Disney+ is turning to podcasts to help fill its release schedule as the streaming service continues struggling with a shortage of original programming.
Marvel has announced that Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast will premiere on Disney+ on August 27. The five-episode series will be hosted by Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani and comedian Frank Alvarez.
The countdown is on. Iman Vellani and Frank Alvarez host the Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast, revisiting some of the MCU’s most iconic moments. Watch on Disney+, Marvel’s YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts, beginning August 27. pic.twitter.com/gyy8l2K7mu
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) August 20, 2026
According to Marvel, each episode will revisit a significant Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, recapping its most memorable moments and discussing its cultural legacy.
New installments will arrive weekly, concluding on September 24 with an episode dedicated to Avengers: Endgame. Its release will coincide with Avengers: Endgame Encore, which returns to theaters the following day.
Despite its title, the podcast will conclude nearly three months before Avengers: Doomsday opens on December 18.
A Podcast Available Almost Everywhere
Although Marvel is presenting the project as a podcast, Disney+ subscribers will receive a video version featuring Vellani and Alvarez. The program will also appear on YouTube, while its audio edition will be available through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms.
The broad distribution raises questions about the value the series provides Disney+ subscribers. Anyone interested in the MCU retrospective will be able to watch it for free on YouTube or listen without subscribing to Disney’s streaming service.
Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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As some observers have noted, the project also gives Vellani a continued connection to Marvel despite the apparent absence of a second season of Ms. Marvel, a sequel to The Marvels, or a confirmed role in Avengers: Doomsday. While many viewers found her portrayal of Kamala Khan endearing, the projects featuring the character failed to attract large audiences. Still, Vellani has remained positive about returning to the MCU.
Her presence should give the podcast considerably more appeal than a conventional recap show. Vellani is a vocal Marvel fan whose enthusiasm for the franchise has frequently emerged during interviews and public appearances.
Nevertheless, a cheaply produced discussion program cannot replace the scripted entertainment that subscribers traditionally expect from Disney+.
Disney+ Increasingly Resembles YouTube
The podcast announcement appears to be part of a growing trend at Disney+. In early August, the company announced a partnership with TikTok that will allow select fan-created vertical videos to appear on the streaming service. Participating creators will receive access to official Disney assets from franchises including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Around the same time, Disney added ExtraEmily Creator Essentials to Disney+ and Hulu. The 15-episode reality series was assembled from the Twitch streamer’s existing online content and produced by pocket.watch, an outside media company.
(L-R): Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 MARVEL.
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While that series takes videos generally available for free on social media and places them behind the Disney+ paywall, Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast does the opposite. It takes original Disney+ programming and distributes it across free platforms.
Taken together, the new offerings bear little resemblance to the premium scripted movies and shows that originally defined Disney+. Instead, the addition of social media videos, repackaged Twitch streams, and now a video podcast makes the service increasingly resemble YouTube.
Scripted Marvel Programming Remains Limited
VisionQuest remains Marvel’s most significant upcoming live-action Disney+ production. The eight-episode series will reportedly premiere on October 14 and run weekly until shortly before Avengers: Doomsday reaches theaters.
White Vision Appearing in WandaVision – Disney+
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Disney has positioned the show as the conclusion of the so-called WandaVision trilogy. Paul Bettany will return as Vision, while James Spader will reprise his role as Ultron.
Until then, however, Disney+ is asking subscribers to treat a five-episode recap podcast as a meaningful part of its entertainment lineup.
The program may prove enjoyable, particularly with Vellani involved. However, its arrival on Disney+ also illustrates how dramatically the platform’s ambitions have contracted. A service once built around blockbuster original productions is now placing freely available podcasts alongside its movies and television shows—and presenting them as another reason to keep subscribing.
What do you think of podcasts being added to Disney+? Sound off and let us know!
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