5. Marvel's Netflix Shows
For those who haven't caught up on the news, Netflix will be releasing four series based on characters on Marvel's roster: Daredevil (the first show starting in 2015), Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. There will also be a miniseries on The Defenders to run alongside the already hectic roster of small-screen vigilantes. Getting more under-appreciated yet loved characters out there can't be that bad of an idea, right? Drew Goddard, who co-wrote and directed the Whedon-branded film Cabin in the Woods, is even signed on to helm the Daredevil series. So why are these series a mistake for Marvel? Well, have you seen Marvel's Agents of Shield? What could have been a fun, Gotham Central-esque exploration of the non-super goings on of a superhero universe ultimately lacks the zip of the movies not only because it isn't written very well but also because it doesn't have the production values audiences have come to expect. We love to complain about the overuse of CGI and 3D, but a movie like Thor couldn't have even been made twenty years ago. Sure, Daredevil and Luke Cage aren't going to need the same special effects that it takes to make Iron Man fly or Hulk smash, but limited budgets and superheroes don't mix. Seeing clumsy choreography in a fight scene between Matt Murdock and the Masked Marauder is going to limit our enjoyment of the show, even if it is accompanied by witty dialogue. Furthermore, it seems the plan is to use Netflix as a sort of farm system for Marvel properties. If Daredevil does well on the internet, they might expand him into the cinematic universe and get him to team up with the Avengers in the big leagues. The problem with this strategy is that it makes it essential that viewers participate in every facet of their ever-expanding list of media. While a certain amount of people are going to watch the show simply because it includes Daredevil (i.e. true blue Marvel fanboys) the aforementioned limited budget is also going to limit its audience. The reliance on constantly digging deeper for more and more characters makes the now palatable experience of being familiar with each of the core players of the films an essentially untenable prospect for any casual viewer, the people that Disney needs the most to pay for movie tickets.