Marvel Producer Confirms The Controversial Disney+ Strategy That Ruined The MCU
Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum has opened up about how the studio's constant output on Disney+ has impacted the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney+ first launched in late 2019, and by 2021, the floodgates had opened with four MCU titles, which included the acclaimed "WandaVision" and the animated series "What If...?" However, the strategy to constantly drop MCU products on Disney+ received a mixed reception, to say the least. Projects like "Secret Invasion" were criticized by both the press and fans alike for feeling rushed and lacking narrative weight.
Winderbaum, Marvel's Head of Streaming, Television and Animation, is now acknowledging that the continuous offerings on Disney+ impacted the MCU negatively. "I mean, frankly, in all honesty, there was a mandate to kind of create as much as we could for Disney+ as quickly as we could," Winderbaum told ComicBook.com's "Phase Zero" podcast.
Winderbaum's comments come as Disney is actively retooling its strategy and output, especially when it comes to Disney+ offerings. Things have been changing swiftly at Marvel Studios after Disney's historic year of movie and TV show bombs: In early 2024, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced major changes for Marvel, confirming that the studio would be releasing less titles and focusing on quality, not quantity. Winderbaum has now confirmed that the change is in effect, saying, "All of a sudden, we have to start spreading our release dates out. So, that really accounts for a lot of the delays."
Marvel's Brad Winderbaum praises the new changes
Across the board, it seems like Marvel Studios is making major decisions to scale back its output in an effort to bring back the goodwill that it's lost over the years. It's no secret that post-"Avengers: Endgame," Marvel has faced its fair share of woes, both financially and critically. Brad Winderbaum says that now, Marvel can create more effective projects and allow shows to breathe. "Now, we're using that time. We're not sitting idle. So, it's like it stays in the oven," Winderbaum said. "You can bake certain things a little more. It's actually, I think, ultimately, it's only going to make things better."
Winderbaum explained that Marvel's creative strategy has pivoted behind the scenes. "We're more like a traditional studio now. We're developing more than we actually will produce," the exec revealed. Another change that Marvel made was hiring showrunners to manage their Disney+ projects, like traditional TV series. Previously, studio execs were tackling the shows, splitting their focus between the movies and series.
This brand new strategy to slow down is company-wide, affecting both movies and shows. Marvel is pumping the brakes for 2024, only set to debut "Deadpool and Wolverine" theatrically and the "WandaVision" spin-off "Agatha" on Disney+. On the animated front, 2024 will likely see only "X-Men '97," which has received positive reactions thus far.