Marvel Shows At Risk Following Drastic Disney Cuts
Marvel animated shows could be in trouble following the massive layoffs at Disney.
This article is more than 2 years old
With the growing layoffs across some of the biggest media companies in the world, there is plenty to be worried about, even over at Disney. Disney began their drastic layoffs to cut tons of money from the budget, but that could lead to the Marvel animation department taking a huge dive. When huge media conglomerates begin to start their cuts, it is always the animation departments that are hit first.
Marvel also has a decent number of animated ventures that could be in peril, if the internal layoffs at Disney start to affect the animated side more deeply. What If…? was one of the huge hits for Disney+, with a second season deep in production at this point. However, if the second season of this series doesn’t hit the same numbers, we might be seeing the series get the ax before long.
What If…? was a hit for Marvel and led to the announcement that Marvel Zombies would be getting its own series as well, which was announced at San Diego Comic Con, and slated for a 2024 release. However, if these layoffs start to affect the animation department more, then we could be seeing this highly anticipated and mature show never makes its premiere at all.
Another series is Spider-Man: Freshman Year, which is set to also premiere in 2024. This new series will have nothing to do with Tom Holland and the highly successful universe built by his acting and Jon Watts’s directing. We might not be seeing a Spider-Man: Sophomore Year, depending on the numbers given for the first season of the new Marvel Spidey adventure.
One final show that could be in jeopardy is the highly anticipated X-Men 97′, which is meant to bring back the classic feel of the 1990s animated X-Men series. However, should this series not immediately draw in a huge audience, we are all going to be stuck with only one season, presuming that season even happens at this point. X-Men 97′ is set to premiere on Disney+ in the fall of next year.
Disney has made it clear that Marvel has to hit successful numbers in their animated ventures for additional seasons to be discussed, and the above-mentioned shows all have the makings to be great. However, the animated Marvel shows likely don’t have anywhere near the same draw as the live-action properties do, so they could also sadly be canceled if these layoffs keep happening. Despite the MCU is one of the biggest draws for audiences, the animated shows are not connected, making them easy targets for budget cuts.
For now, it appears that all the above-mentioned Marvel animated shows are safe for now, but that could change rather quickly. Disney being in trouble and needing to cut employees is certainly not a good sign, but it could also just be some restructuring that is happening right now. Fans of Marvel can hope for the best, but we may be looking at a dip in animated shows in the next few years.
