It’s been more than a year since last year’s “Avengers: Endgame” and its coda, “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” Those two stories wrapped up what is affectionately called the “Infinity Saga.” But since then, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have yet to see an official return to the MCU. Thankfully, “WandaVision” is right around the corner, and according to Kevin Feige, the anticipation for the show has only grown due to the MCU’s absence, and he believes the series is not only a bold move for Marvel Studios but also a step into the future of storytelling.
Speaking to Emmy Magazine, Feige talked about all things “WandaVision.” Of course, he’s not concerned about people forgetting about the world’s biggest film franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and said “the wait has caused great, great anticipation” for fans of the MCU. But not only that, he thinks “WandaVision” marks the first foray into the world of TV and streaming, both exciting frontiers for the massive studio.
The Marvel Studios President called the move to streaming the “adrenaline boost” his team needed after completing the decade-long “Infinity Saga.” And with Disney+ and the rise of streaming platforms, it’s clear that Feige believes that the future is clearly digital.
READ MORE: Marvel Studios Reportedly Making Upcoming Disney+ Series “The Priority” Right Now
“Streaming is 100 percent the future and where consumers want to watch things,” Feige said. “And hopefully they’ll want to watch our long-form narrative series. An experience like ‘WandaVision’ is something you can’t get in a movie. You go to movies for things you can’t get on streaming, and you go to streaming for things you can’t get in a theater. And of course, everything in a theater goes to streaming eventually.”
These comments might make the nerves inside of filmmakers and film fans a little on edge. With Warner Bros. pushing its entire 2021 film lineup to simultaneously debut in theaters and on HBO Max for no additional fee, folks are starting to be concerned that studios are trying to rush to the end of traditional theater-going and move towards a streaming future. And if you listen to Feige, not only does he think this is the way it’s going to happen, but he clearly thinks that streaming offers something theaters can’t. So, if you’re concerned that the vast influx of newly-announced TV projects from Marvel is a sign of the times, then you’re probably right, as the man making those decisions is embracing that streaming future whole-heartedly.
“WandaVision” is set to debut on Disney+ on January 15, 2021.
