Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are more than accustomed to the handful of streaming series that have built out the library of titles in that franchise. Since 2021’s WandaVision, what some consider to be the best Marvel TV shows have connected to the lore of MCU past and introduced arcs and characters of future importance.
For a little while, I was on the same train as everyone else, but eventually, I fell behind on these Disney+ shows. To be totally honest, I honestly don’t know how, or if, I’ll ever catch up. So as we prepare for the return of Marvel to the 2023 TV schedule, here's my tale about where I stand with the Marvel multiverse.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Of Television, In A Nutshell
To really understand the struggle, one needs to stop and take in the full catalogue of Marvel shows that have streamed to this point. While anyone can sign up for a Disney+ subscription, not everyone has the time or interest to dive into the total package that consists of nine series to date, which have yielded 63 episodes worth of story. Here’s what that world consists of, at the time of this writing:
- WandaVision
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Loki
- What If...?
- Hawkeye
- Moon Knight
- Ms. Marvel
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
- Secret Invasion
We’re on the cusp of Loki Season 2 premiering on Disney+ in a matter of days, so that total will change in the coming weeks. As that’s the first show from this universe to return for a second season, catching up for the next chapter of Tom Hiddleston’s adventures is easy enough. As for climbing back onto the MCU horse in general, that’s a larger saddle that would take some time to return to.
Why, And Where, I Fell Off Of The MCU’s Disney+ Series Train
Despite being severely disappointed with the ending of WandaVision, I kept up with the Disney+ MCU for a fair amount of time. In addition to devouring Loki, I was also a fan of what was done with The Falcon and the Winter Solider. But by the time What If…? and Hawkeye started to air, I found myself falling behind due to other obligations. I can’t remember what those commitments happened to be, but once I was knocked off the rails, it was hard to get back on them.
My most recent attempts to try and get back into the Marvel TV series happened to be the first episodes of both She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Secret Invasion. Both series had concepts that sounded interesting and out of the box, but upon viewing both of their pilots, I wasn’t invested in the slightest. Nowhere did this hurt more than with Samuel L. Jackson’s return as Nick Fury, as that show was teasing a massive spy thriller vibe, which as a James Bond movie fan is right up my alley.
When that first chapter wrapped, I couldn’t have been less interested in catching up. And yes, that was despite an all-star cast of actors like Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke and Academy Award winner Olivia Colman being present. Yet for as much as I’ve laid out my complaints pertaining to the MCU’s TV branch, there are still pockets of the overall experience I’m glad to keep myself up to date on.
The Marvel Series That Still Have Me Invested
While I’ve fallen off of the MCU’s TV train in the greater picture, there are still a couple of shows that I’m a devoted fan of. As far as what’s aired, I’m not only primed and ready to revisit Loki for Season 2, I’m also extremely excited to see what the next raft of What If…? stories have to offer as well. In my mind, there’s still some exciting potential in the multiverse being played out in Disney+'s streaming playground.
When it comes to following those threads, I’m totally there, which admittedly leaves me periodically with my jaw on the floor; like when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s post-credits scenes dropped that wonderful tease for Loki Season 2. Also, the upcoming Marvel Zombies animated series technically counts as an entry on this list as well.
I’ve been stumping for why Marvel Zombies needs to happen for some time, so there’s no way I’m not at least starting to check that out. As for the rest of the MCU TV offerings, it’s all a mix of shows I wasn’t a huge fan of and series that I’m not sure I need to prioritize in the name of keeping myself in play on this particular playground.
Will I Ever Catch Up With The Marvel Disney+ Shows?
Admittedly one of the advantages that Marvel has over other franchises, like say the Star Wars universe, is that you can sort of pick and choose what you’re invested in. While you might need to have watched Ms. Marvel to totally get the story of The Marvels, you don’t need to have seen it to watch Loki.
Not to mention, unless I missed something between the release of Moon Knight and the Marvel movies that hit theaters in its wake, that’s one of the series that doesn’t seem to have any overall impact on the MCU. So with that in mind, there might not be a time when I’m totally caught up with Marvel’s Disney+ shows.
In an ecosystem where “It's All Connected” used to be a slogan of importance, the question of whether that’s ever been true at any given point is something that recurs. Sure, I’m more inclined to watch Ms. Marvel now that I’ve seen Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) being comically adorable in the first trailer for The Marvels, but if it wasn’t for that connection, I’m not sure I’d have put any level of importance on doing just that.
Maybe it’s my Marvel movie fatigue that’s put me into a position such as this, as I’ve even found myself questioning which MCU entries to attend and which ones to skip in theaters. Perhaps if the next few movies pull the saga out of the seemingly aimless arc it’s currently engaging in, I’ll find myself digging deeper into the past. While I weigh this matter out in my own mind, the clock is ticking and the stack gets ever higher.
So for now, I’m going to enjoy those pockets of the Marvel continuum that I’ve really dug, and I’ll tackle anything else that’s present when, and if, I have the time. But you can be sure that I’ll be revisiting Loki Season 1, as Season 2 premieres on Disney+ October 5th.
