Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are given so many options of content to watch with 26 released movies and more on the way, but that has proven to not be enough. Instead of trying to make more movies in a limited time, Marvel has created MCU TV, consisting of television shows set within the MCU.
These shows range from buddy-cop action series to an animated retelling of key events, and each one has brought fans entertainment. The MCU shows no signs of stopping any time soon, and that is great for fans who are ready to consume as much as they can. It is the perfect time to be an MCU TV fan for a plethora of reasons.
10 Interesting Stories That Require Time
Every MCU TV show that fans have received so far has been less than 10 episodes long and filled with many plotlines, hooks, and characters. For fans of the movies, there are typically only one to two major plotlines, which is good because it requires focus. The TV shows, on the other hand, can throw in several plots and still work.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier features storylines for Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, Zemo, John Walker, and Sharon Carter as major focuses, but also includes bits of other stories like Isaiah Bradley and the Dora Milaje. Every show has bolder plots that require too much time to be shoved into a 2-hour period.
9 Your Favorites Are Expanded On
There is a saying that every character is someone’s favorite, and that is proven by the amount of love, and screen time, that all of the bit characters can get in MCU TV shows. It should be noted that Phil Coulson, only being on-screen in Avengers for a few minutes, did start this trend with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it didn’t stop with him.
Characters like Darcy, Agent Woo, and even James Rhodes get appearances that boost their already loving fanbase. Everyone is some fan’s favorite, and the fans are getting plenty of content.
8 Did You Say Spin-Off?
While the shows themselves could be considered spin-offs of the movies, that doesn’t stop them from generating their own buzz of spin-off series. The most famous example is obviously Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, who has already received a named spin-off. Additionally, even before airing, Hawkeye is getting a spin-off in the form of Echo.
While these might be the only confirmed spin-offs at this point, it can be expected that more are going to follow. Fans would not turn down an Alligator Loki spin-off.
7 Genres A Plenty
While “superhero” is the overall genre that every Marvel show is going to be set within, they break down into tons of sub-genres that can encapsulate many watchers. While shows like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier take on a buddy cop-like feel, Marvel is clearly not afraid to tap into darker genres like horror to produce stories like What If…? and Marvel Zombies.
This variety of genres allows fans to keep away from the potential monotony of the typical show-watching. There is always going to be something to keep the fans watching, whether they realize they like a generation jumping family sitcom like WandaVision or not.
6 Sequels Can Happen
While spin-offs are great, nothing beats the continuation of a series. While some like WandaVision had a solid ending that doesn’t need another season to continue, both Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki have stories that can. While Loki was confirmed for a second season to be released at some point, Marvel may look to sequelize most of the coming shows.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing either because fans get plenty of content and entertaining stories with the characters they know and love.
5 Side Characters Get Development
It’s easy to love any side character, like fans who took to Michael Peña’s Luis in Ant-Man, but in movies, those characters don’t get much more than a few lines before they are sidelined by the “real” stars. The MCU TV shows generally don’t have the same issue. A side character can be introduced in the last few episodes and still receive plenty of development.
This has been proven true by the Loki variants, He Who Remains, Monica Rambeau, and even Billy and Tommy Maximoff. The shows open up new doors for side characters.
4 Dynamic Main Characters
The side characters are great, but like in the movies, they are not the focus. With WandaVision, Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Hawkeye, focusing on the titular heroes, it is easy to see huge character progressions from their roles in the movies to the television shows.
Wanda notably is a character that was devastatingly underused in the few movies she appeared. Her show allowed her to become a real character and not just a plot piece that was moved around. Each character is able to find themselves because they have time to do so.
3 Characters That Won’t Be In The Movies
One of the best parts of the television shows is the fact that plenty of the characters featured would never appear substantially in the movies. Take, for instance, the various members of the Young Avengers that have been introduced, Kate Bishop, Kid Loki, Billy and Tommy Maximoff, and Eli Bradley.
These characters wouldn’t organically appear in the typical Avengers story, but they have a home in the MCU shows. Since the shows can give focus to a variety of people, it inspires the writers to bring in the outsider characters.
2 The Easter Eggs Are Heavy
The writers, directors, showrunners, prop departments, and set designers also have the opportunity to bring in dozens, if not hundreds, of references to the decades of Marvel stories they are adapting. The creators recognize just how much Easter eggs have become a part of the public consciousness, with some people even making entire careers out of finding them in movies and television shows. Since there is so much time to work with, the creators of the shows can put plenty of surprises for both casual and ultra-observant fans.
1 There’s Always Something On The Horizon
In 2021, there were only five series released, but that number is going to increase with at least twelve other announced shows, plus additional seasons of previous shows like Loki and What If..?. Instead of the fear of never receiving another show in the same vein, like the sweeping cancellations of the Netflix Marvel series, fans have a ton of shows to look forward to.
These shows range from youth-friendly stories like Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man: Freshman Year to darker tales like Moon Knight and Secret Invasion. It’s a great time to be a fan of MCU TV because there will be something for you for years.
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