Marvel Studios: Legends is an American television docuseries created for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics characters and objects that appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Produced by Marvel Studios, each episode showcases an individual character or object with footage from past MCU films and Disney+ series, highlighting their prominent moments from the MCU.
| Marvel Studios: Legends | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Marvel Comics |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 46 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 5–10 minutes |
| Production company | Marvel Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ |
| Release | January 8, 2021 – December 15, 2023 |
| Related | |
| Marvel Studios: Assembled | |
The series was first announced in December 2020. Marvel Studios: Legends premiered on January 8, 2021, with subsequent episodes releasing shortly before a Disney+ series or special's premiere or a film's initial release. It received positive responses for being helpful to casual viewers of the franchise, but criticism for being a clip show with no new footage or documentary elements. The 26-episode first season covers projects in Phase Four of the MCU, while a second covers projects in Phase Five. Beginning with the second season, the episodes were also made available on Marvel Entertainment's YouTube channel, with the season one episodes eventually being added to YouTube as well.
Premise
editThe series examines individual heroes, villains, moments, and objects from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and how they connect, in anticipation of the upcoming stories that will feature them in the Disney+ series,[1][2] films,[3] and Special Presentations[4] in Phase Four and Phase Five.[1][5]
Background
editMarvel Studios: Legends was announced in December 2020 as a new series that would revisit characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ahead of their appearances in new feature films and Disney+ series as part of Phase Four of the MCU.[1] The series features short episodes made up of footage from past MCU films that featured the highlighted character, moment, or object.[6] Two episodes were initially announced, with one for Wanda Maximoff and one for Vision ahead of their roles in WandaVision.[1] Upon its announcement, many commentators believed the series would be a clip show and a good way to remind viewers of a character's history and allow casual viewers a quick way to catch-up without watching hours of past MCU content.[7][8][9] Chaim Gartenberg at The Verge also likened the series to the one-page recaps Marvel Comics uses to similarly catch readers up for ongoing stories.[7] Collider's Matt Goldberg felt Marvel Studios: Legends did not cost Disney or Marvel Studios "anything more than some editor's work and a bit of music" to produce given each episode's length and content.[10]
Subsequent Legends episodes were released for Falcon, Winter Soldier, Zemo, and Sharon Carter;[11][12] Loki and the object the Tesseract;[13][2] Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow;[3] Peggy Carter, the Avengers Initiative, and the Ravagers group;[14] the Ten Rings;[15] Clint Barton / Hawkeye;[16] Dr. Stephen Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch;[17] Thor, Jane Foster, and Valkyrie;[18] Bruce Banner;[19] T'Challa, Shuri, and the Dora Milaje;[20] and the Guardians of the Galaxy members Mantis and Drax,[4] which concluded the first season.[21]
The second season of Legends began in February 2023,[5] and includes episodes for Scott Lang / Ant-Man, Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, and Hope van Dyne / Wasp;[22] the remaining Guardians of the Galaxy members Peter Quill, Gamora, Nebula, Rocket, Kraglin, and Groot;[23][21] Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Talos and the Skrulls, Everett K. Ross, and James Rhodes / War Machine;[24] "Variants" and the TVA;[25] Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan;[26] and the Guardians of the Multiverse.[27]
Episodes
editEach episode consists entirely of archival footage from previous MCU films and television series.[6]
| Season | Phase covered | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | ||||
| 1 | Four[1] | 26 | January 8, 2021 | November 23, 2022 | |
| 2 | Five[5] | 20 | February 10, 2023 | December 15, 2023 | |
Season 1 (2021–22)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Associated MCU work | Original release date [a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Wanda Maximoff" | WandaVision [1] | January 8, 2021 |
| 2 | 2 | "Vision" | ||
| 3 | 3 | "Falcon" | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier [12] | March 5, 2021 |
| 4 | 4 | "The Winter Soldier" | March 5, 2021 | |
| 5 | 5 | "Zemo" | March 12, 2021 | |
| 6 | 6 | "Sharon Carter" | March 12, 2021 | |
| 7 | 7 | "Loki" | Loki season 1[2] | June 4, 2021 |
| 8 | 8 | "The Tesseract" | ||
| 9 | 9 | "Black Widow" | Black Widow [3] | July 7, 2021 |
| 10 | 10 | "Peggy Carter" | What If...? season 1[14] | August 4, 2021 |
| 11 | 11 | "The Avengers Initiative" | ||
| 12 | 12 | "The Ravagers" | ||
| 13 | 13 | "The Ten Rings" | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings [15] | September 1, 2021 |
| 14 | 14 | "Hawkeye" | Hawkeye [16] | November 12, 2021 |
| 15 | 15 | "Doctor Strange" | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness [17] | April 29, 2022 |
