Now that Marvel’s cinematic universe experiment has culminated in the resounding success that way The Avengers, it’s only natural (and profitable) that the comic publisher-turned-multi-media Juggernaut would want to expand their brand, as “Phase 2” of their shared universe is slowly but surely rolled out.
While we know about films like Iron Man 3, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World and even Guardians of the Galaxy on the cinematic side, Marvel’s ambitions for the small screen have remained somewhat unclear, with Guillermo del Toro’s Hulk TV show supposedly still in development, while spinoff shows about lesser-known characters (such as the defunct AKA Jessica Jones) have not fared so well.
Now comes news that Marvel TV is once again exploring TV routes to go down – though just what kind of route is not yet clear. Scroll down for details.
Deadline is dropping the report that Marvel and ABC (which is owned by Marvel parent Co., Disney) are looking to get a new TV series off the ground – one that will, in some yet-undefined way, be connected to the larger Avengers universe. The few details being discussed include that the show would be a drama series, and that the Avengers connection would be “light” – as in, don’t expect to see characters (or actors) from the actual Avengers movie popping up in the show. The idea is still said to be in its infancy (as in, not yet a certainty), but the words “high-concept cop show” were kicked around, leading to all kinds of fan speculation around the Web (with Heroes for Hire still being an early nomination).
While covering the upcoming Avengers spinoff short-film, “Item 47,” we made mention of the fact that the Marvel Comics Universe does feature any number of grounded human titles that could serve as great entry points to their onscreen universe. This includes titles like Front Line and Homefront, which explore the superhero happenings of the Marvel Universe from the perspective of journalists who risk life and limb to chronicle the stories; there are also plenty of law enforcement bodies within the comics – from a superhuman specialists S.W.A.T. team to superhuman task forces within the body of S.H.I.E.L.D. – that could be mined for an ongoing TV series.
In fact, abandoning the original approach of using TV to launch lesser-known superheroes, and instead using the medium to ground the more fantastical happenings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe via “realistic” characters and real-world perspective, might be a better move entirely. And, whether explored through the lens of journalism or law enforcement (or a combination of both), a Marvel TV series grounded in the real-world, with “real people” at its center, would also be more inviting to those who don’t usually go for this sort of subject matter. Spun the right way, we could still see a variety of notable superheroes and/or villains make their way into the show – even in brief one-off episodes or scene cameos.
We’ll keep you updated on the status of Marvel’s TV Series Projects as more information comes to light.
