Marvel TV Series Starring Loki, Scarlet Witch, And More In The Works With Original Actors
The massive Marvel universe has just gotten even bigger — and seemingly better as well.
Much like Thanos unexpectedly snapped his giant purple fingers to kill half the universe's population in Avengers: Infinity War, Variety came out of nowhere on Tuesday with the news that Marvel Studios and its parent corporation The Walt Disney Company have several Marvel television series in the works.
The outlet detailed that characters like Loki, Scarlet Witch, and "other beloved superheroes who have yet to appear in their own standalone movies" will star in these in-development shows, planned for release on Disney's upcoming and yet-unnamed streaming service. Both Tom Hiddleston, who portrays Thor's devious adopted brother Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Elizabeth Olsen, the actress behind Scarlet Witch on the silver screen, are expected to top-line the series centered on their respective heroes. Additionally, actors who played the good guys and the big bads in the Avengers franchise and its off-shoot movies will return for the shows.
Rather than running for multiple seasons under the creative control of Marvel Television, the division of Marvel Entertainment responsible for all live-action and animated series endeavors and direct-to-DVD projects, these new shows will be limited series produced by Marvel Studios — so they won't join the ranks of the Marvel TV-produced Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Daredevil, or Luke Cage. Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, is "expected to take a hands-on role" in developing the series, which Variety notes are anticipated to "include six to eight episodes" and supposedly carry budgets that may rival those of "major studio productions."
Disney creating and launching a brand-new streaming service is one thing, and the company developing platform-exclusive television shows is another. But the House of Mouse and its subsidiary Marvel crafting big-budget limited series focused on well-known characters with the actors who play them on board to star with Marvel's film production division producing rather than its television department? That's unheard of.
This new venture might seem risky in certain aspects — traveling into uncharted territory doesn't always bode well, even for studios as ostensibly untouchable as these — but Disney and Marvel seem to know exactly what they're doing here. Although the companies haven't revealed details on the series' storylines and haven't yet set up any writers rooms, Disney and Marvel are smart to offer the second-tier Marvel heroes a separate space to shine regardless of what the shows might be about. Characters like Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Chris Evans' Captain America — and others who have already starred in their standalone franchises — won't be seen in the new series, meaning that audiences could see Anthony Mackie's Falcon or Karen Gillan's Nebula or even Jeremy Renner's solo-movie-less Hawkeye leading their very own shows and embarking on brand-new adventures.
Disney and Marvel have yet to confirm any of this, but we'll be sure to provide an update once one or both companies address their ambitious, exciting plans.