The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. showrunners are optimistic for their plans for the upcoming Mockingbird/Hunter spinoff, Marvel’s Most Wanted.
Marvel’s Most Wanted has been receiving increased attention lately, as ABC President Paul Lee announced at the Television Critic’s Association that the series’ pilot is moving into production. Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon recently spoke with IGN about the project, which is helmed by fellow Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. showrunner Jeff Bell, and writer Paul Zbyszewski.
The wife-and-husband team have seen the script for Most Wanted — Tancharoen calls it “awesome,” — and are enthusiastic about Bobbi and Hunter’s solo adventures.
The pilot, Tancharoen promises, is “everything you anticipate, as well as things you don’t expect at all. It’s just really nice to be able to dive into those characters, and Paul and Jeff have done that exceptionally well.”
Of course, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. Tancharoen and Whedon are more cognizant than anyone how Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood’s departure will impact Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
“We definitely think they are capable of carrying an entire other show,” says Whedon. “That being said, it’s sort of bittersweet. We’re very excited about the new show.”
Tancharoen elaborates on what Mockingbird and Hunter, who joined the cast in season 2, have meant to Marvel’s first foray into television.
“It’s very bittersweet because we have a bunch of females on the show who kick ass,” she says. “It was so nice to have Adrianne be one of them, and then also just when it comes to the humor, just having a moment of levity, Hunter was there to have those one-liners… That was something we could always bet on.”
But Tancharoen and Whedon are also aware of their medium, and promise that the birth of Marvel’s Most Wanted “doesn’t mean they’re gone forever.”
“As everything in the Marvel universe, it’s all one universe,” Tancharoen says.
“They’ll have to step away for a moment,” Whedon teases. “We’re very proud of that moment.”
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. showrunners’ philosophy toward Most Wanted appears to be focused on keeping things natural.
“We’re pretending that there’s no such thing as a pilot,” Whedon explains. “It’s only characters who live in a world where there’s superheroes. We just know at some point they’re going to have to go somewhere else.”
In that light, Marvel’s Most Wanted is less a loss, and more an opportunity to explore new ground.
“We have a lot of characters and we’re always introducing new characters,” Whedon says. “So while [Mockingbird and Hunter are] going to be missed, we’re certainly not going to try to replace them in any way.”