ABC is in talks with Marvel for a new TV series to join their lineup. Back when the Marvel Cinematic Universe stuck the landing with The Avengers, ABC was the first network to get a foot in the door and try to ride the wave of success. They resurrected Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson as the star of Agents of SHIELD, which is now coming to a close after season 7. Once the longest-running Marvel series to date ends, it’ll leave ABC with a superhero-sized hole in its upcoming schedule.
This isn’t for a lack of trying though, as ABC has repeatedly attempted to find other Marvel shows to add to their seasonal lineups. Agent Carter ended after only two seasons and a big cliffhanger, and it didn’t take long to realize that Inhumans wasn’t going to last beyond its debut season. Meanwhile, ABC has developed plenty of shows that have been reported on to try and keep Marvel as part of their programming.
That intention is still accurate, as Deadline is now reporting that ABC and Marvel are in “active talks” on a new female-led TV series. It’s not yet known when the series will debut or even what the status of it is at the moment, but it’s not any of the previously reported on projects. ABC President of Entertainment Karey Burke didn’t reveal many details about the possible new series to Deadline other than teasing that it’s “something brand new, mostly.”
Whatever this new series is, it joins a long line of Marvel shows that ABC has developed or expressed interest in. One of the most recent was an all-female series developed by Wonder Woman writer Allan Heinberg, but it was reported at the beginning of this year that it was dead. They’ve also developed Damage Control, Marvel’s Most Wanted, a promising New Warriors lineup, the mysterious John Ridley project, and one described as Jessica Jones-esque. But, since all of these failed to get off the ground, the track record for these types of projects actually materializing isn’t great.
However, the difference now is that ABC knows their attachment to Marvel will end next summer with Agents of SHIELD, so they have to find something else to take its place if they’re determined to keep the brand in their lineup. If this new series does happen, the question that fans will be left with is what - or more importantly who - it’ll be about. Marvel Comics have plenty of female characters that could be used on the small screen, but Marvel TV and ABC’s options are limited to characters Marvel Studios and chief Kevin Feige have no intention of using on the big screen. That would likely rule out some of the bigger possibilities.
Burke’s tease of the series “mostly” being something new is intriguing too, as that could be read as it being a spinoff/reimagining of something they’ve already introduced. The only struggle with that idea is figuring out what loose thread Marvel TV could pull on. Agents of SHIELD season 7 will be dealing with time travel, so maybe it’ll be used to introduce the next idea or character somehow. As of now, this report isn’t a confirmation that a new Marvel TV show is coming to ABC, but it does show a continued interest in making that happen, so maybe this series will be the one to get off the ground.
MORE: What To Expect From Agents of SHIELD Season 7
Source: Deadline
