Marvel Will Reportedly Scrap More TV Shows After ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Including ‘Wonder Man’
John F. Trent
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A new report claims that Marvel is not just stopping with Daredevil: Born Again, but will scrap a number of other planned Marvel Studios Disney+ productions including Wonder Man.
West Coast Avengers #25 (1987), Marvel Comics
It was reported by The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit earlier this month that Marvel Studios was scrapping its Daredevil: Born Again Disney+ series after they let go of writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman.
Under Ord and Corman’s vision the show was reportedly “a legal procedural that did no resemble the Netflix version, known for its action and violence.” It was also reported that actor Charlie Cox did not suit up as Daredevil until the fourth episode with a rumor claiming it was due to him failing to save Foggy Nelson.
Now, the studio is looking for new writers and they are planning a “significant creative reboot of the series” albeit they do have “plans to keep some scenes and episodes, though other serialized elements will be injected.”
Daredevil (Charlie Cox) confronts Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) in Daredevil Season 3 Episode 10 “Karen” (2018), Marvel Entertainment
On top of scrapping Daredevil: Born Again, it was also revealed that Marvel Studios would be restructuring its TV division.
Kit explained, “Showrunners will write pilots and show bibles. The days of Marvel shooting an entire series, from She-Hulk to Secret Invasion, then looking at what’s working and what’s not, are done.”
His report also indicated Marvel Studios plans on hiring seasoned full-time TV executives to run their TV operations instead of borrowing from their film division.
(L-R): Charlie Cox as Daredevil/Matt Murdock and Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk/Jennifer “Jen” Walters in Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2022 MARVEL.
Marvel’s head of streaming, television, and animation Brad Winderbaum confirmed these changes noting, “It’s a term (showrunner) we’ve not only grown comfortable with but also learned to embrace.”
He added, “We need executives that are dedicated to this medium, that are going to focus on streaming, focus on television because they are two different forms.”
As far as his overall outlook with these changes, he explained, “We’re trying to marry the Marvel culture with the traditional television culture. It comes down to, ‘How can we tell stories in television that honor what’s so great about the source material?’”
Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) puts an end to the Kingpin’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) reign in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 13 “Daredevil” (2015), Marvel Entertainment
In the wake of this report MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios author Joanna Robinson claims more shows are on the chopping block.
In an appearance on The Watch podcast Robinson said, “After we heard about Daredevil, I’ve also heard, again The Watch scoop, but also don’t sort me, dubious sources necessarily that they are trashing the Wonder Man project. There’s a lot of stuff that is going to go in the can.”
Wonder Man #1 (1986), Marvel Comics
Wonder Man was announced back in June 2022 with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton working with head writer Andrew Guest.
In February, Marvel Studios producer Stephen Broussard informed ComicBook.com, “Destin is doing a television show for us called Wonder Man. I think that’s out there in the world.”
He added, “[Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.”
The series reportedly went into production back in April with Cretton holding up a color rendition in front of the iconic Hollywood sign and posting the image to Instagram. However, with the Writers Guild of America and the SAG-AFTRA strikes going into effect, production was halted.
Uncanny Avengers #28 (2017), Marvel Comics
The idea that Marvel Studios might scrap a number of shows was hinted at by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige earlier this year. He told Entertainment Weekly, “We want Marvel Studios and the MCU projects to really stand out and stand above. So, people will see that as we get further into Phase 5 and 6. The pace at which we’re putting out the Disney+ shows will change so they can each get a chance to shine.”
When asked if he would be spacing them out or putting out fewer shows per year, he responded, “Both, I think.”
Later in the interview he would reveal, “I think when we are doing about eight projects a year — and again, I said this is going to shift a little bit — they all have to be different. They all have to stand apart and stand alone and be different from one another.”
Avengers #3 (1998), Marvel Comics
What do you make of this report that Marvel Studios plans on scrapping Wonder Man and other Disney+ projects?
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