The Marvel Cinematic Universe might be miles ahead of the DCEU when it comes to the consistent level of quality and box office success of their superhero blockbusters, but there’s no denying that DC have always delivered superior animated output. Dating back to Batman: The Animated Series almost 30 years ago, the comic book company’s roster of animated shows and movies have built up a large following, and are frequently praised for their complex narratives and strong thematic resonance.
So far, the MCU hasn’t shown much interest in venturing to the realms of the two-dimensional, but that’s all about to change as the franchise expands onto Disney Plus. What If…? arrives this summer and features almost every recognizable name to have played a significant role in any of the 23 movies to date, with dozens upon dozens of favorites dropping by from Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster and Frank Grillo’s Crossbones to Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger and Benicio del Toro’s The Collector.
Guardians of the Galaxy spinoff I Am Groot is also in the works, but insider Daniel Richtman now claims that Marvel are looking into developing feature-length animations that will operate as official canon as well. Unfortunately, though, he offers no further details on what we could see.
As such, it isn’t clear whether these are planned for a theatrical or Disney Plus release, but the latter feels more likely at this stage. Extending into animation might stretch the mythology a little too thin in some cases, but relying on the multiverse and spinning off stories teased in What If…? into full-length MCU adventures could definitely work, and wouldn’t impact the live-action side of things, either.
But tell us, is this a direction that you’d like to see Marvel head in? Sound off down below.
Published: Jan 27, 2021 12:37 pm