So, just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years (a rock that’s in a cave, on Mars, with your fingers in your ears the whole time), here’s some context: some parts of the internet really, really hate when women get involved in their favorite franchises. Case in point, 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law, one of the most entertaining and inventive slices of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga which nonetheless was torn apart by some “fans” for daring to be a female-fronted show.

She-Hulk ended up living rent-free in the heads of these real-life Hulk-Todds so much that they even spread some wild claims in the run-up to Deadpool 3‘s release. These claims alleged that Tatiana Maslany shot a cameo for the movie, but she clashed with Ryan Reynolds and was ultimately removed from the final cut. This, needless to say, is nonsense, and now Maslany herself has responded to those rumors in perfect She-Hulk style.

While appearing on an episode of the Comedy Bang Bang podcast, Tatiana Maslany was asked if she had any juicy MCU tea to spill, and the Perry Mason actress delivered the perfect deadpan answer.

“I was in Deadpool & Wolverine. I had two scenes in it. And then Ryan Reynolds fired me from the show because he said, ‘I don’t like these scenes.’ Now I’m suing Disney,” Maslany joked. The star didn’t stop there, though, as she went on to brilliantly send up the haters’ obsession with She-Hulk‘s so-called “feminist agenda”:

“I always talk about how much I hate Wolverine and Deadpool. I talk about it all the time. I also wish I’d just sit down and stop pushing my feminist agenda and just realize that [Deadpool & Wolverine] made a lot of money and She-Hulk only made three dollars,” Maslany added. “That’s why they were getting rid of me because I had this woke agenda and I really wanted to bring it into the movie.”

Maslany has never been one to bite her tongue — don’t forget her savage criticism of Disney’s own CEO Bob Iger during the 2023 strikes, which may or may not have anything to do with the fact the studio has yet to commission a second season of She-Hulk or bring the heroine back in any capacity. There is honestly so much mileage the MCU could get out of bringing together its two fourth-wall breaking characters, however, so fingers crossed this bogus Deadpool/She-Hulk crossover actually becomes a real thing one day.

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How will Marvel make up for the loss of Jonathan Majors’ Kang in Avengers 5? It’s the potential $3 billion question. The loss of the criminally convicted actor means the long-awaited follow-up to Endgame may have to start from scratch on the villain front. A major setback, for sure, but at least the Marvel multiverse isn’t short of an iconic enemy or two.

Fan-favorite felons who’ve been floated around before now including Doctor Doom, Galactus, the Beyonder… The list goes on. Perhaps what Marvel really needs to do, though, is go for someone totally out of left field. A villain the fandom wouldn’t have expected to take center stage in an Avengers movie in a million years. Someone like *checks notes* the franchise’s resident wellness guru, Emil Blonsky?

Wait, really?

Avengers 5 rumored to feature the Masters of Evil, but the lineup is more like the Masters of Mild Naughtiness 4z5v1k

Yes, another day, another Avengers 5 rumor, but this one’s even stranger than most. Our discussion of this in no way means you should take it as fact, but now that it’s out there it bears attention simply because of how oddball it is. This rumor claims that the next outing for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will see them battle the Masters of Evil, a supervillain team typically led by Baron Zemo.

Sure enough, the rumored roster indeed includes Daniel Bruhl’s Sokovian supervillain. The rest of the lineup, however, is a decidedly mixed bag. Specifically, most of them are hardly what you’d call evil. Sylvie? Agatha? They belong in the Masters of Anti-Heroes, surely. Mordo? Justin Hammer? Yon-Rogg? They’d be better fits for the Masters of Villains We Totally Forgot Existed.

Oh, and then Doctor Doom is just randomly stuck down there at the bottom. I guess he’s not quite up to the level of Jude Law’s Space Misogynist in the evil stakes. Maybe Victor’s just the team intern who they send out for coffee while they’re in world conquest budget meetings.

And, I’m sorry, but we need to talk about Abomination. As a reminder, Emil Blonsky was last seen in She-Hulk, which confirmed that he had been fully redeemed and now runs his own meditation retreat. Why would he ever a) want to the Masters of Evil and b) be invited to them in the first place? Unless the Masters of Evil is actually the name of some kind of wellness center. Are they the Masters of Evil because they have mastered their evil impulses and realigned their chakras?

