Marvel has slowly been developing their cinematic universe in the world of television with shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter and Daredevil, and they’re showing no signs of stopping this expansion. There are still four Netflix shows that will be released in the coming years, and an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff was announced to be in development earlier this month. Now, Marvel has recruited 12 Years A Slave scribe John Ridley for a mysterious TV project.
Ridley will be penning a series that involves “reinventing an existing Marvel superhero character or property for ABC,” according to Entertainment Weekly. Unfortunately, those involved are staying quiet on what this character or property will be, whether it’s someone that’s already been introduced to the MCU or a Marvel character who hasn’t debuted in live-action yet. However, since it specifically states that this series will air on ABC, we can rule out Ridley writing scripts for the upcoming Netflix shows Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
Going off this vague information, it’s possible Ridley’s project may just be the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff. The project, which will be executive produced by Jeffrey Bell and Paul Zbyszewski, is said to follow up on story elements to be introduced later this season on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That being said, this doesn’t narrow down what we can expect to see. If it’s an existing MCU character that’s starring, this could range from the cyborg Deathlok to one of the Inhumans to the talented S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Mockingbird.
However, it’s also possible this is a separate project from the equally enigmatic Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff, and the use of the word “reinventing” could mean that a new Marvel character is finally joining the MCU. If that’s the case, those potential choices are even more numerous. Cloak and Dagger, Moon Knight, She-Hulk; we could spend hours listing off names and groups. One thing is certain: should this project be ordered, DC is going to be getting much more competition from their Marvel rivals on the TV front.
In addition to 12 Years A Slave, Ridley has also written films like Three Kings, Red Tails and the upcoming Ben-Hur remake. His TV credits include Third Watch and The Wanda Sykes Show, and he is currently an executive producer on the ABC drama American Crime. Ridley also wrote episodes for the animated shows Justice League and Static Shock, so this Marvel project won’t be his first foray into the world of comic books.
