MCU made its debut in 2008 with Iron Man. Since that time, MCU has made some very excellent superhero movies. Most of them have been box office hits. Avengers: Endgame is their highest-grossing film till now. After Avengers: Endgame, MCU decided to focus on those characters that did not get more screen space. So, they took the decision to move forward with the concept of TV shows. Now since theaters are closed, the last few TV shows have fulfilled the loss of the audience and the lack of MCU projects. But every one of them is better or worse than each other in some way. Let’s see how the MCU shows are a better choice in some ways, and how the MCU Movies are better in others.
1. More focus on minor characters (TV shows)
The Disney+ shows have provided more screen space to those heroes who did not get the same in movies. But at the same time, Disney+ has also focused to explore more of the minor characters we get to see every time. The characters might be a superhero’s friend or another superhero fighting as an assistant. Jimmy Woo, Darcy Lewis, and Sharon Carter are good examples. These characters have got more chances to perform and they will get more screen space in future MCU projects.
2. More character development (TV shows)
MCU movies do not focus more on character development. What matters more there is a face-off between good and evil. But TV shows do not do that. TV shows focus on character development. We get to see the other sides of the characters. It doesn’t matter if they are the leads as superheroes or the supporting characters. It gives them a new life. Somewhere they also get a chance to set up new arcs for future MCU projects.
3. More details (TV shows)
Movies are made for a certain duration of time. The makers have pressure to complete the story in just two hours. As a result of this, a lot of things remain incomplete. This might be the backstory of the characters or the fate of some secondary characters. But TV shows offer us proper details. This is because a TV show is made for multiple episodes and seasons. They have enough time to cover up everything from beginning to end. Since it is a TV show, it can increase the curiosity to watch the next episode since it is just one click away.
4. Short waiting time (TV shows)
One thing that irritates MCU fans the most is the waiting time. This might happen for several reasons. The projects are sometimes delayed and also canceled for creative differences. It gets longer if the studio plans for a reboot. But this does not happen in TV shows. MCU fans can easily access all the episodes by waiting for just one or two weeks. WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier have been highly successful. MCU Phase 4 has a few more projects on the way this year. This also includes original shows on Disney+.
5. More focus on secondary heroes (TV shows)
TV shows put more focus on secondary heroes. It does not happen in movies because they need to be finished in a few hours and they center around one main character. The secondary characters have mostly been other superheroes working with the main lead. This includes Sam Wilson (Falcon), Colonel James Rhodes (War Machine), Wanda, Vision, Sharon Carter, Bucky Barnes, and many more. These characters get overshadowed because of the main leads. So TV shows can be a great way to give them more screen space and explore their characters a bit more.
6. Plot twists better explained and revealed (Movies)
A lot of plot holes were introduced in MCU movies. But the mysteries are usually revealed towards the end of the movies. The movies have a habit of keeping the audience under suspense towards the end. This is a way to keep the audience glued to their seats. But this is not the same in TV shows. TV shows usually try to ignore such type of mystery plot holes. TV shows focus more on directly taking the story forward without leaving any storyline unsolved.
7. The best heroes in the lead (Movies)
The movies always cast those superheroes in the lead that have been highly popular. They are those superheroes who have been fan favorites. MCU movies have also taken a step ahead and turned the lesser-known characters into extremely popular superheroes. This includes Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange. But TV shows focus on characters that do not get more screen space in ensemble cast movies. It puts more emphasis on the backstories of secondary characters and their evolution.
8. A way to earn billions (Movies)
Now to be very honest, movies are also made for commercial purposes. The directors are always found to be a fan of certain comic book characters. But in the end, box office collections actually matter a lot. Apart from that, the makers love to bring the fan theories onto the screen. This might be the reason behind the long gap in releasing the movies and it can pull the audience to the theaters. The makers try to fulfill the wishes and expectations of MCU fans at their best. The same thing also happens in TV shows. The only difference here is that it takes more time.
9. The end-credits scene (Movies)
MCU movies have maintained one thing since the beginning. It is the mid-credits and post-credits scene. These two things tease a lot of characters and storylines for future MCU projects. Some of them are materialized and some are not. But it can keep the audience guessing about what’s going to happen next. When the next movie releases, audiences go and watch it in the theaters. This helps in getting good box office collections. The same is mostly ignored in TV shows except for a few episodes.
10. Tells the complete story for once (Movies)
MCU movies have followed one common thing in their plot. It is always a hero versus villain story. The villain emerges somewhere and the hero defeats him or her. He is helped by his friends and colleagues. That is the end of the story if we ignore the mid-credits and post-credits scenes. Now what’s good in this process is that everything gets resolved in a few hours. The story moves forward in the next movie and the plot of the previous film is ignored unless the villain has survived for some reason. But in terms of TV shows, you have to wait for many weeks and seasons in order to see the end of a villain and certain other storylines.
Personally, for me, the MCU movies are better. What about you guys? Let us know in the comments.
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