10 Problems With The MCU On TV (And How To Solve Them)
1. A Shared Continuity With No Sharing And No Continuity
Nowhere is the disconnect between the warring Disney/Marvel divisions more evident than in the almost total lack of continuity between the film and TV representations of the Marvel Universe.
Yes, they all take place in the same world, with the same history - but aside from some knowing references, there’s little connective tissue between film and TV, or even between TV and TV.
Aside from Luke Cage debuting in Jessica Jones and the omnipresent Claire Temple, even the Netflix shows ignore each other - and they’re supposed to dovetail.
Are there contractual issues? Well, Marvel Studios, Marvel Television, ABC and Freeform are all owned by Disney, which also has a 30% interest in Hulu. The big guns might be able to pick and choose their MCU projects, but if Disney decided to lock your Jeremy Renners, your Chadwick Bosemans or your Tom Hollands into guest appearances on S.H.I.E.L.D., Daredevil or The Inhumans, they’d find time in their schedules.
The astonishing success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has led to many other studios and franchises trying to emulate the ‘shared universe’ model. It would be nice if Marvel Television was one of them.