Again, this is just a big, fat rumor, but if Kevin Feige actually is contemplating making the yoga instructor formally known as Abomination the new Thanos then he officially needs a lie-down. Before he makes Madisynn the new Captain America or something. Actually that I would like to see.

2024 is a curious year for the superhero world as Marvel and DC are practically on pause this year, with the real fallout for major changes to come not being felt until 2025.

For example, as James Gunn prepares to shoot next year’s Superman: Legacy evidence indicates he could be swiping the brains behind Marvel’s Loki for his own. Meanwhile, the Thunderbolts cast may finally be locked in as the future of the MCU on Disney Plus looks to have been thrown for a loop by Echo.

Things may seem quiet on the MCU/DCU front now, but just you wait, next year is going to be crazy…

Is James Gunn just the start of Marvel’s directors jumping ship to DC? 2b6t52

In the wake of House of the Dragon‘s Milly Alcock being confirmed as the DCU’s Supergirl, some curious social media activity has eagle-eyed fans wondering if Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow could see another Marvel director pulling a Gunn out of their pocket and hopping over to DC. Specifically, Kate Herron — known for helming Loki season 1 — interacted with Alcock’s post about her casting. As far as we know, Alcock and Herron have no professional connection, so it’s possible the Sex Education alum is in talks to direct the Superman: Legacy spinoff. Could this be just the beginning of the mass Marvel director exodus? Who could Gunn poach next? The Russo brothers?! We can but dream…

Chart-topper Echo cost a mere fraction as much as She-Hulk and Secret Invasion 50f6c

Something had to be done. The budgets for Marvel’s streaming shows have been increasing virtually with each new project, until we got to the point where She-Hulk and Secret Invasion cost as much as Avengers movies for a diet slice of the success. Enter Echo, which premiered on both Disney Plus and Hulu earlier this month and instantly topped the charts for both platforms. How much did that cost? As it turns out, just $40 million — that’s about 17% of She-Hulk‘s exorbitant $225 million pricetag. In other words, expect many more Marvel Spotlight series on the horizon and far fewer about green CGI characters. Bad news for anyone still dreaming about a “Shrek and Mike Wazowski Meet The Hulk” show.

Thunderbolts losing another cast-member as it gains two more means it’s time to install a revolving door 2r3l48

You know how DC’s Suicide Squad franchise kills off its characters over the course of the movie so you don’t know who’s going to make it to the end? Well, Marvel seems to be pulling off an elaborate marketing tactic along the same lines for its own answer to Task Force X. The anti-hero team-up movie has been faced with so many casting changes this January that we can’t be sure who’ll actually be in it by the time the film releases in July 2025. As it happens, Lewis Pullman is officially replacing Steven Yeun as Sentry while The Bear favorite Ayo Edebiri is likewise out, leaving Geraldine Viswanathan (Bad Education) to fill her shoes. Just don’t take away Sebastian Stan or Florence Pugh, Marvel, and we’re golden.

Much has been made out of the MCU having a bad year in 2023, one which has even cast doubt on the longevity of the once-invincible franchise, but 2024 has only just begun and things are already looking up.

Although we’ve only got the one movie releasing over the next 12 months, Marvel Studios kicked off the year with a bang by premiering the five-part Echo on Disney Plus in early January. Things weren’t plain-sailing for the Hawkeye spinoff, and Daredevil: Born Again prelude, thanks to some bad press surrounding its long delay, unusual release strategy, and middling reviews, but we have reason to believe that Marvel will consider this one to be a slam-dunk success.

Not only that, but its fiscally smart cost-to-benefit ratio likely means that it’s about to shape the future of the MCU on the small screen.

