Marvel TV Is Shutting Down, Current Shows Now Under Marvel Studios
"It's All Connected" no more. The tagline of Marvel Television was always ironic considering the subdivision of Marvel Entertainment was never really connected to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, though Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb desperately tried to keep it attached. But now Marvel is shutting down its television-focused division, folding in its remaining shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Hulu's Helstrom under Marvel Studios.
After 10 years of Marvel Television, Marvel Entertainment is shutting down its TV-focused subdivision, Deadline reports. Series that are currently in production will continue under Marvel Studios, but "any further development is being scrapped," according to Deadline. But Marvel TV's slate was already slim, with only four announced animated series and a live-action Helstrom series for Hulu, along with the last season of ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., currently in development.
"The decision has been made to complete Marvel TV projects that are currently in production, but not continue with any further development," the TV division said following the shuttering.
The handover will see significant layoffs, however, with executives Cort Lane, Marsha Griffin, Mark Ambrose, Tom Lieber and Aimee Carlson reported to be affected. Marvel TV's SVP Current Programming and Production Karim Zreik and member of his team will join the Marvel Studios to oversee the remaining Marvel TV shows.
The shuttering of Marvel TV has been a long time coming, following a string of cancellations and the departure of Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb. The division was launched in 2010 and premiered its inaugural TV series, ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., in 2013 with the intention of expanding the MCU with a focus on lesser-known characters and street-wise superheroes. Marvel TV reached its critical and commercial peak with its Netflix shows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, but interest in the TV shows slowly dwindled as it became clear that its tagline "It's All Connected" was a false hope. Marvel Studios barely acknowledged Marvel TV characters, and a slew of cancellations of the popular Netflix shows proved to be the nail in the coffin. With Marvel Studios launching its own slate of TV shows featuring MCU stars on Disney+, making the existence of Marvel TV redundant.
It's kind of fitting that Marvel TV will end its divisive era with the final season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which is set to air on ABC in 2020. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the last stronghold for Marvel TV, and with the cancellation of the planned Ghost Rider spin-off series on Hulu, as well as halting of Freeform's Cloak & Dagger and the final season of The Runaways moving to Disney+, the shuttering of Marvel TV was written in the cards.