Why Kevin Feige Greenlit So Many Mediocre Marvel Disney+ Shows, and What It Says About the MCU’s Struggles

At one point, the Marvel Cinematic Universe felt like an unstoppable machine. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, the studio delivered hit after hit with a tone and structure that felt fresh, exciting, and unified. But after Endgame, that all changed.Suddenly, Marvel was everywhere. New shows were popping up on Disney+ what felt like every other month. Some of them, like WandaVision and Loki, landed well with audiences. Others, like Secret Invasion and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, didn’t. Even solid efforts like Ms. Marvel got buried under the weight of Marvel fatigue.So… what happened? Why did Marvel — and more specifically, Kevin Feige, sign off on so many shows that either didn’t land or felt unnecessary?According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, it all boils down to three words from Disney CEO Bob Iger: “Expansion, expansion, expansion.” That directive, driven by Disney’s aggressive push into streaming with Disney+, became the mission statement post-Endgame. Feige, who has been the driving force behind the MCU for more than 15 years, didn’t exactly fight it. Instead, he went along with the strategy, reportedly wanting to be a “good corporate citizen.”But that corporate loyalty came at a cost.The result was a sprawling content landscape that overwhelmed audiences and overcomplicated the storytelling. Shows like Secret Invasion were critically panned. She-Hulk had its fans, but the general reaction was mixed, and many felt it was rushed or uneven. Even when the quality was there, like with Ms. Marvel, viewership suffered. As the report notes, there was just “too much Marvel content” by the time that series dropped, and many fans had already checked out.This led to a bigger problem… fragmentation. Characters introduced in Disney+ shows later showed up in films like The Marvels, but most viewers hadn’t seen their backstories. So now, the movies had to stop and fill in gaps, killing pacing and driving up confusion. The Marvels flopped hard at the box office, and one big reason was that a good chunk of the audience had no idea who Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan was or why they should care.Of course, it’s easy to point to corporate mandates and say, “That’s why the quality dipped.” But there’s something more going on. The real issue might be Marvel’s storytelling itself. The formula that worked so well during the Infinity Saga with its quippy dialogue, familiar structure, a mix of humor and heart has started to feel stale. Every movie and show sounds the same. Every character delivers jokes the same way. There’s a sameness to the tone that’s grown tiresome, regardless of how big or small the story is.Thankfully, it seems Marvel is finally taking a step back. The studio is scaling down its release schedule. There are still a few films set for 2025, including the recently released Thunderbolts*, which, by the way, turned out great. It took some creative risks, embraced strong character work, and felt different from the typical MCU formula. That’s a big part of why it worked.If Marvel wants to win back its audience, it’s not just about doing less, it’s about doing better. The reset is coming. Let’s hope the evolution follows.

May 5, 2025 - 18:42

Why Kevin Feige Greenlit So Many Mediocre Marvel Disney+ Shows, and What It Says About the MCU’s Struggles

At one point, the Marvel Cinematic Universe felt like an unstoppable machine. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, the studio delivered hit after hit with a tone and structure that felt fresh, exciting, and unified. But after Endgame, that all changed.

Suddenly, Marvel was everywhere. New shows were popping up on Disney+ what felt like every other month. Some of them, like WandaVision and Loki, landed well with audiences. Others, like Secret Invasion and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, didn’t. Even solid efforts like Ms. Marvel got buried under the weight of Marvel fatigue.

So… what happened? Why did Marvel — and more specifically, Kevin Feige, sign off on so many shows that either didn’t land or felt unnecessary?

According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, it all boils down to three words from Disney CEO Bob Iger: “Expansion, expansion, expansion.”

That directive, driven by Disney’s aggressive push into streaming with Disney+, became the mission statement post-Endgame.

Feige, who has been the driving force behind the MCU for more than 15 years, didn’t exactly fight it. Instead, he went along with the strategy, reportedly wanting to be a “good corporate citizen.”

But that corporate loyalty came at a cost.

The result was a sprawling content landscape that overwhelmed audiences and overcomplicated the storytelling.

Shows like Secret Invasion were critically panned. She-Hulk had its fans, but the general reaction was mixed, and many felt it was rushed or uneven.

Even when the quality was there, like with Ms. Marvel, viewership suffered. As the report notes, there was just “too much Marvel content” by the time that series dropped, and many fans had already checked out.

This led to a bigger problem… fragmentation. Characters introduced in Disney+ shows later showed up in films like The Marvels, but most viewers hadn’t seen their backstories. So now, the movies had to stop and fill in gaps, killing pacing and driving up confusion.

The Marvels flopped hard at the box office, and one big reason was that a good chunk of the audience had no idea who Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan was or why they should care.

Of course, it’s easy to point to corporate mandates and say, “That’s why the quality dipped.” But there’s something more going on.

The real issue might be Marvel’s storytelling itself. The formula that worked so well during the Infinity Saga with its quippy dialogue, familiar structure, a mix of humor and heart has started to feel stale. Every movie and show sounds the same. Every character delivers jokes the same way. There’s a sameness to the tone that’s grown tiresome, regardless of how big or small the story is.

Thankfully, it seems Marvel is finally taking a step back. The studio is scaling down its release schedule. There are still a few films set for 2025, including the recently released Thunderbolts*, which, by the way, turned out great. It took some creative risks, embraced strong character work, and felt different from the typical MCU formula. That’s a big part of why it worked.

If Marvel wants to win back its audience, it’s not just about doing less, it’s about doing better. The reset is coming. Let’s hope the evolution follows.