Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney have been pulling back on their association with Netflix, ahead of the launch of
Disney’s own streaming service. As Netflix loses its licenses to stream Disney films, and cancels its interconnected Marvel shows (so far:
Luke Cage,
Iron Fist, and
Daredevil, with
The Punisher and
Jessica Jones still awaiting word), Marvel is apparently forging a stronger connection with Hulu. News came out of the Television Critics Association uprights today that Marvel and Hulu will be
partnering on four animated Marvel shows:
MODOK,
Hit-Monkey,
Tigra & Dazzler, and
Howard the Duck. The plan apparently calls for all four series to cross over in a special called
The Offenders, much as Netflix’s Marvel shows crossed over in the limited series
The Defenders.
Of the four series,
Howard the Duck — based on a character created by Steve Gerber in 1973, and previously made into a deeply derided 1986 live-action movie — is likely to be the most familiar property for casual audiences. Filmmaker Kevin Smith and
Aqua Teen Hunger Force and
Squidbillies co-creator Dave Willis are signed to write and executive produce the show.
MODOK will be written and executive produced by Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt. Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb will oversee all four animated series.
No timeline has been released for the shows, but given the long lead time on animation, it’s unlikely any of them will premiere before 2020.
Hulu released the following descriptions of the planned shows:
Howard the Duck:
Marvel’s Howard The Duck is trapped in a world he never made, but America’s favorite fighting fowl hopes to return home with the help of his unstoppable gal pal Beverly before the evil Dr. Bong can turn him the crispiest dish on the menu.
MODOK:
Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. centers around an egomaniacal supervillain with a really big head and a really little body, who struggles to maintain control of his evil organization and his demanding family.
Hit-Monkey:
Marvel’s Hit-Monkey tells the tale of a wronged Japanese snow monkey, mentored by the ghost of an American assassin, as he cuts a wide swath through the Tokyo underworld in this darkly cinematic and brutally funny revenge saga. Writers Josh Gordon and Will Speck will executive produce along with Jeph Loeb.
Tigra & Dazzler:
Marvel’s Tigra & Dazzler Show is a story about two woke superheroes and best friends, Tigra and Dazzler, as they fight for recognition among powered people who make up the eight million stories in Los Angeles. Writers Erica Rivinoja and Chelsea Handler serve as executive producers along with Jeph Loeb.
The Offenders:
Marvel’s The Offenders, is a story in which nobody asked them to — and we’d be better off if they didn’t — but MODOK, Dazzler, Tigra, Hit Monkey and Howard the Duck are all forced to team up in order to save the world and certain parts of the Universe. Jeph Loeb will executive produce.
but I'd believe the numbers are there if they keep producing them.
