At this stage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you could argue that Disney+ either saved or nearly killed the long-running saga. Without “Loki,” the MCU might have failed much sooner, and “WandaVision” convinced even non-fans for a second that Marvel’s gigantic franchise could actually produce writing that bordered on genuine profundity (until someone pointed out that the “love persevering” line was basically just a quote from a “Doctor Who” novel). But also: “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” Or worse, “Secret Invasion.”

If we look at it in a less binary way, it’s probably fair to say that while the Marvel series on Disney+ didn’t nearly kill the saga, they are, taken as a whole, somewhat of a stain on the MCU’s legacy. Not only did many of these series fail to live up to the quality that fans expected, but they also diluted some of the prestige that came with Marvel’s big-screen outings. Instead, they often added layers of often complex, unnecessary lore that made general audiences balk at the idea of ​​having to watch them in their entirety just to understand the next MCU film.

In the wake of this damaging Disney+ effect, we’ve seen Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige clearly try to turn things around, promising quality over quantity in the future of the MCU. Judging by the unqualified box office success of Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s a tactic that’s working so far. I’ve long believed that Marvel should only make Avengers-level movies. These event movies are just a blast, and would be even more fun if we didn’t have to worry in the meantime about what arcane information is being drip-fed into the 10 Disney+ shows no one is watching. That, you’d think, is surely one of the reasons you’ll never see the Avengers themselves in their own show on Disney’s streaming service. But according to one Marvel producer, the real reason is much more pragmatic.

The biggest Marvel event on streaming to date was Secret Invasion, which, as mentioned, didn’t exactly help convince people that the Disney+ shows are worth their time. Moreover, the series turned a narrative event that was significant in the comics into a non-event, suggesting that streaming isn’t where these high-profile, multiverse-altering storylines should be.

But according to Marvel producer Brad Winderbaum, that has nothing to do with why we won’t see the Avengers together on Disney+ and probably never will. Winderbaum, who has been with Marvel Studios since Iron Man, the film that changed Hollywood forever in 2008, spoke to CinemaBlend about the topic, claiming that the Avengers stories are about how “a day came when Earth’s mightiest heroes had to gather.” He continued:

“With a feature film that’s meant to make a statement, it’s logical that there’s an event that shakes everyone up. I think with a longer television series, it’s more of a challenge to have ‘One Day, One Day’ every day.”

That’s a strange assessment of the situation, if only because it assumes that an “Avengers” television series would have to tell a new story about the heroes uniting with each episode, rather than pursuing a “Secret Invasion”-style narrative over a season. Winderbaum added:

“In the comics, you can do that. It’s the Marvel Universe, and there are just spectacular things happening all the time. But if you read the comics, you know that the Avengers really put themselves together so they can take themselves apart, and then put themselves back together, and then take themselves apart again. Is that possible? Yes. But from a narrative perspective, it becomes like a rise and fall, which (…) could be really interesting for a long-form story. But it would be a very unique pattern for a television show.”

Brad Winderbaum’s assessment that the real challenge of an “Avengers” TV series would be narrative seems incomplete at best. A streaming show wouldn’t necessarily have to be a recurring series, and the team wouldn’t have to “put back together and then take itself apart again.” It would be pretty easy, at least in theory, to tell an Avengers story over several episodes and leave it at that, or wait a while for the next installment. But beyond that, Winderbaum seemed to have hit the real point when he talked about “Avengers” movies being “statement pieces” before moving away from it entirely.

The dilution of the prestige of filmmaking by streaming in general is a topic that, while a large part of the debate, is still not discussed enough. Back when the main difference was between a theatrical and direct-to-video release, the difference was so stark that everyone knew what they were getting with each release. Today, a streaming film can be as brilliant as the killer action thriller “Rebel Ridge” or as aneurysm-inducing as Kevin Hart’s “Lift.” Or, when it comes to streaming series, as solid as “Loki” or as crushingly disappointing as “Secret Invasion.”

This surely has to be a major factor in Disney’s decision on whether or not the Avengers get their own streaming show. I can’t imagine that executives haven’t debated what is and isn’t a “streaming franchise,” and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes certainly falls into the latter category. All of this is just another way of saying that a certain prestige is important when it comes to movies and TV, even if you don’t care about the business aspect.

I think many who grew up without streaming may feel that movies in general used to carry a little more weight. When you had to wait for Hollywood to air its latest production, everything felt a lot more special than when everything ever produced is available in a matter of seconds. When you’re Disney, you have to think about these things.

In recent years, the company has gone through something of a brand crisis as it tries to expand its global empire by reaching new audiences while maintaining its reputation as The Purveyor of family-friendly entertainment. Consider the Disney hits “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Alien: Romulus,” which were rated R and followed a year in which the company did not break the billion mark with any of its films. It would be far-fetched to imagine that Disney would not break the billion mark with one of its biggest franchises, the Avengers and not considering the damage a streaming show would do to their reputation.

In the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, authors Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzalez and Gavin Edwards argue that there is an intractable problem with the Marvel Disney+ shows. Because these series are filmed on a tight schedule, there is no time to polish them up in the way that fans, and hopefully Marvel, would like. Do you think Disney really wants to throw the blockbuster Avengers into the mix? That seems unlikely.

However, the hugely popular superhero team may be exactly what Disney’s streaming service needs. Perhaps an Avengers TV series would finally transform the Disney+ Marvel shows into the premium series they want to be. For now, though, don’t expect to see the Avengers on streaming any time soon.