Echo‘s thrifty budget and streaming success means Marvel Spotlight is the way forward 1go16

Echo‘s budget has been outed, and it’s quite a shock. According to Forbes, Echo only came with a $40 million price tag, which makes it the cheapest Marvel Studios series of the lot by a huge margin. For contrast, costly disasters Secret Invasion and She-Hulk set the studio back a whopping $212 million and $225 million, respectively, making them as expensive as an Avengers movie. Tatiana Maslany has even openly stated that She-Hulk season 2 is unlikely to happen because the show “blew” its budget.

What’s more, on the back of this Ant-Man-sized budget, Echo appears to have been a quiet hit. Although specific figures have yet to be revealed, the Alaqua Cox vehicle is known to have topped both the Disney Plus and Hulu charts following its simultaneous streaming release (via Deadline). It’s also understood that it led to increased numbers on those catching on Daredevil and the newly canonized Defenders Saga shows too.

When you take a look at this information, there seems only one course open to Kevin Feige; expedite the Marvel Spotlight initiative and ditch the rest. Intended as a banner for street-level, standalone, (and, let’s be honest, cheaper), MCU shows, Marvel Spotlight was launched with Echo and will likely be used for Daredevil: Born Again and its future offspring. Clearly, audiences are hungry for more content set in the DD corner of this universe, and if the studio only needs to spend pennies to send them to the top of streaming charts, then why would they deny the people what they want?

All the signs are pointing to Marvel delivering fewer flashy event miniseries and more, what I’m going to christen, meat-and-potatoes MCU shows — those series that do away with all the CGI and movie tie-ins and focus on old-school gritty vigilantes. You know, basically exactly what Netflix did to great success before Disney Plus was invented. Make no mistake, the echoes of Echo could be felt in this franchise for years to come.

Marvel fans have learned the hard way not to expect more from the MCU’s Disney Plus series. To date, only one live-action show has managed to get a second season: the streaming sensation that was Loki. So what chance does a moderately watched, divisive series like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law have?

Well, that actually changes depending on who you ask. With Marvel Studios currently rethinking its streaming strategy following numerous less-than-successful releases — see Secret Invasion… and Secret Invasion — much of the long-term plan for the MCU on TV is known only to Kevin Feige and his inner sanctum, the Parliament. That leaves the fates of the shows that have already aired first seasons even more in flux than before.

But while there’s simply radio silence on the odds of, say, Moon Knight getting a second season, we’re actively hearing conflicting things about whether She-Hulk could return or not. Your honor, may I present the evidence for the potential future of the superhero legal comedy.

She-Hulk season 2 cancellations claims and renewal rumors, explained 4yse

The Jade Giantess herself Tatiana Maslany got people talking when she casually dropped the bombshell on a Twitch stream that she didn’t think She-Hulk season 2 was happening .”I don’t think so,” the Jennifer Walters actress itted. “I think we blew our budget, and Disney was like, ‘No thanks.’”

Honestly, this is something that most people had kind of guessed themselves. Last year, we learned that production on She-Hulk got exorbitantly expensive due to the fact that reshoots and changes of creative direction ensured its fully CGI lead character had to be animated over and over. The result was a nine-part half-hour show that cost an eye-popping total of $225 million to make. Put that together with Maslany’s comments and the case seems cut and dry.

And yet further intel argues that the star might’ve been a little hasty in her assessment of Shulkie’s future. According to io9, Disney has yet to make a final decision on what’s to come of Marvel’s streaming shows as comeback kid CEO Bob Iger is still to give either a thumbs-up or down. As a supposed insider source revealed:

“Maslany’s comments are basically accurate, just lacking some context. That context is when CEO Bob Iger returned to Disney and changed much of Marvel’s direction, everything was reevaluated. So while Marvel works everything out, it’s not that a second season of She-Hulk has been completely abandoned. It just seems less likely than not at the moment.”

On the one hand, you might think that one of the first things Iger would’ve done after the strikes would be to cancel the series of the actress who accused him of “outrageous” greediness and being “completely out of touch” last summer, but actually this inside information does align with rumors we had previously heard. Upon the strikes’ conclusion in August 2023, rumors emerged that Marvel and Disney were in very early development on She-Hulk season 2.

