5 Ways Marvel's Phase 2 Will Change Filmmaking Forever (For Better Or Worse)

3. Television Shows Will Start To Augment Movie Franchises

As if Marvel's Phase 2 wasn't loaded enough with four more movies before The Avengers 2 (and Ant-Man shortly thereafter), Whedon and the team are currently working on a television show centered around S.H.I.E.L.D. that will explore the worldwide intelligence organization and its inner workings alongside the cinematic universe. The concept will allow the writers to keep moviegoers' attention up (and thus their wallets open) during the off seasons, as well as providing more opportunities to subtly hint at the bigger movie plots (see that mega-franchise poking through again?). Of course, this could also have the potential to backfire drastically. For starters, part of the reason the Cinematic Universe idea works so well is because, while there's plenty of time to build up hype, there's comparatively little for viewers to get bored of. Very few television shows successfully make it past six seasons, and those that do usually do so at their own peril. We consumers can be a fickle bunch. If people are bombarded with ads for "Marvel's hit new show!!!" every waking hour in the months upon months between movie releases, it could saturate the market and make us hate anything superhero-related. On the other hand, it could also provide a much-needed hook to bring in extra viewers, or to make avid fans out of the casually curious. Comic book stories are notoriously obtuse and difficult to pick up on when you just start learning them. Television shows are a serial that everyone can get on board with that doesn't require much commitment. This could lay the groundwork to give the movie universe some center that the average person can latch on to.