of the Avengers we have followed over the last decade. The list of titles include Loki, WandaVision, Hawkeye, and Falcon & Winter Soldier; all of which seem as though they’ll bring something entirely new to the TV landscape of the MCU.
Which brings me to the overall point of my article – Disney+ is an absolute gamechanger in regard to how audiences will experience the MCU going forward. Not only will we get to follow our favorite characters as they embark on their large scale journey’s in the theaters every few months, but we’ll also get to witness more intimate stories with our other favorites in the comfort of our homes whenever we’d like.
Furthermore, the introduction of this new form of storytelling will give us the opportunity to get a better understanding of the characters who haven’t gotten as much screen time as, say, Iron Man, Captain America, or Thor. Hawkeye’s family was introduced in Age of Ultron, but we didn’t get nearly enough time with them to make them feel like genuine characters. I, for one, don’t even remember his wife or daughters name from the movie. However, his new show might provide us with the opportunity to get to know them better; honestly, it might even give us a better chance to understand him better, seeing as he’s never been the focus of any movie he’s appeared in thus far - though, it does seem that he’ll get some more attention in Endgame.
In addition to the opportunity to delve deeper into these characters stories, it also gives us an opportunity to present us with events in the show that have a substantial effect on the movies – such as Hawkeye retiring, or Falcon and Winter Solider vying for the title of Captain America (not that that has been confirmed or anything.) It could lead to moments during a movie where audiences who have followed these heroes stories on Disney+ are rewarded with extra bits of information when it comes time for these characters to team up in ensemble movies. An example of this would be in regard to Tony Stark and Pepper Potts – how the couple had seemingly broken up prior to the events of Civil War, and yet were ready to get engaged by the time of the events of Homecoming. It would have been interesting to see what happened during that time via some sort of limited series for an Iron Man television show.
All in all, the idea of these live-action shows coming to Disney+ has me excited for the future of the MCU as we enter a post-Endgame era. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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