Could Animated TV Shows Improve the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

If you have not heard the news that the amazing directing duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller will be directing a animated Spider-Man movie separate from the MCU, then allow me to break the news for you.

Yes, there will be an animated Spider-Man movie that will not have anything to do with the MCU.

At first my reaction was, well that's kind of cool. I will watch it, but because it is separate from the MCU, it kind of kills a lot of the excitement I could have had for it.

But then I started to think...what if Marvel is missing out on a major opportunity? Maybe not so much with animated films, but with animated TV.

Here is my Idea:

What if Marvel produced animated TV series on the Disney channel that featured the Avengers in between movies? Much like Star Wars: Rebels.

You could have 4 shows. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk. Each would show the adventures that each Avenger embarks on in between their movies. Highlighting some lesser known villains they face, that will never make it to the big screen, and just showing what they do on their down time.

They would also feature the other Avengers like Black Widow, Falcon, Vision, and others.

One of the biggest flaws with the MCU, is that it seems like everytime we go to see a movie, it feels like we have missed something. For example, the obvious love connection that Black Widow and Hulk have made in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The connection felt a bit rushed, but it was obvious that in between the two Avengers films, Hulk and Black Widow had been spending a lot of time together, but we were unable to see that.

And I know that most of these comic book movies have prequel comics to help avid viewers learn additional information about the films before they see them. But wouldn't a animated television series be more profitable and enjoyable?

Marvel has already stretched the MCU to the small screen with Agents of Shield and Daredevil. And Star Wars: Rebels has shown that older fans as well as young will watch animated shows that connects to the larger film universe. So why not take advantage of the amazing animators they have access to at Disney?

Some may be thinking "I like the idea of a TV show showcasing the Avengers in between films, but why not live action?" Well because there is no way actors like Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. would ever do TV shows, especially not about characters they already play in movies.

"Well why not just get different actors to play the characters?" Because Marvel is not going to confuse casual audiences by having the same character be played by two different actors. Plus nobody wants to see anyone else play Tony Stark or Steve Rogers.

Animation would allow for the continuity to be maintained perfectly, and without having to use any of the actors from the film. It would be great if some of the actors lended their voices to the shows. But, I feel like that is such a small factor that it would not kill any of the continuity if Tony Stark sounded a little different in the animated show.

What other reason could there be for animated shows in between movies?

I cannot be the only person who has wondered what the Avengers do in between the films. I mean it is not like they are not fighting crime in between, right?

If that were the case then wouldn't that mean that Iron Man has really only suited up to fight evil five total times in his life? The same for the rest of the Avengers?

Whenever the day comes the Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, and Bruce Banner are retired or deceased, I want to have known that they didn't just suit up the sparing amount of times that we have had the privilege of seeing them on film.

I want to see all of their adventures.

Whether this idea ever becomes reality is irrelevant though. I am glad we get to see the Avengers as much as we do. While having a show, or shows in between events, would be a nice addition. I can live with just having the movies and be pretty happy.