Still, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the word of the lead star of the show herself is more reliable than internet scuttlebutt. On the other hand, this is the same studio that didn’t even give the cast of Avengers: Endgame full scripts in order to keep a lid on spoilers, so the actors of the MCU are often the last to know anything important. Somebody needs to break into Marvel Studios and go ask K.E.V.I.N. the robot what the real truth is.

Although much remains up in the air after the topsy-turvy year Marvel had in 2023, there were two things we thought were indisputable fact: the Kang dynasty is over and The Marvels is the MCU’s biggest flop.

And then we started hearing that the studio could potentially simply recast Jonathan Majors rather than replace the character, and now even The Marvels might manage to avoid its ruinous reputation if things continue. Although that big ol’ Disney Plus shake-up we knew was coming? Oh yeah, that’s still happening…

The Marvels arrives on digital to untold positivity and acclaim… no, really 352h1u

Although Marvel’s still holding out on when we can expect it on Disney Plus, The Marvels is finally out there on digital, and the reactions to its VOD release are practically diametrically opposed to what the film faced when it hit theaters in November. Fans are flocking to social media to praise the chemistry of its three leads, its action scenes and general fun, comic book vibe. That’s not exactly going to undo the damage caused by its disastrous box office haul, but at least The Marvels looks to become a cult favorite among the MCU fandon. That’s more tan can be said for something like, say, Thor: Love and Thunder.

Tatiana Maslany comes clean on She-Hulk season 2 chances: “Disney was like ‘no, thanks'” z16i

If you’re thinking the MCU’s TV lineup needs a rethink after middling releases like Echo and What If…? season 2, then just know that Marvel is way ahead of you. Last year, we learned that the studio is re-strategizing how it approaches its streaming content from top to bottom, which means we’ve got a lot of changes ahead. And we’re starting to see them already. Tatiana Maslany has itted that we’re highly unlikely to ever get a She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as Marvel has pretty much ed on it at this point due to the first run’s exorbitant budget. Personally, though, I still think there’s a fantastic future for Shulkie in the franchise.

The Bear takeover of the MCU threatens to continue, but Jeremy Allen White is staying far away x1o6w

Are you happy for The Bear‘s success this awards season? Well, that’s good, because the cast of the Hulu “comedy” have got even bigger things ahead of them as the MCU looks to be snapping up Mr. Beef’s entire staff. Ayo Edebiri is set for Thunderbolts, rumor has it Ebon Moss-Bachrach could be the Thing, and now Matty Matheson has itted that it’s a dream of his to the Marvel universe as well. It looks like self-confessed MCU-aphobe Jeremy Allen “I deliberately tanked my Kevin Feige meeting” White could be left out in the cold as his former fellow sandwich makers become superheroes.

In news that will either crush Jennifer Walters’ loyal fans or delight her vocal haters, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is unlikely to get a second season at Disney Plus.

How do we know? The evidence comes from the most irrefutable source: Shulkie herself, Tatiana Maslany. While taking part in a Twitch stream with NerdIncorrect, Maslany was asked about the chances of a She-Hulk season 2. “I don’t think so,” the actress answered honestly, before explaining that budget issues may have spelled the series’ death-knell. “I think we blew our budget, and Disney was like, ‘No thanks.'”

The fact that the superhero legal sitcom cost way more than Marvel expected is a matter of public knowledge, as She-Hulk‘s first season, consisting of nine 30ish-minute episodes, cost a whopping $225 million to make in total. The fact that Maslany, never one to mince her words, also didn’t hold back when blasting Disney boss Bob Iger during the actors’ strike probably didn’t help its renewal chances either.

While this is a bummer to hear for those who did vibe with the fourth-wall breaking show, it’s important to note that Maslany never said she wouldn’t come back to the MCU at all. She-Hulk is a such a major character, with strong ties to the wider franchise, that it would be hard to simply have her vanish from Earth-616. Thankfully, the perfect way to bring her back is staring the studio in the face.

The Multiverse Saga is destined to see She-Hulk the Fantastic Four 5s4j3b

So her own Disney Plus series may be dead, but She-Hulk could well find a new home in a place that may seem odd for MCU fans but one that would make perfect sense to comic book readers: the Fantastic Four franchise.

