Marvel Studios: Legends
Genre
Based onMarvel Comics
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Num seasons3
Num episodes48
Runtime5–10 minutes
CompanyMarvel Studios
NetworkDisney+
First airedJanuary 8, 2021
Last airedDecember 15, 2023
Network 2YouTube
First aired 2June 13, 2025
Last aired 2present
RelatedMarvel Studios: Assembled

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.

The series was first announced in December 2020. Marvel Studios: Legends premiered on January 8, 2021, with subsequent episodes released 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 21-episode second season 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. Beginning in 2025, episodes were released exclusively on YouTube.

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+ series,[1][2] films,[3] and Special Presentations[4] in Phase Four, Phase Five,[1][5] and Six.

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 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] the Guardians of the Multiverse;[27] and Riri Williams.[28]

The third season of Legends began in July 2025,[citation needed] and features the episode for Wakanda's War Dogs.[29]

Episodes

Each episode consists entirely of archival footage from previous MCU films and television series.[6] <onlyinclude></onlyinclude>

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, 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.[30] Both episodes were later restored.[31][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 through "Variants" made 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.[32][21] The Ironheart episode was released exclusively on YouTube.[28]

The episode for Eyes of Wakanda was also released on YouTube.[29]

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".[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.[33] Some viewers were disappointed in the series, expecting a more in-depth documentary with creatives providing interviews rather than a clip show.[34]

In 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.[35][36] 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.[37] Additionally, the first episode of Echo employs flashbacks to help explain Maya Lopez's backstory as well as including her appearances on Hawkeye.[38]

References

  1. ^ Paige, Rachel (December 15, 2020). "Marvel Studios Announces New Series Debuting Exclusively on Disney+". Marvel.com. Archived December 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  2. ^ Dela Paz, Maggie (May 18, 2021). "Disney+ June 2021 Schedule: Movies and TV Titles Revealed". ComingSoon.net. Archived May 18, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Ridgely, Charlie (June 16, 2021). "Disney+: Every Movie and TV Show Arriving in July 2021". ComicBook.com. Archived June 16, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  4. ^ 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 November 24, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Ridgely, Charlie (January 8, 2021). "Marvel Studios Releases New Legends Trailer". ComicBook.com. Archived January 8, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  7. ^ 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 December 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  8. ^ Gemmill, Allie (December 15, 2020). "New MCU Show 'Marvel Studios: Legends' Coming to Disney+ in 2021". Collider. Archived December 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Whitbrook, James (December 15, 2020). "Marvel Figured Out an Easier Way for You to Catch Up on Dozens of Movies". io9. Gizmodo. Archived December 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  10. ^ Goldberg, Matt (January 8, 2021). "Disney+'s 'Marvel Studios Legends' Starts Off as a 15-Minute Recap for 'WandaVision'". Collider. Archived January 8, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 8, 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 February 17, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. 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 March 5, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "(#107/108) "Loki / The Tesseract"". The Futon Critic. Archived May 18, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  14. ^ Ridgely, Charlie (July 15, 2021). "Disney+: Every Movie and TV Show Arriving in August 2021". ComicBook.com. Archived July 16, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  15. ^ Siegal, Jacob (August 17, 2021). "Every new movie and show coming to Disney Plus in September 2021". Yahoo!. Archived August 18, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  16. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (October 29, 2021). "Marvel Studios: Legends Takes Aim At Hawkeye on Disney+ Day". ComicBook.com. Archived October 29, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. 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 April 29, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  18. ^ Bonomolo, Cemeron (June 30, 2022). "Thor: Love and Thunder: New Marvel Studios Legends Episodes to Stream on Disney+". ComicBook.com. Archived July 1, 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  19. ^ Jolliff, Lucy (August 4, 2022). "Mark Ruffalo's Hulk Gets a Marvel Studios Legends Disney+ Special". Comic Book Resources. Archived August 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  20. ^ Johnson, Zach (October 18, 2022). "Everything New You Can Stream on Disney+ in November 2022". D23. Archived October 19, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  21. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (August 9, 2023). "Marvel Studios Disney+ Series Releasing Free on YouTube". ComicBook.com. Archived August 10, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  22. ^ Johnson, Zac (January 17, 2023). "Everything New You Can Stream on Disney+ in February 2023". D23. Archived January 19, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  23. ^ "Revisit the Guardians of the Galaxy with 'Marvel Studios' Legends' on Disney+". Marvel.com. April 28, 2023. Archived April 28, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  24. ^ "Prepare for 'Secret Invasion' With New 'Marvel Studios Legends' on Disney+". Marvel.com. June 14, 2023. Archived June 15, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  25. ^ Brail, Nathaniel (August 16, 2023). "Loki Season 2: Disney+ Confirms Marvel Studios Legends Episodes". ComicBook.com. Archived August 16, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  26. ^ Ridgely, Charlie (October 17, 2023). "Disney+: Every Movie & TV Show Arriving in November 2023". ComicBook.com. Archived October 17, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  27. ^ "Shows A-Z – marvel studios legends on disney plus". The Futon Critic. Archived December 16, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  28. ^ Felt, Klein (June 13, 2025). "Marvel Studios Revives Legends Series Fans Thought Was Cancelled". The Direct. Archived June 13, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  29. ^ Marvel Entertainment (July 30, 2025). Wakanda's War Dogs | Marvel Studios' Legends. Retrieved July 31, 2025. – via YouTube
  30. ^ Anderton, Joe (November 24, 2022). "Guardians of the Galaxy episode removed from Disney+ after it spoils Holiday Special". Digital Spy. Archived November 26, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  31. ^ Sanders, Savannah (January 17, 2023). "Disney+ Removed MCU Episodes After Fan Complaints – They're Finally Back Up". The Direct. Archived January 17, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  32. ^ "'Marvel Studios Legends': Watch Now on Disney+ and Marvel's YouTube". Marvel.com. August 9, 2023. Archived August 9, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  33. ^ Framke, Caroline (January 14, 2021). "'WandaVision' Is Better as a Weird Marvel Swing Than Sitcom Twist: TV Review". Variety. Archived January 14, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  34. ^ Barnhardt, Adam (January 8, 2021). "Marvel Fans Disappointed With Marvel Studios: Legends". ComicBook.com. Archived January 8, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  35. ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (February 16, 2021). "'Marvel Studios' Assembled': Disney+ to Debut New MCU Documentary Series with Making-Of Special About 'WandaVision'". /Film. Archived February 16, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  36. ^ Gemmill, Allie (February 16, 2021). "Marvel Studios Announces 'Assembled' Making-of Disney+ Docuseries & First Episode Details". Collider. Archived February 16, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  37. ^ Ridgely, Charlie (May 23, 2022). "Disney+: Every Movie & TV Show Arriving in June 2022". ComicBook.com. Archived May 23, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  38. ^ Lussier, Germain (January 3, 2024). "How Echo Deals With Hawkeye, Daredevil, and Kingpin". Gizmodo. Archived January 3, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 3, 2024.