For as much as the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have worked in lock-step this past decade, Marvel‘s television efforts have not exactly followed suit. In part because of the 20th Century Fox acquisition, Marvel’s television properties have been defined by a series of stops and starts. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” has been a cult favorite, but its relevance to the cinematic universe seemed to lessen over time. The Netflix experiment – “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” etc. – showed early promise but ended with a flop. Now, with Disney+ launching a handful of prestigious live-action shows, it seems that Marvel is opting for a fresh start across the board.
READ MORE: Kevin Feige Is Working on a New ABC Marvel Series
And that means some shows in production or pre-production are not going to make it. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel has made the decision to cancel two of its upcoming animated shows. “Tigra & Dazzler” and “Howard the Duck” were expected to be the third and fourth shows (respectively) to air as part of Marvel’s deal with fellow Disney subsidiary Hulu. The other shows in the package, “MODOK” and “Hit Monkey,” are reportedly continuing as planned. Marvel executives have already discussed existing episodes of the former at this past month’s Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
READ MORE: Jeph Loeb Says He Was “Blindsided” By Netflix’s Marvel TV Cancellations
For those who need a refresher of the behind-the-scenes changes happening at Marvel, The Hollywood Reporter article offers an excellent little refresher. The most significant change, of course, is Kevin Feige‘s ascension to Chief Creative Officer at Marvel, which gives him the final word on the creative vision of Marvel’s publishing, television, and film production arms. With outgoing Marvel TV honcho Jeph Loeb ceding more control to Feige and Marvel pivoting to include more crossover Disney+ shows, some changes to the Marvel landscape were bound to happen. It will be interesting to see where all the pieces land when Feige is fully up-and-running and working with complete creative autonomy.
