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Disney Plus Marvel TV shows: Here's what we know
Disney Plus is already the hottest new streaming service. That’s partly due to a lot of great family-friendly movies and TV shows from its extensive library. That includes the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. However, the MCU has now become an even bigger part of the service. Starting in January 2021, Disney Plus Marvel Cinematic Universe TV shows started dropping, and so far, they have been critical and popular hits.
Read more: Watch the MCU movies on Disney Plus in order
Here’s a look at everything we know about the Disney Plus MCU TV shows, both the ones that have been released and the many that are still to come. You can sign up for Disney Plus right now at the link below:
There were already some MCU-based TV shows out there, right?
Well, not really. Until 2020, Marvel Television was a separate division away from Marvel Studios. Marvel Television gave us Agents of SHIELD, which stars Clark Gregg, who reprised his role as Agent Coulson from several MCU movies. It frequently featured cameo roles from other MCU characters, including Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury.
The show also referenced events that happened in MCU movies, particularly Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which depicted the fall of SHIELD. That movie shook up the entire format of Agents of SHIELD in the middle of its first season. Other Marvel Television TV shows have made oblique references to MCU events, including some of the Marvel Netflix series.
Read more: Best Marvel movies and TV shows on Netflix
In the end, however, Marvel Television shows are not considered “canon” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Disney Plus Marvel shows will be canon, as they are being developed directly by Marvel Studios, led by the MCU head man Kevin Feige. In late 2019, Feige got a bit of a promotion, giving him complete control of Marvel’s television division, among other things. Feige has promised that events in the Disney Plus Marvel shows will directly impact the many upcoming MCU feature films.
In the meantime, Agents of SHIELD, and the former Netflix shows (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders) have left Netflix and are now available on Disney Plus.
Disney Plus Marvel Cinematic Universe shows
With that explanation out of the way, let’s look at the MCU shows launched on Disney Plus, along with the upcoming 2022 shows and their approximate release dates.
Currently available shows
WandaVision (All episodes available)
The first Disney Plus MCU series is very different. WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen, reprising her role as the magic-based character Wanda Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch. It also stars Paul Bettany, who is back as the super-powered android known as Vision. You may remember that at the end of the movie Avengers: Infinity War (Spoiler Alert), Vision was “killed” by Thanos.
Wanda and Vision are trapped in some kind of constantly shifting reality. Trailers have shown the happy couple in several different TV family sitcom cliches. These include the 1960s (in black and white) similar to The Dick Van Dyke Show, the 1970s like in All The The Family, the 1980s in a show like Family Ties, and finally in the 1990s in a Rosanne-like sitcom. What’s going on? You will have to watch to find out.
Three more MCU characters show up in WandaVision. Randall Park is back as FBI agent Jimmy Woo, last seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Also, Kat Dennings returns as Darcy Lewis, from Thor and Thor: The Dark World. Last seen as a kid in the 1990s in Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau is in the show as an adult, now played by Teyonah Parris. Actor Kathryn Hahn will also show up as a new character, Agnes, described as a “nosy neighbor” for Wanda and Vision.
Jac Schaeffer, who co-wrote Captain Marvel and Black Widow movies, was the head writer and showrunner for WandaVision. The show has nine episodes which were all directed by Matt Shakman. WandaVision was nominated for 23 2021 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series. Olson and Bettany were also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress and Actor in a Limited Series, respectively, and Hahn was also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (All episodes available)
This Disney Plus Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show centers on two highly popular MCU characters: Sam Wilson (The Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan). The series follows up directly from the events at the end of the MCU film Avengers: Endgame.
Spoiler Alert: At the end of that movie, an aging Steve Rogers gives Sam Captain America’s shield. However, in that first episode, Sam decided to give up the shield and donate it to the Smithsonian Institution. Meanwhile, Bucky is still dealing with all the death he caused while under the control of Hydra as The Winter Soldier.
The main storyline of this series shows Sam and Bucky teaming up to fight off the Flag Smashers, a terrorist group boosted by a version of Steve Rogers’ super-soldier serum. They also have to deal with a new “Captain America,” played by Wyatt Russell, who has been given Steve Rogers’ shield and a new uniform by the US Government.
Some more MCU characters show up in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. One is Helmut Zemo, played again by Daniel Brühl, who portrayed the villainous character in Captain America: Civil War. Emily VanCamp also returns as Sharon Carter, the now-former SHIELD agent last seen in Captain America: Civil War.
