Marvel Studios: Legends

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). Each episode showcases an individual character or object with footage from past MCU films, highlighting their prominent moments from the MCU.

Marvel Studios: Legends
Genre
Based onMarvel Comics
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes17
Production
Running time5–10 minutes
Production companyMarvel Studios
DistributorDisney Platform Distribution
Release
Original networkDisney+
Original releaseJanuary 8, 2021 (2021-01-08) –
present (present)
Chronology
Related showsMarvel 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' 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.

Premise

The 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+ Phase Four series and films.[1][2][3]

Background

Marvel 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 Disney+ series as part of Phase Four of the MCU. 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.[4][5][6] 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.[4]

The series features short episodes made up of footage from past MCU films that featured the highlighted character, moment, or object.[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.[8] In February 2021, after the announcement of the fellow Marvel Studios docuseries Marvel Studios: Assembled, some commentators called Assembled a companion series to Legends, since Assembled presents behind the scenes material after a MCU film or series.[9][10] Also in the month, episodes for Falcon, Winter Soldier, Zemo, and Sharon Carter were announced ahead of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.[11][12]

In May 2021, before the release of Loki, episodes for Loki and the Tesseract were announced.[13][2] The following month, an episode for Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow was announced ahead of the character's appearance in the Phase Four film Black Widow (2021), which was set to be made available on Disney+ with Premier Access.[3] In July, episodes for Peggy Carter, the Avengers Initiative, and the Ravagers were announced, ahead of their appearances in the series What If...?.[14] In August, before the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, an episode for the Ten Rings organization was announced.[15] In October, an episode for Clint Barton / Hawkeye was announced to debut for Disney+'s "Disney+ Day" celebration, ahead of the character's appearance in Hawkeye.[16] In April 2022, episodes for Dr. Stephen Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch were revealed, ahead of the characters' appearances in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.[17]

