Freeform — the network formerly known as ABC Family — has ordered two separate Marvel properties straight to series in the past couple of months and now, network executive vice president Karey Burke hints that Freeform might not be done picking up Marvel shows just quite yet.
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“The characters they’ve chosen are all really singular and could each carry the show that they’re on,” Burke told The Hollywood Reporter. “They’re bound together as a band of underdogs for as long as we choose with this show, but it’s conceptually tailor-made for spinoffs.”
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The characters she’s referring to are Doreen Green, a.k.a. Squirrel Girl, and the remaining members of her teenage posse that will make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the New Warriors.
Announced just days ago, Marvel Television confirmed they’re developing a series with Squirrel Girl at the helm, with five additional members rounding out the group. According to Burke, they’ve determined who the remaining five heroes will be, except she’s not able to share those details at this time.
In the comics, the original New Warriors team consisted of Firestar, Marvel Boy, Namorita, Night Thrasher, Speedball, and Richard Rider’s Nova. With this being a rather small production, by Marvel’s standards, it’s probably safe to say Nova or Namorita won’t be appearing on Freeform, as the two may have a bright future on the movie side of things. Other team members, who could very well fit the young adult feel of Freeform, could include Darkhawk, Turbo, and Tandy Bowen’s Dagger — who, coincidentally enough — is appearing alongside Cloak in their own series Cloak and Dagger, the other Marvel series in production for Freeform.
It should be noted that Freeform shares the same teen/young adult demographic with Warner Brothers’ The CW, a network that airs Greg Berlanti’s “Arrowverse” shows — Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. Coincidently enough, The CW picked up a pilot order for Black Lightning, another DC Comics character that could eventually be added on as the fifth Arrowverse show.With four series airing at once, with a potential fifth on the way, The CW has certainly shown that it’s possible to have a shared universe on one network.
MORE NEW WARRIORS NEWS:Show Ordered Straight To Series
New Warriors revolves around about six young people with powers living and working together. With powers and abilities on the opposite end of the spectrum of The Avengers, the New Warriors want to make a difference in the world … even if the world isn’t ready. With Freeform focused on a group dubbed “becomers” — those experiencing a series of firsts in life including first loves and first jobs — New Warriors explores the journey into adulthood, except in this world, they’re not quite super and not yet heroes and the guys can be as terrifying as bad dates.
