We recently reported on the rather baffling announcement that Disney+'s first ever Marvel Cinematic Universe series, WandaVision, is set to debut on limited edition Steelbook... without any physical discs.
The set, which will include postcards, character cards, a folder, and exclusive release stickers, is currently due to hit retailers on September 27, with pre-orders starting on July 27 - but this appears to be news to Marvel Home Entertainment.
It's already been established that the Steelbook is not an officially licenced Marvel Studios product, however, Manta Lab does produce legitimate Blu-ray packaging with Marvel/Disney's approval.
“While Manta Lab is a legit licensee of Disney, and does create custom Steelbooks for Disney Blu-ray titles through Disney Consumer Products, the pre-order for a disc-less WandaVision was a surprise to some and we are looking into it as well as speaking to our partners in market," a Disney rep tells TV Line.
Though we hadn't heard of these disc-less sets before, WandaVision is not the first, and there does seem to be a market for them. We assume the idea is that fans can display the case as part of their collection, while Disney keeps the actual episodes right where they are on the streaming service.
Will we ever get physical releases of the Disney+ shows? When Kevin Feige was asked that very question back in 2021, he responded with a rather dismissive: "You can pay [Disney+] a very low fee per month and have access to something that you can put it on your TV whenever you want!"
"Marvel Studios' WandaVision blends the style of classic sitcoms with the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision – two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban life – begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems."
In addition to Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as the leads, WandaVision stars Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Debra Jo Rupp, Randall Park, and Kat Dennings. Following the success of the series, an Agatha: Coven of Chaos spin-off featuring the return of Hahn as Agatha Harkness was announced.