Unseen Marvel TV Gems: The Shows We Regret Never Coming to Life
Unveiling the Marvel TV Shows That Never Made It: From Namor to Damage Control, explore the most captivating unproduced series that left fans yearning for more superhero adventures
Summary
Marvel has had numerous scrapped TV shows throughout its history, including potential adaptations of Namor, Black Widow and Daredevil, and Thor and Daredevil spinoffs.
The 1978 TV film adaptation of Dr. Strange was poorly received by critics and viewers, resulting in the cancellation of a planned spinoff TV show. Additionally, several other shows were also cancelled, including a Captain America animated series, a Daughters of the Dragon live-action series, a comedic New Warriors TV show, and an animated Marvel Era series intended to commemorate Marvel's 75th anniversary.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has dominated both television and cinema for more than a decade. However, there are numerous TV shows that Marvel had planned but never completed, leaving fans intrigued about what could have been. Marvel's rise to prominence began in the 1960s when characters like the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man challenged the norms of superhero fiction. While Marvel initially struggled with successful screen adaptations, the introduction of the MCU brought mainstream appeal to Marvel's characters and lore, compensating for past cancellations.
In terms of television, Marvel's earliest properties were predominantly animated adaptations such as The Marvel Superheroes, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man. It wasn't until 1977 that Marvel ventured into live-action TV adaptations with Spider-Man and the highly successful The Incredible Hulk. In 2006, Marvel also launched Blade: The Series. Eventually, Marvel found success once again on TV with its various MCU properties, including Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, and the critically acclaimed Daredevil on Netflix. However, over the years, there have been numerous unrealized Marvel shows, each one potentially offering exciting adaptations of Marvel's beloved characters.
10 Richard Egan's Namor
9 Daredevil and the Black Widow
Intriguingly, Namor, the Sub-Mariner, who debuted as the first Marvel comic superhero, was initially considered for a television adaptation in the 1950s. Marvel publisher Martin Goodman, perhaps influenced by the success of the iconic Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, aimed to bring Namor back into the spotlight with Hollywood leading man Richard Egan in the lead role. Although the plans eventually fell through, this TV show had the potential to reshape the Marvel comics themselves. Ironically, it was not until the 1960s when Namor made his comeback in the pages of the Fantastic Four comics.
In 1975, Angie Bowie acquired the rights to the beloved Marvel heroes Black Widow and Daredevil, with the intention of co-starring in a TV series. She aimed to portray Black Widow alongside Ben Carruthers as Daredevil. However, despite the potential for an entertaining series that combines Daredevil's street-level crime-fighting with Black Widow's international espionage, the show was never picked up. Consequently, Bowie lost the rights to the characters. Interestingly, the two heroes were frequently paired in the comics, and their respective superpowers and gear could have been convincingly depicted, even with 70s-era special effects.
8 The Amazing Spider-Man Revival
The often-overlooked The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Nicholas Hammond in the title role, is one of Spider-Man’s initial live-action appearances. Although it ended in 1979, there were plans to bring back the series. In 1984, Hammond was close to returning as Spider-Man, this time donning the iconic black symbiote suit, for a crossover with Bill Bixby as David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as The Hulk. Unfortunately, the revival never materialized due to scheduling conflicts with Lou Ferrigno. However, it would have provided audiences with the first-ever live-action portrayal of the black suit, a remarkable 23 years before Spider-Man 3.
7 Dr. Strange
The 1978 TV film adaptation of Marvel's Doctor Strange, titled "Dr. Strange," not only succeeded in being completed and released, but it also gained the endorsement of co-creator Stan Lee himself. It is worth noting that Stan Lee was famously straightforward in expressing his dissatisfaction with previous Marvel adaptations. The critical reception of Dr. Strange was mixed, with predominantly negative reviews and low ratings. As a result, any plans for a spinoff TV show were abandoned. However, had the series been given the green light, it's possible that it could have gradually improved both critically and commercially while staying true to the original comics.
6 Thor/Daredevil (The Incredible Hulk Spinoffs)
5 Captain America Animated Series
Additionally, despite the anticipation, Nicholas Hammond's Spider-Man never had the opportunity to crossover with The Incredible Hulk. However, in a surprising turn of events, The Mighty Thor made his live-action debut in the 1988 TV film revival of The Incredible Hulk Returns. The intention was to use this debut as a launching pad for a Thor TV series, similar to how The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, released in 1989, featured the live-action debut of Daredevil and was meant to pave the way for a Daredevil TV show within the same universe. The prospect of witnessing a Marvel shared TV universe, two decades before the inception of the MCU, was undoubtedly thrilling. Unfortunately, just like Hammond's Spider-Man, the plans for Thor and Daredevil fell through. However, the potential for this interconnected TV universe was certainly intriguing.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, there was a surge in the creation of animated series based on Marvel's characters. Two of the most beloved shows from this era were X-Men: The Animated Series and Spider-Man: The Animated Series. While these shows often featured guest appearances by the iconic Captain America, there were plans for him to have his own dedicated animated series as well. However, this potential series would have made significant changes to Captain America's backstory. Unfortunately, it never had the opportunity to become as iconic as X-Men or Spider-Man. Marvel faced financial issues at the time which ultimately led to the cancellation of the series during its production stage.
4 Daughters of the Dragon
The Daughters of the Dragon, consisting of Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, were a crime-fighting duo who came close to having their own live-action TV series in the early 2000s. However, this potential show would have focused on different, unspecified heroes instead of Misty Knight. Despite this, the series had the potential for success. Unfortunately, it never came to fruition. Nevertheless, both Colleen Wing and Misty Knight made appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Netflix TV shows, and there was a point when a spinoff centered around the Daughters of the Dragon was under consideration. As Wing and Knight are established canonical heroes in the MCU, there remains the possibility of a Daughters of the Dragon TV series being created in the future.
3 New Warriors
The New Warriors superhero team was once on the verge of becoming a comedic live-action TV show in the MCU. With a diverse cast and a half-hour pilot, it had plans for at least 10 episodes and potential spinoffs for its team members. Unfortunately, the show never made it to air as its original broadcaster (Freeform) dropped it, and no other network picked it up during the following years, resulting in its cancellation.
2 Marvel Era
Another potential addition to the Marvel franchise would have been the captivating TV series known as Marvel Era. This show would have consisted of a collection of short, animated vignettes, each showcasing a different Marvel superhero or team and featuring a unique animation style. Additionally, these vignettes would be closely tied to specific decades, such as having Captain America star in a 1940s short inspired by the Fleischer Superman cartoons. Marvel Era was initially conceived as a way to commemorate Marvel's 75th anniversary in 2014; however, due to changes in management at Marvel, the series unfortunately never reached completion.
1 Damage Control
Similar to New Warriors, Damage Control would have been set in the MCU, exploring the agency that handles the aftermath of clashes between the MCU’s heroes and villains. Notably mentioned in Agents of SHIELD and introduced in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Damage Control made additional appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Ms. Marvel. However, due to differences between the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and the intended TV show, the series was ultimately scrapped. Perhaps a more relatable and grounded version of Damage Control would have been more favorable.
