As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continued to grow at an exponential rate, which happened to coincide with the unstoppable rise of the streaming service, the One-Shot short films became relics of a bygone era in no time at all.
Originally attached as special features exclusive to the home video releases of certain blockbusters, they were hardly game-changing in nature, but two, in particular, ended up having a major impact on the mythology. Agent Carter led to Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter getting her own TV show that ran for two seasons, while All Hail the King set a plot thread in motion that wasn’t picked up until Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings seven years later.
Fans have lamented the loss of the One-Shot, especially when Disney Plus provides the ideal place and format for which to create more, but they could be in line for a comeback. In the new book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe via TheDirect, longtime Marvel producer Louis D’Esposito hints that we may not have seen the last of them.
“We’re working on them. It’s just finding the time. And I have a couple earmarked that I want to do.”
Let’s face it; with 31 projects in active development across the film and television slate, MCU enthusiasts are hardly going to be starved for content. That being said, there’s definitely room in the franchise for more One-Shots, whether they fill in any narrative gaps left unexplored or simply give a cult favorite five or ten minutes to shine in their own project.