Jen Walters has long been an honorary member of Marvel’s First Family, and in the aftermath of the original Secret Wars comic book event she even officially ed their ranks in the place of the Thing. Once the event was over, Ben Grimm decided to remain behind on Battleworld as he could transform back into a human in that realm. Needing some new muscle, Jen was welcomed into the group.

With Fantastic Four releasing in 2025, ahead of the MCU’s own Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, the road ahead is surely paved for a version of this to play out on screen. Ben could similarly elect to leave the team in the Secret Wars movie, thereby upping the stakes for Fantastic Four 2 as it would shockingly change the foursome’s line-up. Just show a few scenes of She-Hulk becoming buddies with the FF in the next two Avengers films and that would neatly set up her taking Ben’s place in the sequel.

With any luck, Maslany will have a chunky role to play in Avengers: Not The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, but after that, she could showcase what Disney Plus is missing in the Fantastic Four films.

The MCU is so huge now that it’s hard to jump into a fresh Marvel Studios project completely cold. Maybe part of the reason The Marvels crashed and burned was because it was a self-confessed sequel to about five different shows and movies. That’s not the case with Disney Plus’ Echo, however.

The pioneering project released under the brand-new Marvel Spotlight banner, which is apparently to be used for more standalone MCU productions going forward, Echo stars Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, an anti-hero long-term subscribers of the platform should already be familiar with. Don’t expect Kang crossovers and multiversal mayhem in this one, as Echo exists very much in the gritty, street-level corner of the Marvel universe.

Despite the Marvel Spotlight banner, though, it has to be said that you will get the most out of Echo if you’re familiar with certain other MCU films and series. Here are your homework assignments to complete before Echo drops all of its five episodes on Jan. 9.

Daredevil (seasons 1-3) 6q297

It’s fair to say, if you’re excited for Echo you’re probably already a die-hard Daredevil fan, as Charlie Cox’s latest return as the Man Without Fear is one of the show’s major draws. Nevertheless, there’s no better way to prepare for the Hornhead’s highly anticipated return than to relive how it all began for him and binge your way through all three seasons of Netflix’s show-stopping series once more.

If you’re really strapped for time, maybe just rewatch season 3 to remind yourself of where the Netflix show left Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk. Alternatively, if you’ve got nothing but time on your hands, why not follow up all seasons of Daredevil with the rest of the Defenders Saga — including Jessica Jones, The Punisher, Luke Cage, The Defenders, and (if you must) Iron Fist.

Hawkeye 62262p

The main reason for the confusion surrounding the Marvel Spotlight banner is that Echo is, by its nature, a Hawkeye spinoff. Don’t forget that Alaqua Cox debuted as Maya in the December 2021 series, which introduced her as the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia, who ultimately worked for her adoptive uncle, none other than Wilson Fisk/the Kingpin.

While Echo will no doubt recap viewers on the salient points of her prior journey, seeing as it’s been over two years since Hawkeye aired at this point, it would definitely be handy to revisit all six episodes of the Jeremy Renner vehicle ahead of Maya’s return. Especially as we just saw Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop again in The Marvels.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 6f1f57

Again, if you’re the sort of person who’s hyped for Echo, then you’re probably a Daredevil completist, someone who eagerly hoovers up each and every appearance from Charlie Cox as the adventurous avocado-at-law. In that case, no walk down Daredevil memory lane would be complete without a rewatch of his grand return to the world of the MCU in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Yes, Cox’s cameo in the ginormously successful Spidey threequel only lasts for mere moments, but his solitary scene carries a whole lot of weight. Through this, Matt became the very first character from Marvel Television to transfer over into the movies, something which cemented the vigilante in MCU canon without a doubt, thereby paving the way for the Daredevil: Born Again and his other Disney Plus appearances…

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law 3y3n6m

Echo could not be more tonally different from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but if you want to imbibe the unabridged Daredevil story prior to diving into Echo then you need to give the divisive legal comedy a go. Specifically, Cox shows up in the final two episodes of the season, which introduce an unlikely but epic romance between Matt Murdock and Tatiana Maslany’s titular Jade Giantess.

