Disney is rolling out some of its heavy hitters for its upcoming streaming service set to launch next year. Variety reports that Disney’s upcoming service will feature solo limited series for several Marvel characters. Variety’s report specifically mentions fan favorites Loki and Scarlet Witch getting their own shows to attract more viewers to the platform. As fans of the franchise know, both Loki and Scarlet Witch died in Avengers: Infinity War at Thanos’s hand, so Marvel writers will have to bring back both characters either in Avengers 4 or another upcoming film before they can debut their solo series.
Variety claims that Marvel Studios is putting its full weight behind each project, which will reportedly run for a limited six to eight episodes each and feature stars Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen as Loki and Scarlet Witch, respectively. President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige is also to helm development on each series, giving the shows the same attention he does to films in the series. Production budgets for the shows are expected to be larger than any television series the studio has done before. This is partially due to Disney’s intent to give each series the feeling of film quality and partially because the series will feature storylines and locales unheard of by most other Marvel shows. ABC’s Agents of SHIELD and Netflix’s series, which include Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and several others, all follow human characters. The Disney streaming service’s shows will follow characters who are gods, aliens, and individuals possessing magical abilities, necessitating a higher budget. Additionally, while all other Marvel series are produced under the Marvel TV banner, the limited series will operate directly under Marvel Studios. Should the Loki and Scarlet Witch shows do well, Marvel will likely launch solo series for several other characters on the service.
Disney hasn’t been coy in its efforts at making its streaming service standout from the likes of Netflix and Hulu. In addition to Marvel properties, the company is rumored to be developing series set in the Star Wars universe for its streaming service. One confirmed series is being helmed by Iron Man director Jon Favreau. Favreau’s series is reportedly budgeted at $100 million and will be set three years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the sixth film in the Star Wars saga.
