The MCU continues the consolidation of its TV and film worlds with the news that She-Hulk, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel will join the franchise’s movies after each debuts in their own eponymous Disney+ TV show.
The fusion of the shared universe’s TV and movie realms has thus far been somewhat less than seamless, with a lack of communication between the two camps leaving Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. showrunners blindsided by the revelations of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and struggling to maintain a connection, while the Netflix shows only vaguely alluded to the cosmic events of the movies and focused instead on their gritty street-level heroism.
The expansive Phase 4 of the entertainment juggernaut looks to rectify the issue, with secondary movie characters making the leap to their own TV shows, and now, it seems the opposite’s also taking place. In an article published on THR detailing Kevin Feige’s response to Martin Scorsese’s clueless opinions about comic book movies, it was reported that Feige confirmed “All three will appear on the big screen after their Disney+ debuts,” with the third referred to being Ms. Marvel, highlighting the diversity and inclusion intended going forwards, with Kamala Khan being the first Muslim hero featured in the saga.
Details for each of the series set to feature on the steaming service have been a little thin on the ground so far, but some rumors involve Moon Knight including the mental health issues suffered by Marc Spector, specifically dissociative identity disorder, and a disorienting chronological structure. Any stage of casting is yet to be made public, although rumors are as prevalent as you would expect, with the likes of Rosario Dawson, Ronda Rousey and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Stephanie Beatriz being touted for the role of Jennifer Walters, the latter of whom having been more than vocal about the prospect of playing the part. The casting of Kamala Khan, meanwhile, will likely be an unknown actress, as Western entertainment media is not exactly rife with Pakistani-American teenagers.
One of the issues of the MCU has been the inaccessibility of new characters to audiences who may not be familiar with them. Prior to The Avengers, how many average moviegoers knew who Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch or Vision were before the characters were thrust into prominent positions? Utilizing the Disney+ series, the characters’ introductions on the small screen first will give audiences the chance to get to know them over a more measured length of time than a single movie.
Even if viewers are unfamiliar with She-Hulk, her more famous cousin provides a baseline expectation that will require refining. Likewise, Moon Knight’s inescapable parallels with Batman will be given greater nuance over the course of a season of TV, as will the potential confusion over the difference between Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel, and upon making the leap to the big screen each character will have become a familiar enough presence that they can be dropped into a story with little required in the way of explanation.