Disney's Streaming Push Challenged Marvel, But Recovery Is Underway, Says James Gunn

James Gunn recently clarified remarks from an interview where he suggested Disney's aggressive push for Disney+ content strained Marvel Studios.

Gunn, the director behind the successful Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel Studios and now co-CEO of DC Studios, told Rolling Stone that Disney’s directive to ramp up Marvel’s output for Disney+’s launch—admitted by Disney CEO Bob Iger to have "diluted fans' focus"—was “unfair” and “wrong.”

“It really hurt them,” Gunn stated.

Some interpreted Gunn’s comment as declaring the MCU finished, but in a social media post, he clarified that he meant Disney’s strategy disrupted Marvel temporarily, not permanently. He noted that Marvel has since recovered as the “streaming frenzy” subsided.

“To clarify—and as the interview context shows—I didn’t mean ‘it killed them’ as if they’re done. They were impacted by circumstances beyond their control,” Gunn wrote on Threads.

“They’ve moved past that now, which is positive. The all-in streaming push harmed many projects by demanding content that couldn’t be sustainably produced, rushing movies to TV before theatrical runs, and more. That frenzy has calmed, and balance has returned, thankfully.”

In another post, Gunn described Marvel’s task during that period as “nearly impossible.”

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Upcoming Films and Series

Marvel’s challenges after Avengers: Endgame are well-known, with box office performance lagging since the 2019 blockbuster, except for hits like the billion-dollar Deadpool & Wolverine.

Post-Endgame, the MCU’s output has often fallen short of the quality set by earlier phases. Exceptions include 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, both critical and commercial successes.

Marvel has scaled back, planning just three films for 2025: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. For 2026, only Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday are scheduled.

Marvel Studios now faces pressure to adopt a “quality over quantity” approach. After mixed results from Captain America and Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four is seen as key to recapturing the MCU’s box office dominance. Disney CEO Bob Iger recently praised Thunderbolts* as a prime example of Marvel’s renewed focus on quality.

In the Rolling Stone interview, Gunn noted that DC Studios, under Warner Bros., faces no pressure to meet specific output quotas for films or series.

“We’ll release only what we believe meets the highest quality standards,” Gunn said. “Some projects will excel, others less so, but our goal is consistently high quality. Nothing moves forward without a script I’m personally satisfied with.”

The DCU reboot begins with Superman in July, followed by Supergirl next July, and Clayface in September 2026. Peacemaker Season 2 arrives this August, with Lanterns slated for early 2026. However, Batman remains a significant challenge for Gunn.