Disney+ has announced some intriguing content focused on the worlds created by Marvel and Star Wars, but does this mean that any new live-action shows from those properties will only be on the streaming service? While the only shows that have been confirmed so far for Disney+ are ones focusing on Tom Hiddleston's Loki and The Mandalorian, there are rumors floating around that a host of other characters from the MCU could be making their way to streaming once the service is up and running later this year. This has many fans wondering if we'll be able to see new live-action content on network TV or on other outlets, and ABC's new entertainment president, Karey Burke, has some sort-of answers for you.
We have our own long-standing relationship with Marvel, and I’m in active conversations with Jeph Loeb about what future projects are going to look like here that will live outside of Disney+. Star Wars is more challenging but not impossible.
Well, as I mentioned, Karey Burke answered the question of whether or not any new live-action Marvel or Star Wars shows would be seen outside of Disney+ to the best of her ability. So, while she couldn't give a definite yes in either respect, it does at least sound like there are talks going on right now about what can be done away from the service and when that might be able to happen. Meaning that until we're told otherwise, we can feel free to have hope that we won't absolutely need to subscribe to Disney+ for smaller scale, live-action, stories from those properties. Yay!
When Burke mentioned the "long-standing relationship" that ABC has with Marvel, of course she was talking about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which took Agent Coulson from the MCU and put him into his own show that has followed through with some plot points which came from that big screen universe as it's developed over the past few years. That show has been going strong on ABC since 2013, and is heading into Season 6 this May, with a seventh season already picked up. But, it's thought that that will be the last go-round for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., so it makes sense that Marvel and ABC would already be working on replacing the show in some capacity.
Obviously, there are a ton of directions that Marvel and ABC could go in trying to come up with a show that would continue the Marvel legacy on the network, but, as Karey Burke noted in her talk to The Hollywood Reporter, things are a bit tougher when it comes to shows that would take place in that galaxy far, far away.
While Burke didn't specify why it will be more difficult for ABC to secure some Star Wars shows, she does make it sound like the particulars of a deal could be worked out at some point, so that's good news. It might just be a case of finding the right idea to bring to ABC, especially with Star Wars movies coming out every year, and several years worth of animated shows, plus a Clone Wars revival and The Mandalorian. It's possible that they're more concerned with over saturating the market when it comes to Star Wars, and just need to see what the response is like for live-action tales on TV once The Mandalorian launches.
I'm sure there's a lot of heavy planning going on behind the scenes with ABC and Disney, to see just what's right for the network, so be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest news on that front!
