The coronavirus (COVID-19) has steadily seeped into the entertainment industry, as studios like Warner Bros. and Universal are halting work on their film and television projects. Marvel Studios has also been forced to temporarily pull the plug on its Disney+ shows, but that doesn’t mean all of the productions will stop completely.
Although the shows that are currently filming have come to a standstill, those that are in pre-production will still move forward remotely, according to Variety. This comes shortly after Disney’s decision to suspend work on its films, including high-profile movies like The Little Mermaid and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Marvel currently has at least eight TV series in the works, several of which haven’t moved in front of the camera yet.
Those that haven’t entered principal photography are Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight. At this point in time, none of the show’s production start dates are public knowledge. Still, most of them were expected to begin sometime later this year.
All four series have hired showrunners and writers, but none of them appear to have filled out their casts. Because they’re only in early development, their respective crews can easily keep the creative process going from the comfort of their homes or offices. Just like the remaining heroes in Avengers: Endgame, these series have managed to survive a serious incident.
One project that was unable to fight off the coronovirus is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was filming in Prague before things were shut down due to concerns for the health of the cast and crew. Fellow Disney+ series Loki has also been put on the back burner. However, the Tom Hiddleston-led limited series had just begun shooting, while The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was nearing the end of production.
Luckily for fans, WandaVision wrapped in Atlanta nearly two weeks ago. Yet it’s unclear as to whether post-production will proceed as planned in the midst of the pandemic.
Marvel Studios’ first animated venture, What If…?, is a bit of a wildcard in this situation. Even though stars like Chadwick Boseman and Jeff Goldblum have confirmed that voice work is being done, it’s difficult to pinpoint how far along things truly are. Nevertheless, there’s a chance What…If? could be one of the surviving shows.
Both The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision are slated to premiere in August and December 2020, respectively, while Loki and Hawkeye have been confirmed for 2021. Neither Disney nor Marvel has released a statement regarding any shifts in their release windows at this time. This could potentially change depending on the progression of the conronavirus.
There’s a firm chance that fans may have to wait a little longer to see some of their favorite MCU heroes on the small screen, but they can at least rest easy knowing some of them could still be making their returns (or debuts) as planned.
