New Warriors: Burke Speaks on Freeform's Relationship with Marvel

When New Warriors was ordered straight to series by Freeform earlier this week, it marked the [...]

When New Warriors was ordered straight to series by Freeform earlier this week, it marked the second Marvel Cinematic Universe-based to be ordered for the ABC-owned network. With Squirrel Girl slated to serve as the primary character of the show and Kevin Biegel (Scrubs, Cougar Town) tabbed as showrunner, it looks like the future is bright for Marvel-based properties on Freeform — and network executive vice president Karey Burke feels the same way.

Up Next: New Warriors TV Show Ordered Straight To Series

"The more we got to know Marvel and the more comfortable they got with us as the home for their young adult IP, these conversations became easier. They started to see our strength with young adults and together we could create a pipeline for content that was specific to our audience that felt younger than what they're doing at the other channel," Burke said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "I wanted to be in business with Marvel when I first got here but I didn't want to chase them just to chase them. It was important to both of us to find the right characters that felt like they would speak directly to Freeform's audience. The Avengers wouldn't work here but the about-to-be-Avengers works here."

Freeform — the Disney-owned network formerly known as ABC Family — focuses heavily on its young adult demographic, with a slant towards women ages 14 through 34.

With New Warriors ordered to series, it follows Cloak and Dagger as the second series slated to air on the network. Both shows feature Marvel-owned characters and are slated to be a part of the company's ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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(Photo: Marvel Comics)
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