Helstrom, the last show under the now-defunct Marvel Television banner, has ended its run at Hulu no less than two months after its premiere, as reported by Variety. The show was based on the comic book characters Daimon Hellstrom, created by Roy Thomas (Savage Sword of Conan) and Gary Friedrich (Ghost Rider), and Satana Hellstrom, created by Thomas and John Romita Sr. (The Punisher). Tom Austen (The Royals, Grantchester), who portrayed Daimon in the series, made an Instagram post to commemorate the short-lived program.
When Marvel Television folded in December 2019, the company’s projects-in-progress became the responsibility of Disney subsidiary Marvel Studios, including Helstrom, as reported by Deadline. It was allegedly Disney decision to downplay the series’ roots as a Marvel property, according to ComicBook.com. Helstrom‘s ethical themes and ties to the horror genre were reportedly seen as the antithesis to the studio’s relatively child-friendly feature film offerings, via ComicBook.com: “The content itself… may be disturbing to viewers that stumble upon the show while looking for something in the tone of what Marvel Studios releases for theaters.” In an interview with Fanboy Factor, Helstrom showrunner Paul Zbyszewski (Lost, Day Break) confirmed that while Helstrom contained Easter eggs that related to other horror-themed Marvel properties like Ghost Rider, it did not occupy a place in the continuity of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The month of the series premiere, Zbyszewski told Collider that the season one finale of Helstrom was purposely written to give himself and the writers material to work with in potential future seasons: “There are some things left unresolved… You do have some satisfaction in the finale but there are definitely threads that were put in the first season to explore down the road. You hope for success and you plan for success.” Zbyszewski had his overall Marvel deal terminated in April 2020, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Former Marvel Television department head Jeph Loeb (Heroes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot), meanwhile, is at work on new Marvel projects set to be distributed by Hulu, Variety reports. He is one of the executive producers on the upcoming stop-motion animated series M.O.D.O.K. starring Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille, Bojack Horseman), according to Laughing Place. Loeb is also reportedly involved in the production of series based on the simian assassin character Hit-Monkey, as reported by Variety. The program had allegedly progressed to the animatic stage at the time of Marvel Television’s dissolution, ComicBook.com reports.
Helstrom is available to stream on Hulu.