10 MCU Phase 4 & 5 Projects That Likely Wouldn’t Be Made Under Marvel’s New Mandate

Several projects in Phases 4 and 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would never have been developed under Disney’s new restrictions for Marvel Studios. Following the conclusion of the MCU’s Infinity Saga with Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel Studios began a massive expansion of its live-action superhero franchise by producing long-form TV shows for Disney+. These series, combined with the MCU’s theatrical releases, led to a major increase in content being produced by Marvel Studios, but this unfortunately caused some issues with the MCU’s Phases 4 and 5, which have prompted huge changes at Marvel and Disney.

This increase in content caused criticism that Marvel Studios is focusing on quantity over quality, and has also caused the emergence of so-called “superhero fatigue”, as audiences have become more jaded with superhero media. This prompted Disney CEO Bob Iger to hint at swathing changes to the MCU’s upcoming production schedule. At Disney’s latest earnings call (via The Wrap), Iger noted that Marvel Studios will slow down its output, with only the most popular franchises being focused on in the future, but had this mandate been in place sooner, several Phase 4 and 5 projects likely wouldn’t have been produced.

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10 WandaVision Explored Two Supporting Characters

WandaVision (2021)

The first project released in the MCU’s Phase 4 and the Multiverse Saga was WandaVision, a Disney+ series focused on Wanda Maximoff and Vision. WandaVision was a popular series, and a strong start for Phase 4, but the fact that the series focused on two of the MCU’s smaller characters probably means that WandaVision wouldn’t have been developed under Disney’s new mandate. If anything, WandaVision proved the benefit of the MCU’s Disney+ shows, as secondary characters could get more action than they did on the big screen, but it’s possible new series along these lines now simply won’t be developed.

9 Sam Wilson Wouldn’t Have Become Captain America In The Falcon & The Winter Soldier

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier (2021)

After Steve Rogers handed the Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+ saw Wilson hesitant to assume the moniker. A long-form series worked brilliantly to show Sam Wilson’s growth into Captain America, but under Disney’s new restrictions, this transformation likely would have occurred in a feature film, so would have been rushed to make way for a more action-packed story. While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had its problems, it provided more insight into the life of a superhero than a theatrical release could have pulled off.

8 A Solo Hulk Film May Have Been Preferable To She-Hulk: Attorney At Law

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022)

While the film rights to Bruce Banner’s Hulk seemingly still reside with Universal Pictures, Marvel Studios developed the Hulk-adjacent She-Hulk: Attorney at Law series for the MCU’s Phase 4. As the MCU’s first legal comedy series, She-Hulk was an experiment for Marvel Studios, but, despite poor visual effects, paid off in spades as Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters became a popular MCU hero. However, it’s very likely that She-Hulk wouldn’t have been developed had Marvel Studios simply been focusing on the MCU’s A-listers, particularly since there have been calls for a new solo Hulk project in the MCU for several years.

7 Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel Was One Of Marvel’s Newest Properties

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Kamala Khan only debuted as Marvel Comics’ Ms. Marvel in 2013, so she was a surprising addition to the MCU’s Phase 4. Despite early review-bombing, however, 2022’s Ms. Marvel became a fan-favorite series, and Iman Vellani continues to show a passion for her time in the MCU, even after 2023’s The Marvels. Had Disney’s restrictions been in place back then, this exciting new superhero unfortunately wouldn’t have been on Marvel Studios’ radar, as Ms. Marvel is far from a heavy-hitter. Kamala Khan’s MCU future as Ms. Marvel remains has yet to be revealed, especially after The Marvels’ Young Avengers tease.

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6 Moon Knight May Have Worked Better In A Feature Film

Moon Knight (2022)

While several projects in the MCU’s Phases 4 and 5 have received criticism, Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight series is one of the few that received a primarily positive response. However, as a standalone series with very few connections to the wider world of the MCU, it’s possible that Marvel Studios would have instead focused on developing the MCU’s pre-established heroes instead of Marc Spector. Moon Knight’s significance to Marvel Comics’ street-level stories may have constituted a feature film adaptation, but this perhaps would have lacked the development of his DID, intricate backstory, and the series’ beautiful depiction of Egyptian mythology.

5 Werewolf By Night Was A Major Experiment For Marvel Studios

Werewolf By Night (2022)

One thing that Disney’s new mandate completely rules out is future experimentation for Marvel Studios, as it seems as though the MCU’s pre-existing franchises will be developed in styles known to be popular. However, this means that one of the MCU’s most popular and boundary-pushing recent projects never would have seen the light of day. Werewolf By Night explored a completely new genre in the MCU, and introduced interesting characters that otherwise wouldn’t have had space in the MCU, so it would have been a dire shame to see this lost in an effort to push the franchise’s bigger names.

Marvel’s Werewolf By Night

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Horror

Superhero

Release Date

October 7, 2022

Director

Jaycob Maya , Will Spencer , Michael Giacchino

Runtime

53 minutes

Where To Stream

Disney+

4 Wonder Man Has Already Had A Difficult Production

Wonder Man (TBD)

Marvel Studios’ Wonder Man series is yet to premiere, but the fact that the series has already had a tumultuous production period, and is featuring a relatively smaller superhero than some of the MCU’s pre-established heroes, perhaps means it never would have been developed under Disney’s new suggestions. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to debut as actor-turned-superhero Simon Williams in Wonder Man. However, after a series of major delays and tragedy befalling the set following a crew member’s passing, the future is still unclear for the Wonder Man ​​​​​​​series, so it’s possible it could still become a Marvel Studios casualty.

3 Armor Wars May Be Unnecessary Without Tony Stark’s Iron Man

Armor Wars (TBD)

The development of Marvel Studios’ Armor Wars is already confusing, particularly since it’s one of Tony Stark’s primary storylines in Marvel Comics, but the MCU’s Iron Man died during Endgame. Armor Wars will star Don Cheadle’s Rhodey, a.k.a. War Machine, in Stark’s place, but nothing has been heard about the project since September 2022. Rhodey has always been a supporting character in the MCU, and these secondary characters were said to be the focus of the MCU’s Disney+ shows, so perhaps Armor Wars would still have been developed as a series, but with news being scarce, this too seems unlikely.

2 Marvel Spotlight’s Echo May Have Been A Confusing Addition To The MCU

Echo (2024)

Prior to its release in January 2024 under the new Marvel Spotlight banner, Echo received criticism for seemingly being an unnecessary spinoff from Phase 4’s Hawkeye, which debuted Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. Nevertheless, Echo received positive reviews, particularly Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Kingpin and the representation of the Choctaw Nation, so it would have been a shame if Marvel Studios had bent to critics and canceled the series. Under Disney’s new mandate, Marvel Spotlight might be the way to go, providing short and sweet stories for some of the MCU’s smaller characters, rather than full-length series or feature films.

1 Eternals Is One Of The MCU’s Most Divisive Projects

Eternals (2021)

Chloé Zhao’s Eternals is perhaps the most divisive project of the MCU’s Phase 4, as many celebrate the project’s ambition, cinematography and development of the MCU’s history, while the screenplay, pacing and character developments were criticized. Eternals is one of the MCU’s biggest stories in terms of franchise expansion, but it’s still unclear whether the story will continue in a sequel, due to the film’s disappointing performance and mixed response. Under Bob Iger’s new mandate, there’s no chance that Eternals would have been developed for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the team is one of Marvel Comics’ most obscure properties.