New MCU Book Details How Inhumans Became Marvel's First Debacle

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a sort of cultural phenomenon, but as a new book reveals, that hasn't been without its challenges. Inhumans is regarded to be one of the franchise's biggest misfires, initially being greenlit as a feature film before being reworked into an ABC television series that premiered in 2017. TVLine recent published an excerpt from Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards' MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, which chronicles the specifics of how Inhumans failed. After an Inhumans project was greenlit as counterprogramming to Fantastic Four and the X-Men, the rights of which were held up at Fox at the time, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was reportedly "never satisfied with" the script for the movie adaptation. According to the book, "As soon as Feige pulled the Inhumans movie from the release schedule (in April 2016), Marvel Entertainment ordered [Marvel Television's Jeph] Loeb to fast-track Inhumans content on TV. Just two months later, the Inhumans appeared on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

The excerpt then chronicles the brief rise and fall of Inhumans, with one star of the series reportedly remarking "at least I got a trip to Hawaii out of it." As the book reveals, Inhumans' location even impacted future MCU installments, as the creative team of Marvel's Eternals movie "were instructed that none of it could take place in Hawaii. The studio didn't want any risk that audiences might be reminded of the Inhumans."

What Was Inhumans About?

In Inhumans, after a military coup, the Inhuman Royal Family escape to Hawaii, where they must save themselves and the world. The series starred Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Ken Leung as Karnak, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, Iwan Rheon as Maximus, and Ellen Woglom as Louise. The first two episodes of the series premiered in IMAX theaters — something that even IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond later took issue with.

"Customers expected a production akin to a mega-budget blockbuster movie, rather than pilots for a television show," Gelfond said. "Moreover, the fact that this was Marvel IP set the bar at a level you wouldn't see from other pieces of content or IP because of the reputation and the high production value of Marvel movies."

Will Inhumans Return to the MCU?

Over the years, there have been fleeting acknowledgments of the Inhumans in the MCU — namely, Mount reprising his role as an alternate version of Black Bolt in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

"Getting the call from [Kevin Feige] was one of the most unexpected of my life," Mount tweeted at the time. "It was an honor & joy to finally work [with] Sam Raimi who reached out to engage me on how best to do this. Beyond grateful for the experience." 

What do you think of the new updates surrounding Marvel's Inhumans? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!