The Punisher: One Last Kill was the last Marvel Special Presentation, which was released last month. For those who don’t know, the MCU specials were relatively smaller projects that could introduce new concepts or a deeper look at established MCU characters. While the first presentation was set in a different continuity with new characters (Werewolf by Night), the other two followed established MCU characters.
This week, the Head of Marvel Television, Animation, Comics, and Franchise, Brad Winderbaum, addressed the status of the MCU Specials in an interview with ScreenRant at Tribeca Film Festival. Winderbaum was there to promote X-Men ’97 Season 2. Some episodes of the animated series were screened at the film festival.
What did Marvel’s Brad Winderbaum say about MCU Specials?
ScreenRant reporter and host was one of the several attendees at the Tribeca Film Festival to catch the X-Men ’97 Season 2 premiere. At that panel, Crowley asked Winderbaum if there were any other characters Marvel was planning MCU Specials for. To this, Winderbaum responded:
“Special Presentations are always fun… I just love that [format]. That’s an opportunity; it’s [like] a [one-shot comic.] But [if] someone can have a crazy idea and we can develop it as a special presentation, [it] is [a] huge opportunity for us.”
This basically means that as of now, nothing is certain. The studio might be planning a special presentation that they aren’t ready to announce yet. Therefore, we have to wait for a while to see if there’s a new MCU special presentation. Given the special presentations’ comparatively self-contained nature, we can expect that we will get more of these in the near future.
It seems that Marvel has decided to slow down its non-theatrical, Disney+ projects, which is why we don’t know anything about the upcoming special presentation. However, Winderbaum did confirm that the studio is working on Wonder Man Season 2, saying:
“Wonder Man season 2 is in development right now. We’re all excited about it. I think we’re just kind of taking it one series at a time; it’s one of those shows that we’ll only make if there’s a reason to tell the next chapter of the story, and Destin [Daniel Cretton] and Andrew [Guest] had an awesome reason to tell the next chapter, so excited for that.”
What’s next for this long-running franchise?
The next project in this franchise is X-Men ’97 Season 2. The animated project is not a part of the MCU continuity. Rather, it is set in the same continuity as X-Men: The Animated Series, the iconic animated series from the 90s. Season 2 premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and it will begin streaming on Disney+ on July 01, 2026. Consisting of nine episodes, this season will see the team clashing against Apocalypse/En Sabah Nur. The official synopsis of this season reads:
“X-Men ’97 Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home. Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men’s absence.”
Which Marvel character deserves an MCU special presentation? Let us know.
Edited by Aratrika Baidya