For a while there it seemed like ABC might add another Marvel show to its repertoire. However, the news this week indicates the potential female-geared superhero show will not be moving forward. Say it ain’t so!
Interestingly, the female superhero drama didn’t make it to an announced title, much less a full pilot, but when ABC signed on for the potential series the network did sign a pilot commitment deal. So, the cancellation of the project this early comes as a little bit of a surprise. Deadline mentions that it is unclear at this point if the project will go back to the drawing board and potentially move forward down the line.
This isn’t the first time ABC has ultimately passed on a Marvel project. At one point, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a spinoff in development that would have featured Bobbi and Lance. That project, Marvel’s Most Wanted, had a great title and made it to the pilot stage, but ultimately ABC passed. At the time the network said it had screened the pilot and just felt like the final product was not up to par.
This new female-led superhero project didn’t even make it that far into the production process. A pilot had not even been made for the potential show yet and we didn’t know a lot about what the project would entail other than it would feature lady heroes and that it would likely be lesser-known heroines within the Marvel canon.
ABC has Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. already renewed and ready to roll out Season 7 after Season 6. However, the network has had trouble finding another Marvel mainstay. While well-reviewed during its first season, the changes to Agent Carter in Season 2 failed to inspire larger numbers and ultimately led to that show’s cancellation. As noted prior, other projects have begun to move forward but not made it to fruition on the network.
For the time being, The CW reigns supreme in terms of number of superhero shows. Fox’s Gotham will be ending after this season and Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., while still solid, is not exactly a spring chicken on the network. Meanwhile, Netflix is ramping down its own Marvel content.
We’ll let you know if ABC adds another Marvel project in the future and in the meantime there’s certainly more Marvel content to look forward to once Disney+ launches. For a look at the Marvel content rumored to have been pitched for the new streaming service, take a look at CinemaBlend's full guide.
For now, new episodes of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. are not even expected to hit the schedule until this summer. By that time, ABC could have another Marvel project in the works, or could theoretically retool this one. For now though, a female-led Marvel superhero series will no longer be happening over at ABC.
You can however see what the network has coming up with our midseason TV premiere schedule.