The series has a total of six episodes. Malcolm Spellman, a writer and producer for the Fox show Empire, is the showrunner and head writer for this series. Derek Kolstad, best known as the main screenwriter for the three John Wick films, is also a part of the writing team for The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Kari Skogland, a veteran TV director, directed all six episodes. It was nominated for five 2021 Emmy Awards.
Loki (All episodes available for season 1)
Tom Hiddleston is back as Loki, the Norse god of mischief. The series follows his adventures after the events of Avengers: Endgame, where (Spoiler Alert) we saw Loki disappear after taking the Tesseract. As it turns out, that action caused a break in the timeline, and Loki is captured as a “variant” of the Time Variance Authority. As we soon learn, the TVA is dealing with someone else who is actively trying to bring down this mysterious organization, and Loki is recruited to “help” find this person. To say anything more would spoil a lot of surprises.
Actor Owen Wilson also appears in Loki as Mobius, one of the TVA’s employees. Michael Waldron, who wrote for Rick and Morty, is the head writer for this series. Kate Herron, who has directed episodes of Netflix’s Sex Education series, directed all six episodes. Other cast members include Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Tara Strong, and Sophia Di Martino.
You can watch all six episodes of the first season now, and Loki will be back at some point for a second season.
What If? (All episodes available for season one)
This Disney Plus MCU series is a tad different because it’s an animated series, rather than live-action. The 9-episode series examines what the MCU might be like if some events happened differently. For example, one episode shows how things would have changed if Agent Peggy Carter got the super serum treatment in World War II, rather than Steve Rogers. The show’s premise is based loosely on the Marvel comics series published on and off since the 1970s.
Most of the actors from the MCU movies reprise their character roles as voice talent in What If? Jeffrey Wright introduces each episode as the cosmic character The Watcher. Marvel Studios is so confident in the series that it has already ordered a second 9 episode series slated for 2022.
Hawkeye (All episodes available)
Jeremy Renner returns as Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, in this Disney Plus Marvel series. This is actually a Christmas-themed series, as it takes place mainly in New York City during the holiday season. Barton is taking his kids to the big city for a vacation, but he gets involved in a major crime ring. He also encounters Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), a young woman inspired to become an expert archer and crime fighter due to Hawkeye’s influence.
Moon Knight (currently in season one)
Oscar Isaac plays this live-action version of the fan-favorite Marvel superhero. He also has disassociate identity disorder, which means he could be Moon Knight, meek gift shop employee Steven Grant, or mercenary Marc Spector. Whatever his identity, he will have to deal with a powerful cult leader, played by Ethan Hawke, who tries to use his followers to take over the world.
Upcoming Marvel MCU Disney Plus series and specials
Many MCU series and specials are coming to Disney Plus in the months and years ahead. Here’s a look at them:
- Ms. Marvel
- She-Hulk
- Utitled Halloween Special
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
- Secret Invasion
- Armor Wars
- Ironheart
- Wakanda (working title)
- Echo
- Marvel Zombies
- Agatha: House of Harkness
Ms. Marvel (coming June 8, 2022)
Marvel Studios is developing a series based on Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan.) In the Marvel comics universe, she’s a teenage Pakistani American who has shape-shifting powers. In this series, she discovers some kind of bracelet that gives her the ability to create solid objects out of light. Acting newcomer Iman Vellani has been cast as Ms. Marvel. The series will lead directly into the MCU feature film The Marvels, due in early 2023.
She-Hulk (coming in summer 2022)
Jessica Gao will be the showrunner for the She-Hulk series. Kat Coiro, who has directed episodes of shows like Shameless, Dead to Me, Modern Family, and more, will direct the pilot and other episodes.
Tatiana Maslany has been cast as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk. Maslany is best known for her role in the BBC America series Orphan Black, where she played several different characters, all of which were clones of each other. She won an Emmy Award for Best Actress for her performances in the series. She was recently seen in the popular HBO Perry Mason reboot. Marvel has also confirmed that Mark Ruffalo will appear as Bruce Banner/Hulk, and Tim Roth, who appeared as The Abomination in The Incredible Hulk movie, will also return in She-Hulk. Other cast members will include Ginger Gonzaga, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Jameela Jamil.