Episodes
List of Marvel Studios: Legends episodes
No.TitleAssociated MCU workOriginal release date [lower-alpha 1]
1"Wanda Maximoff"WandaVision [1]January 8, 2021 (2021-01-08)
Wanda Maximoff and her twin brother Pietro fight the Avengers during Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), but ultimately join them. Pietro dies in that film, and Wanda subsequently builds a relationship with Vision across Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). She returns in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
2"Vision"WandaVision [1]January 8, 2021 (2021-01-08)
Tony Stark's artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S., first seen in Iron Man (2008), becomes Vision during Age of Ultron when Stark combines J.A.R.V.I.S. with a synthetic body and the Mind Stone. Vision starts a relationship with Wanda Maximoff in Civil War, but she destroys him in Infinity War in an attempt to stop Thanos from getting the Mind Stone.
3"Falcon"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier [12]March 5, 2021 (2021-03-05)
Sam Wilson befriends Steve Rogers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and fights as an Avenger in Age of Ultron and Ant-Man (2015). Wilson sides with Rogers during Civil War and subsequently goes on the run. They return to fight Thanos in Infinity War, and Rogers hands Wilson the mantle of Captain America at the end of Endgame.
4"The Winter Soldier"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier [12]March 5, 2021 (2021-03-05)
In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Bucky Barnes is a sergeant in the United States Army during World War II, fighting as a Howling Commando with Steve Rogers. After seemingly falling to his death on a mission, Barnes is recovered by Hydra and brainwashed to become an assassin, the Winter Soldier. Rogers helps Barnes remember his past in The Winter Soldier and Civil War, and Wakandans remove his programming by the end of Black Panther (2018). Barnes fights Thanos in Infinity War and Endgame.
5"Zemo"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier [12]March 12, 2021 (2021-03-12)
Helmut Zemo works to divide the Avengers in Civil War after their actions in the battle of Sokovia during Age of Ultron led to the deaths of his loved ones. Zemo's plan involves revealing that Tony Stark's parents were murdered by the Winter Soldier, and leads to the Avengers parting ways, though Zemo is captured by Black Panther and imprisoned.
6"Sharon Carter"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier [12]March 12, 2021 (2021-03-12)
Sharon Carter, also known as Agent 13 of S.H.I.E.L.D., is assigned to watch Steve Rogers during the events of The Winter Soldier and becomes an ally of his during the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. Carter then joins the CIA, where she again aids Rogers as he attempts to save Bucky Barnes during the events of Civil War.
7"Loki"Loki [2]June 4, 2021 (2021-06-04)
A prince of Asgard living in the shadow of his brother Thor, Loki attempts to claim Odin's throne during the events of Thor (2011) but is defeated by Thor and presumed dead. He later reappears on Earth in The Avengers (2012), where he is apprehended by the Avengers and returned to Asgard. Loki is again presumed dead in Thor: The Dark World (2013) after apparently sacrificing himself to save Thor, but is found to be alive and impersonating Odin in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Loki is killed by Thanos in Infinity War.
8"The Tesseract"Loki [2]June 4, 2021 (2021-06-04)
Red Skull uses the Space Infinity Stone, called the Tesseract, to build weapons in World War II during The First Avenger. Howard Stark finds it, and, by 1995, Wendy Lawson uses it to create an experimental lightspeed engine in Captain Marvel (2019). An accident with the engine gives Carol Danvers superpowers, and she entrusts the Tesseract to Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. In 2012, S.H.I.E.L.D. is making weapons with the Tesseract in The Avengers. It is taken to Asgard until Loki steals it during Ragnarok. Thanos takes it from him in Infinity War and later destroys all of the Infinity Stones. In Endgame, the Avengers try to retrieve the Tesseract from 2012 when Loki steals it and teleports away.
9"Black Widow"Black Widow [3]July 7, 2021 (2021-07-07)
Before her death in Endgame, Natasha Romanoff was a Russian operative trained in the Red Room. She defected to S.H.I.E.L.D., and later became a founding member of the Avengers in The Avengers. After the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. in The Winter Soldier, Romanoff continues to fight with the Avengers until she sides with Tony Stark in Civil War and signs the Sokovia Accords. She then breaks the Accords by helping Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes escape custody, and goes on the run leading into Black Widow (2021).
10"Peggy Carter"What If...? [14]August 4, 2021 (2021-08-04)
In The First Avenger, during World War II, Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) agent Peggy Carter works on Project Rebirth which turns Steve Rogers into a super soldier. She falls in love with him, and is devastated when he seemingly sacrifices his life to stop Hydra. After the war, Carter becomes a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Agent Carter (2013). She survives to see Rogers return more than 70 years later in The Winter Soldier, and dies in Civil War. In Endgame, Rogers travels back in time so he can live with Carter.
11"The Avengers Initiative"What If...? [14]August 4, 2021 (2021-08-04)
In 1995, Nick Fury helps Carol Danvers fight the alien Kree Empire in Captain Marvel. When she leaves Earth, he plans to find more heroes like her to help with future alien threats, and names this initiative after her Air Force call sign "Avenger". In The Avengers in 2012, S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, and Thor as part of the initiative. They, along with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, become known as the Avengers, and more heroes join their ranks in the following years.
12"The Ravagers"What If...? [14]August 4, 2021 (2021-08-04)
The Ravagers are a group of alien thieves and smugglers. One Ravager captain, Yondu Udonta, breaks their code when he is hired to retrieve the children of the Celestial Ego from around the galaxy. Yondu learns that Ego is killing the children and chooses not to deliver the last one, the human Peter Quill who he raises as a son. Yondu and his Ravager crew help Quill and the Guardians of the Galaxy defeat Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), and Yondu sacrifices his life to save Quill from Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). Despite his breaking the code, the other Ravager captains honor Yondu's sacrifice with a traditional Ravager funeral.
13"The Ten Rings"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings [15]September 1, 2021 (2021-09-01)
In Iron Man, Tony Stark is ambushed by a terrorist group called the Ten Rings who want him to build them an advanced missile. Stark instead builds the Iron Man armor which he uses to escape from them and then later attack them. He begins investigating their leader, the Mandarin, in Iron Man 3 (2013), but discovers that he is actor Trevor Slattery who was hired by Aldrich Killian to pose as the Mandarin. Slattery is arrested, but is taken from prison by followers of the true Mandarin in All Hail the King (2014).
14"Hawkeye"Hawkeye [16]November 12, 2021 (2021-11-12)
S.H.I.E.L.D agent Clint Barton's mind is controlled by Loki in The Avengers until he is freed and joins the Avengers. In Age of Ultron, Barton and the Avengers fight Ultron, and the team meet his family. Barton sides with Captain America in Civil War and ends up in house arrest. After his family is among those killed by Thanos in Infinity War, Barton becomes a vigilante who hunt criminals until the Avengers are able to revert Thanos' actions five years later in Endgame. Barton is assigned as Yelena Belova's target being blamed for Romanoff's death in Endgame by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, as shown in Black Widow.
15"Doctor Strange"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness[17]April 29, 2022 (2022-04-29)
Neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange severely injures his hands in a car crash in Doctor Strange (2016). Traveling to Kamar-Taj, he learns the Mystic Arts through the Ancient One, fighting Kaecilius and saving the world from Dormammu, subsequently becoming the Ancient One's successor as the Sorcerer Supreme. He later joins Tony Stark and the Guardians of the Galaxy in a battle against Thanos in Infinity War, where he becomes one of the latter's victims. Strange is revived in Endgame, where he witnesses Stark's sacrifice to defeat Thanos.
16"Wong"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness[17]April 29, 2022 (2022-04-29)
In Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts Wong becomes an ally of Stephen Strange during his training at Kamar-Taj. In Infinity War, Wong helps Strange, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner in fighting Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian. In Endgame, he and other sorcerers make portals to reunite several superheroes in aiding the Avengers in their battle against Thanos. Wong also meets Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).
17"Scarlet Witch"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness[17]April 29, 2022 (2022-04-29)

Release

Marvel 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 or film.[12][3]

Reception

Matt 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".[8] 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".[7] 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.[18] Some viewers were disappointed in the series, expecting a more in-depth documentary with creatives providing interviews rather than a clip show.[19]

Notes
  1. Each Legends episode is released prior to the premiere of the associated series or film.

References
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Whitbrook, James (December 15, 2020). "Marvel Figured Out an Easier Way for You to Catch Up on Dozens of Movies". io9. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  12. 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.
  13. "(#107/108) "Loki / The Tesseract"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
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