News broke last night that Joss Whedon had signed on for Avengers 2. That’s good news. Then Disney announced he’d be contributing to all the Phase 2 films. Oh, that’s interesting. Then we found out he’d be helming the Marvel TV series. Things just got exciting!
I know there have been rumours for a few weeks now about a series set in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), but this is the first real confirmation that the series is actually in development. We don’t know much as of yet, but here’s just a few ideas for what the series could be.
The Runaways
Marvel have been trying to get the Runaways onto screen for years. There was even casting calls for all the characters a few years back for a film, which has yet to see the light of day. However, I think television would suit the characters much more. It would give more time to focus on each character (the comics have a huge cast) and develop them more than a film could. We’ve also heard that the series will be separate from the Avengers and the Runaways suit that description perfectly, but would still give an opportunity for the odd cameo or two from the Avengers.
S.H.I.E.L.D
This seems like the most likely candidate for the show. The initial reports described it as a “high-concept cop show” and a show exploring the day-to-day running of the organization would match that perfectly. This would also be able to introduce many lesser-known heroes and villains from the comics and S.H.I.E.L.D agents deal with them. However, this probably wouldn’t work without Nick Fury and Samuel L. Jackson might be too busy with all the other Marvel films to commit to a TV series. The show could focus on Cobie Smulders’ character Maria Hill but, again, she might be too busy with How I Met Your Mother.
Mockingbird
This could also tie into a S.H.I.E.L.D series but, instead of focusing on the entire organization and all its agents, just focus on one. Bobbi Morse, A.K.A Mockingbird. We actually heard about a potential Mockingbird series last year at Comic-Con when Jeph Loeb (head of Marvel TV) announced a series for ABC Family, which would show her as a college freshman recruited to the organization. We haven’t heard much since, but Mockingbird definitely suits Whedon’s penchant for strong female characters and it would be much easier to pull off without The Avengers cast being involved. Although, a guest appearance by Jeremy Renner would be needed to set up a team-up between the two in an eventual Hawkeye film.
Heroes for Hire
This would be the perfect superhero team for TV. Generally, their powers won’t necessarily need much CGI so could suit the smaller budget that television has. Also, it would be able to showcase many fan-favourite characters, such as Iron Fist and Luke Cage, but if the show isn’t linked to The Avengers, this might upset some fans hoping for these characters to join the team.
Blade
What’s Whedon known for? Buffy. A Vampire Slayer. Just like Marvel’s very own Blade and the rights to the character have recently reverted to Marvel. Could Whedon be set for another vampire series? Although this probably won’t happen – just a shot in the dark.
These are just a few ideas for who a TV series could focus on and still work in the MCU. If I had my way, it would be Young Avengers, but as that’s not going to happen, I’m hoping for the Runaways or Mockingbird. Who would you like to see in the series?
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