Slashfilm reported that last year, Marvel Studios announced they would be closing the Marvel Television Division which was run by Jeph Loeb. They announced plans to fold it into the broader Marvel Studios development under Kevin Feige. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Runaways and Cloak & Dagger will come to an end before Marvel premieres The Falcon and Winter Soldier and WandaVision on Disney+.
ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke said during her Television Critics Association executive session that the network is eager to work with Feige to develop Marvel shows to take the place of the network’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In statement, Burke said “We love our partners at Marvel and are sad to see S.H.I.E.L.D. go. It’s been a big part of our history. Looking forward to working with Kevin Feige and the new incarnation of Marvel.”
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is what helped transition the Marvel’s foray into live-action television. ABC also ran Marvel’s Agent Carter and Marvel’s Inhumans. Following Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel Television produced the five Netflix shows and the team up Marvel’s The Defenders, Runaways for Hulu and Cloak & Dagger for Freeform, all with Loeb at the helm. The Kevin Feige era of Marvel Television could possibly be a Phase Two.
“We’re just in the very beginning of conversations with him now about what the ABC Marvel show might look like,” Burke said. “Right now Marvel’s focus has been on the pilot for Disney+ as it should be.”
/Film asked Burke after the panel if conversations had reached a point of discussing which characters might be available for ABC shows and Burke’s reply was no. There have been no official talks for an ABC Marvel series because Marvel is currently busy with developing shows for Disney+ instead.
Marvel Television also will be working with Hulu, as they announced four new animated series, of which Disney now owns a majority stake. All four animated shows are still in the works, as well.
ABC’s Marvel shows are set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and have on occasion had crossovers from the movie’s stars. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) appeared on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hailey Atwell reprised her role from Captain America: The First Avenger and Clark Gregg came from the Marvel Phase One films.
The Netflix shows chose to steer clear from the movie’s characters, however, they did speak briefly about the Battle of New York. The Hulu and Freeform series were more standalone. Though considered speculation at this point, with Feige overseeing everything, it’s possible to see more integration between the movies and TV series. It is said that he is responsible for having given Avengers Falcon, Winter Soldier, Wanda and Vision their very own shows.