Ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) began in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has now admitted that the studio may have released “too many” projects, overwhelming fans.
To date, the franchise includes 37 movies, 14 TV series, and two specials spread across six phases, with Phase Six kicking off with the recently released The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
With so many overlapping stories making it hard for viewers to keep up, Feige shared the studio’s plans moving forward.
What Did Kevin Feige Say About MCU’s Overwhelming Stories?
The Fantastic Four marks the 37th film and the 54th overall title in the MCU, but Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige admitted they rushed into producing more movies and TV series after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
“We produced 50 hours of stories between 2007 and 2019,” he said (via Variety).
However, things shifted dramatically after the conclusion of the Infinity Saga.
“We’ve had well over 100 hours of stories — in half the time,” he continued. “That’s too much.”
For the record, Marvel’s Multiverse Saga now has 127 hours of content, including animation.
Feige explained that the studio entered a phase of “experimentation” and “evolution,” which led to projects like Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
He also noted that the push to expand content on Disney+ contributed to viewer fatigue, resulting in what many have called “superhero fatigue.”
“Look at Superman, it’s clearly not superhero fatigue, right?” he asked.
Feige admitted that with the mandate to produce more, “quantity trumped quality.” As a result, Marvel Studios now plans to reduce the number of projects it releases each year.
What’s Next for the MCU?
Marvel Studios is now limiting its output to just three films a year, and its TV slate will be even smaller—with only one live-action series released annually.
This new approach is meant to prevent overlap between series and feature films, giving audiences more time to watch and absorb everything happening in the MCU.
“I think allowing a TV show to be a TV show is what we’re returning to,” Feige said of their plans.
He also hinted that fans will continue to see their “great actors playing great characters” across different platforms.
For example, Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as the Punisher in Daredevil: Born Again and will also appear in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day in 2026.
However, this shift will impact both current and upcoming shows like Ironheart and Wonder Man, which is slated to release in December.
With both projects being held for nearly a year—Dominique Thorne’s Ironheart wrapped in July—Feige is seemingly considering not to delay projects like these again.
“I don’t like when things sit on shelves,” he said. “It stinks.”
So, with Avengers: Secret Wars set to end the Multiverse Saga and reset the entire MCU—including the introduction of a new cast for the X-Men reboot—fans will soon witness the beginning of a brand-new Marvel universe.
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