Marvel Studios is developing standalone limited series spotlighting a number of their film franchise’s popular superhero characters for parent company Disney’s upcoming streaming service. According to a story in Variety, fan favorites such as Loki, played bu Tom Hiddleston, and Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen, are among those characters being eyed for their own solo series and that those actors would return to play them. Each series would run from six to eight episodes each.
What marks the difference between these potential shows and current TV output from Marvel such as Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Netflix offerings like Daredevil and Jessica Jones is that they will be produced by Marvel Studios directly and not by fellow Disney subsidiary Marvel TV.
Marvel Studios and Marvel TV were both under the Marvel Entertainment umbrella until Studio chief Kevin Feige was able to separate it out from under Marvel Entertainment head Ike Perlmutter to report directly to Disney chairman Alan Horn. Marvel TV chief Jeph Loeb still reports to Perlmutter and the split has caused some friction between the two divisions.
But while production through Marvel Studios will ensure a tighter connection to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe than the loose connections the current TV series have, the Variety report does state that heavyhitters from the film such as Iron Man or Captain America are not likely to appear.
Although no actual figures are being reported, Variety is stating that this is looking like it could be the costliest project slated for Disney’s streaming service to date. That’s impressive in itself considering that the studio is already spending $100 million on its previously announced, untitled Star Wars spinoff series being produced by Jon Favreau.
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