Many fans didn’t take to how much lighter the generally gloomy hero is depicted in She-Hulk, what with his revamped yellow suit and newfound love of smiling, so expect Echo to revert Matt to his factory settings, complete with Netflix-era red costume. Nevertheless, can you really appreciate his return to his roots in Echo if you overlook that time he hooked up with Hulk’s cousin and fought a guy dressed like a frog?

What If….? season 2 2k2w55

No, none of the main cast of Echo appear in What If…? season 2, but the animated series does have one star in common with its live-action Disney Plus counterpart. Devery Jacobs ed the MCU in the sophomore run of the anthology show in a truly groundbreaking role — she voiced Kahhori, the very first superhero created exclusively by Marvel Studios.

We’ve yet to find out if Kahhori could appear elsewhere in the MCU, but it’s worth noting that Jacobs is set to turn up in Echo as well. Plenty of actors have played multiple roles in this franchise, so there could well be no link whatsoever between Jacobs’ animated and live-action Marvel characters, but the franchise certainly has an intriguing opportunity here to connect its two Native American heroines together in some form.

Marvel‘s enjoyed enormous success with its Disney Plus originals, no doubt about it. Just see Loki season 2 becoming the second biggest opening on the platform to prove it. And yet fans often criticize the various MCU series for a lack of creative cohesion or satisfying storylines. After all this time, we might finally know why that is, as Marvel’s extreme creative oversight and reckless overspending is revealed, just as the most highly anticipated show of them all is forced to start again from scratch.

Daredevil: Born Again lives up to its name as Marvel desperately hits the reset button 2m113o

Well, this is news that no Defenders Saga fan out there wanted. Although the actors’ strike is looking to wrap up soon, meaning filming could finally continue, Born Again is facing an even bigger delay as Marvel has removed the shows’ head writers and directors from the production as it begins a massive creative overhaul of its revival of Netflix’s beloved Daredevil. Upon reviewing footage over the summer, Marvel was apparently dismayed to find creators had made a “legal procedural” in which Charlie Cox didn’t suit up as a superhero until episode 4. Expect the rehaul to add more action and serialized elements.

Revelations of Marvel Studios’ obsessive interference is giving us flashbacks to the MCU’s real-life civil war 1m3y20

As Born Again getting, well, born again indicates, Marvel reportedly has a major problem with interfering with its Disney Plus productions. As one insider put it, “TV is a writer-driven medium. Marvel is a Marvel-driven medium.” Kevin Feige creating problems by getting too involved is surprising, and more than a little ironic to hear, as he once had this issue himself back when his nemesis was still with Marvel.

For the first half of the MCU’s lifespan, Feige had to report to Marvel Entertainment’s Ike Perlmutter who vetoed many of his ideas, until Perlmutter was ousted — suitably enough — after Civil War. We’re also learning that Feige has his own creative council ominously called The Parliament, which is very reminiscent of Perlmutter’s much-criticized creative committee. The whole MCU is turning upside down…

She-Hulk continues laughing over Secret Invasion‘s grave as it’s declared the perfect template for the future of Marvel TV 1ce4q

And just to ram that point home, guess who the surprise savior of Marvel on streaming is turning out to be? With She-Hulk: Attorney at Law proving to be one of the least troublesome of the studio’s productions, thanks to showrunner Jessica Gao maintaining creative control throughout, Marvel is reportedly looking to make the Tatiana Maslany vehicle its template for the future, as it intends to adopt a more traditional showrunner model on its series and take a step back to allow head writers to assume the reins on their own series. Basically, it seems the disaster of what happened behind the scenes on Secret Invasion has scared the studio straight. She-Hulk: 2 — Secret Invasion: 0.

In case you were somehow still unaware, Marvel’s Disney Plus shows are in trouble. Although it was a battle that needed to be fought, the Hollywood strikes have sent the studio’s streaming slate tumbling like dominoes, with the likes of Ironheart now not due to arrive until late 2025. But that’s far from the only issue the MCU’s small-screen outings have to contend with, as Marvel is in the midst of seriously reconceiving how it makes these shows, with an unlikely hero ri as the perfect template.

