A new inside report suggests that several Marvel superheroes might be getting their own shows on TV soon.
The report seems most interested in highlighting alleged internal discord between the Marvel Studios and Marvel TV branches of the company. However, what grabbed our attention is the news about Marvel TV's "Phase 2."
Like its big screen brother did, Marvel TV is preparing to translate its success into a second phase of programming that will introduce new superheroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This information comes from the usually-reliable Umberto Gonzalez of Heroic Hollywood, who says that the big focus is on Marvel TV's alliance with Netflix, which is where it's seen the greatest successes.
Phase 2 of Marvel TV is expected to include the second season of Daredevil (which, as you've probably heard, is expected to introduce Elektra) and The Defenders (the team-up of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist) on Netflix, both of which we already knew were coming.
The big news is that Marvel is considering adding some other heroes to their ranks. It's not surprising that Netflix would want to expand its catalog of heroes given the reportedly huge Daredevil viewership is bringing in. So, who else might join the Netflix four?
Gonzalez says that he's heard Punisher, Ghost Rider and Blade are all up for consideration. All three characters fit the "street-level hero" vibe that Marvel has going on at Netflix, but each also presents potential issues to be overcome.
Punisher is a difficult character to make three-dimensional and believable, because he's a one-note. He's also a fan of extreme violence, which Marvel is already pushing the envelope with on Netflix, but having a Marvel character execute bad guys takes the violence to a different level. Punisher would have to be retooled to fit in with the Netflix group. A much smarter scenario would find him acting as a villain for one of the Defenders.
Ghost Rider and Blade both bring supernatural elements to the playing field. This could give Netflix pause, as the streaming content provider has afforded its Marvel shows so far by avoiding high-cost things like visual effects.
One other idea Netflix and Marvel are tossing around is doing a movie or short miniseries focusing on The Avengers' Black Widow and Hawkeye. Imagine that ... Viewers waiting for a Black Widow movie would finally get a story she's at the center of, while more of Hawkeye's story would be fleshed out as well. If they can get Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner to sign on, that's a project that could be something special.
Outside of Netflix, Marvel is said to be working on more broadcast cable shows (likely for ABC, which, like Marvel, is owned by Disney). They include series centered on Cloak & Dagger, Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), and a Hulk series that's set years before the movies he appears in. It's a safe bet Mark Ruffalo won't be starring in that one.
Gonzalez also confirms an existing rumor that Marvel TV is trying its hardest to get Doctor Strange to make his debut on the small screen before his feature film hits in November of 2016.
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