Later this week, Marvel Studios will release Werewolf by Night, the first "Marvel Studios Special Presentation." Next up for that format of storytelling is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, with both expected to be around the length of a typical cable TV show (so, roughly 45 - 55 minutes).
It's an exciting new approach to storytelling, and one it appears Marvel Studios will focus more on moving forward. While fans have been appreciative of the many MCU TV shows on Disney+, there's no denying that they've been a tad inconsistent, with some characters - Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, for example - better suited for a movie than a six-part TV series.
Well, according to The Cosmic Circus, Marvel Studios is looking to make these Special Presentations a regular occurrence moving forward, and not just around the holidays.
This means they can continue telling stories that don't necessarily justify a movie or are simply better suited to a shorter style of storytelling. Werewolf by Night, for example, could have easily played out over six episodes, but everything we've heard suggests that the standalone 50-minute story is a pitch-perfect introduction to both that character and Man-Thing.
Apparently, many of the upcoming Disney+ TV shows mentioned by the trades - such as those Black Panther and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings spinoffs - are being planned as Special Presentations rather than full-blown TV shows.
Whether that will be the case for the likes of Wonder Man and Nova remains to be seen, but using this format to introduce those heroes before they show up in future movies or TV shows might be a much better use of Marvel Studios' resources (especially when it feels like Kevin Feige is being spread a little too thinly these days).
How would you guys feel about fewer TV shows and more Special Presentations from Marvel Studios on Disney+?