It’s been a strange year for Marvel TV shows. While the new arena for the Marvel Cinematic Universe started out big with five new shows launching in 2021, things have noticeably slowed down since then, and thus far in 2023 we’ve only seen one (Secret Invasion). The next show set to launch new episodes is Loki, which will begin its second season in October – but beyond that plan, the franchise has just performed a major shakeup with their schedule that bumps Echo out of the calendar year and provides the formerly named Agatha: Coven Of Chaos with a new title and release plan.
News of these developments comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which says that the changes are a result of the on-going WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. While Echo will no longer be coming out on November 29 as planned (it’s been moved to January 2024), Marvel fans will still get a third show in 2023, as What If…? Season 2 is now on the schedule to premiere around Christmas. In addition to Echo, the animated series X-Men ’97 is also being planned for early 2024.
The WandaVision spinoff previously known as Agatha: Coven Of Chaos and set to star Kathryn Hahn will now be called Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, and it has shifted seasons from early 2024 to early fall 2024. The trade says that this is in part to take advantage of spooky season and the Halloween holiday. The franchise previously made a similar move with the premiere of the awesome “TV special” Werewolf By Night starring Gael García Bernal.
Beyond that, other titles have been taken off the schedule entirely – specifically due to Hollywood’s work stoppages. Ironheart, a spinoff from Black Panther: Wakana Forever centering on Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, will no longer come out in fall 2024 despite the fact that it has finished production (the trade simply says “its completion is affected by the strikes.”)
Also no longer on the vague seasonal calendar are Daredevil: Born Again starring Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio and Wonder Man starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Both of the shows began production prior to the dual strikes, but they had to shut down in the middle of their respective schedules. Because it’s unknown at this time when they will be able to get cameras rolling again, it’s logical that Marvel Studios would leave them without targeted dates for now.
More to come…