Marvel Television’s remaining slate continues to dwindle.
Variety has confirmed that the animated shows “Howard the Duck” and “Tigra & Dazzler” — two of four animated Marvel projects set up at Hulu — are no longer in the works at the streamer. The other two shows, “M.O.D.O.K” and “Hit Monkey,” are currently still on track to be completed. The four shows were to crossover in an event series called “The Offenders,” though that is now off the table given that half the team will not be featured on Hulu as planned.
According to an individual with knowledge of the decision, Marvel ultimately made the call not to move forward with the two shows.
It was reported in December that “Tigra & Dazzler” showrunner Erica Rivinoja and the show’s writing staff had exited over creative differences with Marvel, which led to the show being put on hold. In September, the planned “Ghost Rider” live-action series at Hulu starring Gabriel Luna in the title role was scrapped altogether. The live-action Marvel series “Helstrom” is still currently in the works at Hulu, while the Marvel-Hulu series ““The Runaways” aired its third and final season in December.
“Howard the Duck” was to be written and executive produced by Kevin Smith and Dave Willis. Smith is known for his Askewniverse films, including “Clerks,” “Mallrats,” and “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.” Smith has also written for Marvel Comics in the past, writing for popular characters like Daredevil and Spider-Man. Willis previously co-created popular animated shows like “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “Squidbillies” for Adult Swim in addition to his work as a voice actor.
The decision to cease work on the Marvel-Hulu projects comes after it was announced that Marvel was shuttering the Marvel Television division under Jeph Loeb. The only remaining Marvel Television show is “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” which will end after seven seasons on ABC this spring. All of Marvel Television’s other live-action shows have been canceled or ended within the past two years.
Prior to the announcement that Marvel Television was closing its doors, Marvel Cinematic Universe architect Kevin Feige was promoted to chief creative officer of Marvel and has taken over the Disney-owned company’s storytelling across mediums, including publishing, film, TV, and animation. He is currently producing a number of big budget live-action shows for Disney Plus featuring characters from the MCU, including “Falcon & Winter Soldier,” “WandaVision,” and “Loki” among several others.