There are now well over 40 MCU films and TV shows, and keeping track of what ties into which upcoming projects has led to a terrifying term: Marvel homework, the concept of being obligated to watch a laundry list of other movies and shows just to understand a new one.
The Marvels offers a clear example of this problem, as it connects to three separate Marvel Disney+ shows, which are usually given some degree of separation from the MCU’s cinematic side. Now, a new segment of the MCU is looking to eliminate this problem and refocus on storytelling.
The upcoming Disney+ series Echo will be the first show released under a new label called Marvel Spotlight, a term borrowed from anthology-style Marvel comics. Marvel Spotlight will tell MCU stories with little connection to existing works; essentially, it’s a label meant to say no pre-requisite viewing is needed.
“Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen,” Marvel head of streaming Brad Winderbaum told Marvel.com. “In the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity. Just like comics fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic, our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.”
This kind of self-contained storytelling has found success elsewhere. Star Wars took a risk by greenlighting Andor, a smaller-scale story focused on a civilian who finds himself embroiled in the beginnings of the Rebellion. It was completely disconnected from the Mandoverse saga the other live-action Disney+ shows were telling, but it was a critical darling with a strong storytelling vision.
Marvel Spotlight will allow Marvel to take bigger swings without overwhelming fans or messing with the MCU timeline. This wouldn’t be the first time — Werewolf by Night, the standalone Halloween special, is a good example of an isolated MCU story. It was refreshing because it was allowed to do its own thing without setting up future payoffs, and now there’s a formal label for similar ideas.
Hopefully, this will mark the end of feeling obligated to slog through some of Marvel’s projects. Some stories can — and should — have smaller scopes, more experimental approaches, and proper, definitive conclusions.