According to some reports, this show will be handled as more of a true sitcom. Walters will reportedly break the fourth wall and talk directly to the camera, similar to how the character was handled in some incarnations of the She-Hulk comic book. The series will reportedly have ten 30-minute episodes.
Untitled Halloween Special (Halloween 2022?)
While Marvel has yet to officially announce this one-shot special, industry trades like the Hollywood Reporter have stated that it is in the works for a debut sometime in the Halloween time frame of 2022. Gael Garcia Bernal has reportedly been cast as the special’s lead character, which is highly expected to be the MCU debut of Marvel’s Werewolf by Night character.
The Guardians of the Galaxy holiday special (late 2022)
While not a full-fledged series, Marvel Studios is also planning on launching the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in late 2022. It will feature the entire cast of the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and will be written and directed by James Gunn.
Secret Invasion (coming in early 2023)
Samuel L. Jackson apparently can’t quit the MCU. Disney has confirmed that he will be back as Nick Fury in Secret Invasion. The series is based on the classic Marvel Comics company-wide comic book crossover series, where the alien shape-shifting Skrulls have infiltrated Earth, and even taken on the forms of some superheroes. Ben Mendelsohn, who starred as the Skrull Talon in the Captain Marvel movie, will return for this upcoming Disney Plus Marvel show.
In addition to those two actors, some other major acting talent will be joining them in this series. Olivia Colman, the Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor (The Favourite, Broadchurch, The Crown), will be part of the cast in an unnamed role. Emilia Clarke, in her first big TV acting part since her role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, will also appear in Secret Invasion in a role yet to be revealed. Other cast members in the series will include Kingsley Ben-Adir and Christopher McDonald.
Armor Wars (coming in 2023)
This series is based on a classic Iron Man storyline, where we find out that Tony Stark’s Iron Man technology has been leaked to other countries and companies. While Robert Downey Jr. won’t return as Stark, the series will star Don Cheadle, who is returning as James Rhodes and his armored alter ego War Machine. This series is scheduled to start filming in late 2022.
Ironheart (coming in 2023)
Speaking of Iron Man, this series will feature the next generation of inventors in the Marvel Universe. Dominique Thorne has been cast already as Riri Williams, who has created her own high-tech armor suit.
Details about this show’s storyline have yet to be released. However, we know that Riri Williams will first appear in the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is due out in late 2022 in theaters.
Wakanda (Working title – TBA)
The fictional African nation of Wakanda, first shown in full in the hit 2018 MCU movie Black Panther, will be the center of its own Disney Plus Marvel TV show. Deadline reports that the series will be produced and directed by Ryan Coogler, the co-writer and director of Black Panther, who will do the same for its upcoming sequel Wakanda Forever. Danai Gurira will return to the role of Okoye, the head of the Dora Milaje warrior group, for the series.
Echo (TBA)
This series will star Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, who we first saw in Hawkeye. She’s a hearing-impaired anti-hero who can duplicate the fighting movements of others. Details about her series are currently unknown.
Marvel Zombies (TBD)
Agatha: House of Harkness
Connections between the MCU Disney Plus shows and upcoming movies
Most of the new and upcoming Disney Plus shows will connect to forthcoming MCU movies. The events in WandaVision will lead directly to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness movie due in theaters in early May. Speaking of which, we may also see some characters featured in What If in that same movie. The ending of Loki season one could also be referenced in that movie and in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
As we mentioned, Ms. Marvel will next be seen in 2023’s film The Marvels, which will feature her idol, Captain Marvel. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special ending will almost certainly be linked to 2023’s the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.
Non-MCU Marvel Disney Plus series
There are a few more upcoming Marvel-related series on Disney Plus that won’t be directly connected to the MCU:
X-Men 97 (TBD)
This animated series will continue the original X-Men cartoon series that first debuted on Fox in the early 1990s. Many of that series’s voice actors are scheduled to return for the new show.
Spider-Man: Freshman Year (TBA)
There have been many Spider-Man animated shows in the past, but now we will be getting a new series. As the title suggests, it will focus on Spider-Man’s early teenage years as Peter Parker begins high school.
I Am Groot (TBD)
The Guardians of the Galaxy’s talking tree will be the subject of a series of animated short subjects on Disney Plus.
That’s all we know currently about the many Disney Plus Marvel Cinematic Universe TV shows that will be dropping over the next couple of years.