Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu created the binging phenomenon where viewers have the option to watch 8-9 hours of content in one sitting; but,  Disney is bringing back the traditional way of streaming with new episodes every week, and it has been a massive success. 

Disney+ has released two Marvel shows this year: Wandavision (which is completed) and the Falcon and the Winter Soldier (still continuing). Both shows are entirely different, but have the beautiful magic that Marvel provides to their projects.

“I think one of the reasons why Marvel is having a lot of success with this format is that the creators and writers have more creative liberty when it comes to telling the story of these characters,” senior Alessandra Benavente said. “With being in a pandemic and more people staying home, TV has been the main source of entertainment for a lot of people, and I think marvel capitalized on that.”

Wandavision’s Wanda Maximoff did not have an enormous following before her show debut, but it has been one of the most streamed shows on Disney+ this year.

“WandaVision wasn’t too big until like the third or fourth episode, mainly because only marvel fans were watching it at first and it felt a little slow,” senior May Legere said. “At the end, you feel all the pain Wanda went through, and it was a lot, it genuinely hurt how much she lost.”

While Wandavision circulates the idea of living in a false reality, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier tackles racism and mental health with both of the main characters.

“So far, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier is my favorite out of the two because of the heavy content and real-life issues,” Benavente said. “They’re my favorite characters, and there’s more action involved, so it feels like I’m watching a new Marvel movie every week.”

Disney+ is one of the first streaming platforms to bring back “New episodes every week,” and it’s quite refreshing.

“I mean, I wish they would just release the episodes right away altogether but, it gives me something to look forward to at the end of the week,” Legere said. “I’m always waiting for Friday to come around so I can finally watch the show.”

Marvel’s overall goal with the new shows’ rollout is to enter into the next phase of superheroes, without Captain America or Iron Man.

“I’m very excited to see the rollout of shows with these characters,” Benavente said. “I think they will be as successful as the original superheroes since people have invested in these characters.”

The pandemic has delayed production and releases of new Marvel movies, like Black Widow or the Ethereals. Still, Wandavision and the Falcon and the Winter Soldier have brought back that theater feeling, which many have unquestionably missed.