The best entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe don’t provide us with the standard superhero fare we have become accustomed to; they typically add a layer of genre filmmaking to their best products, which in turn elevates those films. The Winter Soldier did this by injecting elements of a political thriller into a Captain America story, and Guardians of the Galaxy did this by framing itself as an adventure modeled after 1980s Spielberg blockbusters. One genre that has not really been directly addressed by Marvel Studios up until this point is a straight comedy – but it seems that could soon change through an upcoming TV project.
Marvel TV Executive VP Jeph Loeb opened up regarding what exactly the company would look for in a potential live-action comedy property:
If we were to explore half-hour comedies, we would keep in mind what's important about Marvel, which is that it needs to feel grounded and real, and at the same time that it has that kind of rebellious quality to it… Marvel has always been sort of the bad boy of the comic book universe. I don't think that's ever going to change. I think, to be perfectly honest about it, I think we're now the sort of, the bad people, not the bad boy.
It’s obvious that Loeb, who spoke with Comicbook.com, is equivocating somewhat so as to not give away any potential details, but sifting through his words we can still tell what he means. He's essentially saying that the creative forces behind the studio would approach the project as a Marvel property first, and then find a natural way to turn it into a comedy, rather than approaching the drawing board with the intention of creating a comedy. By implementing this practice, they ensure the cohesion of their cinematic world first and foremost. This has generally been the case for all of Marvel's properties up until now; no matter how somber or overbearing the stories of their films and shows have ever become, they still have always tried to inject humor into the proceedings.
He also goes on to refer to Marvel as the “bad boy” of the comic book world. While he doesn’t thoroughly explain that point of view, it seems that the studio constantly finds itself in a state of innovation, and attempting to go against the grain. One comedy that Marvel seems to already have in development comes in the form of Damage Control, which follows the group of workers who take care of the mess left behind when titans such as Thor and The Hulk lay waste to a city block. As Damage Control will be a comedy that seemingly serves to complement greater Marvel Cinematic Universe, we can only assume that any future comedies would endeavor to do the same.
That’s all Loeb would give up with regards to the future of Marvel comedies. We will keep you posted on any and all details related to any of these projects as they make themselves available to us. Stay tuned!