With Daredevil: Born Again being sent back to the drawing board to be retooled from scratch, Marvel’s approach to creating TV shows up to now is being thoroughly rethought. As exemplified by Secret Invasion, the studio’s stranglehold on creative control has led to some considerable clashes between the studio and its writers and directors. On all shows, it seems, except She-Hulk: Attorney at Law which, despite its reputation as the most divisive Disney Plus product of them all, is now being seen as the ultimate how-to guide.

As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, She-Hulk was virtually the only MCU Disney Plus show to date to have a single creative head shepherding the project at the beginning and end of the process. The show was very much the baby of head writer Jessica Gao, and though there was some to-and-fro with director Kat Coiro during filming, Gao got to resume the reins in post-production, thanks to COVID limiting the number of eyes on the series.

The result was a final product that, whether you’re a fan of it or not, had a distinct authorial flair and a clear creative vision. As such, Marvel is looking to recreate the sole showrunner model on other TV productions moving forward as She-Hulk proved to the studio “that it would be helpful for its shows to have a creative throughline from start to finish.” Unlike Secret Invasion, which ed through multiple hands across its lifespan.

She-Hulk as the surprise savior of the MCU on the small screen? Only K.E.V.I.N. the robot saw that coming.

The MCU’s domination of Disney Plus is growing all the time. Although they’ve been unfortunately pushed back due to the impact of the strikes, Marvel has a whole slate of streaming series due over the course of 2024, including various brand-new properties like Wonder Man or movie spinoffs like Ironheart. Interestingly, while the studio’s movie slate is full of sequels — don’t forget, we’ll have had nine back to back, as of The Marvels — Marvel is less trigger-happy to give its TV shows a second season.

Maybe that’s because of the nature of many of these series being stepping stones to the films, but the studios seems much keener to keep creating new shows build around different characters than bringing back old ones. And yet that could change over the next few years as we’re starting to see a shift to sticking with reliable and returning series as Marvel weathers the ups and downs of the Multiverse Saga.

So which MCU Disney Plus delights are coming back, which ones are on the bubble, and which are consigned to the streaming afterlife? The answers may surprise you…

Loki season 2 — Releasing l25s

Loki has the honor of being the very first live-action Marvel Studios series to get a second season, following on from the new batch of episodes of I Am Groot that debuted in early September. That’s not all that surprising given that the Tom Hiddleston vehicle remains the most highly viewed of the MCU’s Disney Plus shows to date. The six-part second run premieres on streaming from Oct. 5.

What If…? season 2 — Releasing 646q4t

The fact that What If…? has been getting a second season has been an open secret for the longest time. Originally, Marvel voiced its intent to make a new season every single year, following the first’s release in fall 2021, but unexpected delays caused season 2 to skip 2022 with season 2 finally on course to hit streaming around Christmastime 2023. A third season also seems likely sometime in the future.

X-Men ’97 season 2 — Confirmed 5a1v6j

X-Men ’97 is something of an outlier when it comes to Marvel’s streaming slate, as it’s a revival of a pre-existing, beloved property rather than an original IP taking place within the MCU. It’s been somewhat flying under the radar, then, but those who are quietly looking forward to this sequel to X-Men: The Animated Series can rest assured that a second season is already being developed.

Spider-Man: Sophomore Year — Confirmed 66l34

Wow, Marvel really hands out renewals to its animated shows like candy, huh? You’d be forgiven for forgetting Spider-Man: Freshman Year, an animated prequel to the Homecoming trilogy, was even a thing, as it’s been mostly radio silence on the project since its announcement at SDCC 2022. It is definitely still on the way, though, as is its already commissioned follow-up, Spider-Man: Sophomore Year.

Ms. Marvel season 2 — In discussion 1j5q6z

Outside of Loki, the closest a live-action series has come to getting a second season renewal to date is Ms. Marvel, as directors Adil el Arbi and Bilall Fallah have given us a relatively encouraging update about its chances. Apparently, Marvel is holding off on giving more episodes the greenlight until The Marvels, which is partly a sequel to season 1, releases this November. Fingers crossed!

