For a long time, it seemed like the war between Marvel and DC would rage on forever. But now that Marvel and Star Wars have become the dominant forces where major franchises are concerned, a new question has emerged: Which Disney+ TV shows are better - Star Wars or Marvel?
It's a tricky thing to compare, and while it might not seem at all fair seeing as Marvel has a lot more in the way of TV shows already, it's not about quantity. So which Disney+ TV shows are better? Let's take a look.
The first thing we need to address is which shows we're going to discuss, and it's probably best to get Marvel out of the way first, seeing as it already boasts a fair few, despite the fact its first, WandaVision, premiered only last year.
WandaVision is a truly unique show, with the first few episodes being a celebration of the US sitcom over the decades. Sadly, it quickly plunges into generic MCU territory, even if Elizabeth Olsen's magic helps to keep it afloat.
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Next up was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which sees the return of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). A hugely enjoyable spy thriller, sure, but it never quite lives up to the Captain America movies.
And then Loki sees the return of the titular god of mischief, with the beloved Tom Hiddleston stepping back into the role. Much like WandaVision, Loki is a very unique outing, but one can't ignore just how messy it makes the MCU.
Hawkeye sees Jeremy Renner reprise his role as Clint Barton/Hawkeye. Strangely inspired by Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, this festive actioner is great fun, and even validates the Daredevil show as canon.
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What If...? probably wouldn't have made this list if it wasn't for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, but seeing as it's now canon (sort of), there it is. This anthology series feels like fan-fiction at times, but it's still huge fun.
The most recent MCU show is Moon Knight, which stars Oscar Isaac in the lead role. The show has yet to address the fact that it even exists within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and has been generally received as a bit of a mixed bag.
Other MCU shows, which Spider-Man: No Way Home confirmed as canon, are Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, The Defenders, The Punisher, and Luke Cage. But they're very much their own thing, which is mostly due to their adult nature.
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And, of course, there's Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, Agent Carter, and Inhumans, which can all be grouped together too, as they're mostly direct spin-offs from some of the earlier MCU movies.
So, needless to say, the MCU is definitely winning the race where quantity is concerned, and by the time Star Wars catches up to a similar number, the number of MCU TV shows on Disney+ will have likely doubled in size.
But like we've already said, it's not about quantity. So are the Star Wars TV shows on Disney+ any better? Well, it's all very subjective, of course, but let's see how the existing shows measure up against MCU in terms of quality.
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The Mandalorian got off to a very promising start when it premiered in 2019. Perhaps this was due to the fact that, while canon, it seemed unconnected to the wider Star Wars universe, focusing on two entirely new characters.
Fast forward two years, and it seems like the show has already sold out by giving us cameo after cameo, whether it's Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff), Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), or Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).
While these are in no way bad things, it seems that Disney and Lucasfilm decided to focus more on the nostalgia side of things rather than giving us new stories and new characters. That's just lazy writing.
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And this is something that bleeds into The Book of Boba Fett. The spin-off show should have focused entirely on the titular bounty hunter (Temuera Morrison), but it winded up feeling like a pilot for The Mandalorian Season 3.
While it would seem that those are the only two Star Wars TV shows on Disney+, there are many more. Those are the only two live-action shows, while Obi-Wan Kenobi is imminent, which will be followed by Andor and Ahsoka.
The animated side of the faraway galaxy definitely gives Star Wars a bit of a boost, as it includes Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Resistance, and the non-canon Star Wars: Visions.
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Most of these shows are solid, with the exception of Resistance and Visions. But The Clone Wars in particular is generally considered one of the greatest Star Wars entries ever, while Rebels is a worthy follow-up.
The Bad Batch has yet to find its footing, but based on the first season alone, the future looks promising. Other Star Wars animated shows include the likes of Droids and Ewoks, two inconsequential remnants of the Star Wars vintage era.
If it wasn't for the animated shows, Star Wars would be an easy loser against the MCU. But the truth is that we've yet to see what Obi-Wan Kenobi and the next two shows have in store.
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Until then, though, we must praise the MCU for its innovation, whether it's WandaVision or What If..? While it doesn't always pay off, the MCU at least shoots for the stars. We're just waiting for Star Wars to do the same.
Upcoming MCU shows include Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Secret Invasion, Ironheart, Armor Wars, an untitled Wakanda series, Loki Season 2, Echo, and Agatha: House of Harkness.
Over on the faraway galaxy side of things, upcoming shows, both live-action and animated, are Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka, Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2, The Mandalorian Season 3, and an untitled animated project.
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