| 16 | 16 | "Wong" | ||
| 17 | 17 | "Scarlet Witch" | ||
| 18 | 18 | "Thor" | Thor: Love and Thunder [18] | July 1, 2022 |
| 19 | 19 | "Jane Foster" | ||
| 20 | 20 | "Valkyrie" | ||
| 21 | 21 | "Bruce Banner" | She-Hulk: Attorney at Law [19] | August 10, 2022 |
| 22 | 22 | "King T'Challa" | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever [20] | November 4, 2022 |
| 23 | 23 | "Princess Shuri" | ||
| 24 | 24 | "The Dora Milaje" | ||
| 25 | 25 | "Mantis" | The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special [4] | November 23, 2022 |
| 26 | 26 | "Drax" | ||
Season 2 (2023)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Associated MCU work | Original release date [a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | "Ant-Man" | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania [22] | February 10, 2023 |
| 28 | 2 | "Wasp" | ||
| 29 | 3 | "Hank & Janet" | ||
| 30 | 4 | "Peter Quill" | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 [23][21] | April 28, 2023 |
| 31 | 5 | "Gamora" | ||
| 32 | 6 | "Nebula" | ||
| 33 | 7 | "Rocket" | ||
| 34 | 8 | "Kraglin" | ||
| 35 | 9 | "Groot" | ||
| 36 | 10 | "Nick Fury" | Secret Invasion [24] | June 14, 2023 |
| 37 | 11 | "Maria Hill" | ||
| 38 | 12 | "Talos & the Skrulls" | ||
| 39 | 13 | "Everett Ross" | ||
| 40 | 14 | "James Rhodes" | ||
| 41 | 15 | "TVA" | Loki season 2[25] | September 29, 2023 |
| 42 | 16 | "Variants" | ||
| 43 | 17 | "Carol Danvers" | The Marvels[26] | November 3, 2023 |
| 44 | 18 | "Kamala Khan" | ||
| 45 | 19 | "Monica Rambeau" | ||
| 46 | 20 | "Guardians of the Multiverse" | What If...? season 2[27] | December 15, 2023 |
Release
editMarvel Studios: Legends released its first two episodes on January 8, 2021, on Disney+.[1] Additional episodes were released before a character's appearance in a Disney+ series, special, or film.[12][3] The Clint Barton episode debuted as part of Disney+'s "Disney+ Day" event.[16] The "Mantis" and "Drax" episodes were removed from Disney+ shortly after their release on November 23, 2022. It is believed the removal was because of the inclusion of a deleted scene from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in the "Mantis" episode, where the character was revealed as Peter Quill's sister; this was assumed to be a plot point that would be featured in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.[28] Both episodes were later restored.[29][21]
Episodes for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania were released on February 10, 2023, on Disney+, beginning the second season of Legends.[22][5] Those episodes were eventually made available for free on Marvel Entertainment's YouTube channel on February 16,[5] with subsequent season two episodes available on YouTube after their premiere on Disney+. The "Wanda Maximoff" episode was made available on Marvel Entertainment's YouTube channel on August 9, with the remaining season one episodes set to be made available on the channel in the following weeks.[30][21]
Reception
editMatt Goldberg at Collider described Legends as "elaborate fan videos that offer cross-promotion" for Marvel, which he did not think was bad but he did wish that the series "offered up something new", such as actors "talking about their characters or offering a fresh teaser for" what was being promoted. He concluded that Legends was "content to be a highly produced recap video".[10] Charlie Ridgely, writing for ComicBook.com, called Legends "incredibly handy" given there had not been any new MCU content in 2020. While conceding viewers already familiar with the highlighted character's stories might not see the need for the episodes since they were "quite literally just a recap of what happened in the movies", he felt it was still "a great refresher" for viewers interested in the new Marvel Disney+ content who "maybe aren't as into the greater MCU... allow[ing] everyone to be on a similar page".[6] Variety's Caroline Framke felt Marvel was anticipating confusion from casual MCU viewers during their new Disney+ series, and called Legends "pretty helpful" heading into WandaVision.[31] Some viewers were disappointed in the series, expecting a more in-depth documentary with creatives providing interviews rather than a clip show.[32]
Related documentaries
editIn February 2021, fellow Marvel Studios docuseries Marvel Studios: Assembled was announced. Some commentators called Assembled a companion series to Legends since Assembled presents behind-the-scenes material after an MCU film or series.[33][34] In June 2022, the documentary short A Fan's Guide to Ms. Marvel was released on Disney+ in preparation for the character's debut in the series Ms. Marvel. It featured an exclusive look at the production of the series and interviews from the filmmaking team and star Iman Vellani.[35] Additionally, the first episode of Echo employs flashbacks to help explain Maya Lopez's backstory as well as including her appearances on Hawkeye.[36]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Paige, Rachel (December 15, 2020). "Marvel Studios Announces New Series Debuting Exclusively on Disney+". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ a b c Dela Paz, Maggie (May 18, 2021). "Disney+ June 2021 Schedule: Movies and TV Titles Revealed". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Ridgely, Charlie (June 16, 2021). "Disney+: Every Movie and TV Show Arriving in July 2021". