Marvel Has Finally Found a Solution to Its Most Alienating Problem
No more homework!
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.
The Marvel Spotlight logo.
“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.
Maya Lopez may be sitting down, but her story will stand on its own feet.
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.