Moon Knight — Rumored 2n3j57

After Moon Knight season 1 ended on a huge season 2-baiting cliffhanger, we really assumed an official announcement on its continuation was imminent. And yet, over a year on, we’re still waiting with bated breath. On the upside, Oscar Isaac has teased several times that more is very much on the cards, though, so perhaps the hold-up is simply the former Star Wars star’s ever-busy career.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — Rumored 543g6x

If there was ever a Marvel show we didn’t much expect to get a second season it was She-Hulk, given its extremely divisive nature and the fact its star has no kind words to say to Disney boss Bob Iger amid the strikes. Nevertheless, word on the street has it that Marvel was developing another run of episodes for Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters prior to the strikes taking effect. So stay tuned on this one.

WandaVision — Miniseries y43h

Other Marvel series, however, have little chance of returning, but that’s only because they were always envisioned as standalone miniseries from the off. A prime example is WandaVision, which was created as a bridge between Scarlet Witch’s arc in Avengers: Endgame and Doctor Strange 2. The good news is that its world will be further explored in Agatha: Darkhold Diaries (and possibly the rumored Vision Quest).

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier — Miniseries x613m

The same thing goes for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which served as a six-part origins story for Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as he stepped up to become our new Captain America. The very day of its finale’s release, Marvel announced Captain America 4, now titled Brave New World, which will shift Sam’s storyline onto the big screen. Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier, meanwhile, returns in Thunderbolts.

Secret Invasion — Miniseries 3x432h

There are two big reasons why we’re pretty sure Secret Invasion isn’t getting a season 2. For starters, it’s based on a finite story arc that the TV adaptation blasted through; it’s been described as a “six-hour movie” by director Ali Selim. And second, it’s among the least-viewed of the MCU’s Disney Plus offerings, not to mention its finale is the worst-reviewed Marvel production ever made.

Hawkeye — Presumed miniseries 5m4u9

Hawkeye, on the other hand, is a curious one to classify. With Kate Bishop being pegged as a major player for the MCU going forward, a second season with her in the lead feels highly plausible, but there’s not been so much as a whisper about more episodes since the first run wrapped up over 2021’s festive season. We’d be fine with that if a Young Avengers project had been announced instead but nope, it’s just crickets on that front too. Hawkeye was always the Avenger who drew the short straw, so I guess this treatment for his solo show only makes sense.

Of all the (mostly delayed) MCU shows on Disney Plus’ slate, Daredevil: Born Again is perhaps the one fans are most anticipating and most apprehensive about. Can Marvel live up to the beloved Netflix series or will this revival for Charlie Cox’s hero of Hell’s Kitchen underwhelm in the way that several other Marvel streaming series have done before?

Well, for those looking for more evidence to be assured all is well on the Born Again front, a new rumor has risen up that is both encouraging and perplexing. In short, it seems that Marvel is taking inspiration from previous superhero legal series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and going in an entirely different direction at the same time. And if that’s requiring mental gymnastics on par with Matt Murdock’s rooftop flips to get your brain around then, don’t worry, you’re not the only one.

According to the latest intel floating around on X (formerly Twitter), Born Again is set to be more episodic and “case of the week” than the Netflix show, which sounds much closer to She-Hulk‘s structure. On the other hand, it’s also claimed that it will be “more mature and darker” than prior seasons. So maybe don’t expect a rematch between the Hornhead and Leap-Frog.

Honestly, these claims are being met with a healthy heap of skepticism from folks who aren’t sure how Disney Plus could even out-dark the Netflix show, which is famous for its gritty tone. Others are ambivalent about a more episodic format, although they’re concerned we’ll lose the slow-burn pace and focus on character moments from the Netflix version. That said, making things more standalone only makes sense with Disney Plus’ typical weekly release schedule rather than Netflix’s “dump ’em in one” tradition.

It’s safe to say Marvel making Born Again both an evolution and the antithesis of She-Hulk — one of the MCU’s most perennially divisive shows — is a brave move. Unfortunately, we don’t know when we’ll see if it pays off, as the show is currently removed from the schedules.