This news seemed on the cards since it was announced back in October that Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige would be assuming creative control of all of Marvel Entertainment’s various film and TV output, and now it is official: Marvel Television – the division headed up by Jeph Loeb and responsible for the likes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Defenders – is closing its doors.
According to Deadline, Marvel Television projects which are currently in production – the live-action Helstrom, Hulu’s animated series, and the final season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – will all still move ahead, albeit as part of Marvel Studios. It follows the recent cancellations of Runaways and Cloak & Dagger, as well as the brakes being applied to the planned live-action Ghost Rider series.
Marvel Television has enjoyed mixed success over the years; despite being slammed by fans upon its launch, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to make it to eight seasons, Agent Carter earned a strong cult following, and the likes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and The Punisher and Legion all received acclaim. On the flip side, shows such as Inhumans and Iron Fist were savaged, while multiple projects failed to get off the ground, including Marvel’s Most Wanted and New Warriors.
What this means for fans going forward is that a) there’s likely to be much more cohesion between Marvel’s film and TV projects now, with Marvel Studios already prepping a host of MCU shows including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, What If…?, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight and She-Hulk, and b) you’re going to need a Disney+ subscription.
Meanwhile, speaking at Brazil’s CCXP, Kevin Feige has pretty much confirmed that Marvel Television’s output is now considered “non-canon” to the MCU (despite Jeph Loeb’s frequent assertions that “it’s all connected”), with the Marvel Studios chief stating via The Playlist:
Are you looking forward to the future of Marvel on the small screen? Let us know in the comments below or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