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c Scott, Ryan (November 23, 2022). "Superhero Bits: Clarity On Henry Cavill's Superman Contract, The Power Rangers Tribute To Jason David Frank & More". /Film. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Shah, Aashna (February 16, 2023). "Newly Released 'Ant-Man' Episodes Of Marvel's 'Legends' Now On YouTube". ET Canada. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ a b c Ridgely, Charlie (January 8, 2021). "Marvel Studios Releases New Legends Trailer". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Gartenberg, Chaim (December 15, 2020). "The MCU is so big Disney Plus is getting a new Legends clip show to help you keep track". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Gemmill, Allie (December 15, 2020). "New MCU Show 'Marvel Studios: Legends' Coming to Disney+ in 2021". Collider. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Whitbrook, James (December 15, 2020). "Marvel Figured Out an Easier Way for You to Catch Up on Dozens of Movies". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Matt (January 8, 2021). "Disney+'s 'Marvel Studios Legends' Starts Off as a 15-Minute Recap for 'WandaVision'". Collider. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Barnhardt, Adam (February 16, 2021). "Marvel Legends: Falcon, Winter Soldier, Baron Zemo, and Sharon Carter to Get Episodes in Disney+ Recap Series". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c Outlaw, Kofi (March 5, 2021). "Disney+ Releases The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Marvel Studios Legends Episodes Early". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ "(#107/108) "Loki / The Tesseract"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ a b Ridgely, Charlie (July 15, 2021). "Disney+: Every Movie and TV Show Arriving in August 2021". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Siegal, Jacob (August 17, 2021). "Every new movie and show coming to Disney Plus in September 2021". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ a b c Bonomolo, Cameron (October 29, 2021). "Marvel Studios: Legends Takes Aim At Hawkeye on Disney+ Day". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ a b Dinh, Christine (April 29, 2022). "Revisit Doctor Strange, Wanda Maximoff and Wong's Legends Ahead of 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Bonomolo, Cemeron (June 30, 2022). "Thor: Love and Thunder: New Marvel Studios Legends Episodes to Stream on Disney+". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Jolliff, Lucy (August 4, 2022). "Mark Ruffalo's Hulk Gets a Marvel Studios Legends Disney+ Special". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Johnson, Zach (October 18, 2022). "Everything New You Can Stream on Disney+ in November 2022". D23. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Bonomolo, Cameron (August 9, 2023). "Marvel Studios Disney+ Series Releasing Free on YouTube". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c Johnson, Zac (January 17, 2023). "Everything New You Can Stream on Disney+ in February 2023". D23. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Revisit the Guardians of the Galaxy with 'Marvel Studios' Legends' on Disney+". Marvel.com. April 28, 2023. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "Prepare for 'Secret Invasion' With New 'Marvel Studios Legends' on Disney+". Marvel.com. June 14, 2023. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Brail, Nathaniel (August 16, 2023). "Loki Season 2: Disney+ Confirms Marvel Studios Legends Episodes". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Ridgely, Charlie (October 17, 2023). "Disney+: Every Movie & TV Show Arriving in November 2023". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Shows A-Z – marvel studios legends on disney plus". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Anderton, Joe (November 24, 2022). "Guardians of the Galaxy episode removed from Disney+ after it spoils Holiday Special". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ Sanders, Savannah (January 17, 2023). "Disney+ Removed MCU Episodes After Fan Complaints – They're Finally Back Up". The Direct. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ "'Marvel Studios Legends': Watch Now on Disney+ and Marvel's YouTube". Marvel.com. August 9, 2023. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Framke, Caroline (January 14, 2021). "'WandaVision' Is Better as a Weird Marvel Swing Than Sitcom Twist: TV Review". Variety. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Barnhardt, Adam (January 8, 2021). "Marvel Fans Disappointed With Marvel Studios: Legends". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (February 16, 2021). "'Marvel Studios' Assembled': Disney+ to Debut New MCU Documentary Series with Making-Of Special About 'WandaVision'". /Film. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Gemmill, Allie (February 16, 2021). "Marvel Studios Announces 'Assembled' Making-of Disney+ Docuseries & First Episode Details". Collider. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Ridgely, Charlie (May 23, 2022). "Disney+: Every Movie & TV Show Arriving in June 2022". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ Lussier, Germain (January 3, 2024). "How Echo Deals With Hawkeye, Daredevil, and Kingpin". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
