The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be about to get a lot funnier, at least on the small screen. Marvel and ABC Studios are reportedly shopping a New Warriors series to various networks and streaming sites as a half-hour comedy series with fan-favorite character Squirrel Girl in the lead!
TVLine first reported the news, which indicates that the series will follow “a superhero squad made up of teenagers, one of whom would include Doreen Green (a.k.a. Squirrel Girl).” Nerdist reached out to Marvel, who had no comment to offer at this time. Nerdist also reached out to ABC Studios, but have not yet heard back.
It’s not surprising that Marvel has plans for Squirrel Girl in live-action, as the character’s status as one of Marvel’s mutants was retconned last year. This creative decision probably helped pave the way to completely separate her from any possible ties to Fox’s X-Men rights. Recently, Anna Kendrick voiced her desire to play Squirrel Girl, but that seems less likely to happen on television. Squirrel Girl has never been a member of the New Warriors in the comics, but she was a late addition to the comedic team known as the Great Lakes Avengers, which Marvel recently announced would be reviving as a comic book series with Zac Gorman and Will Robson.
As for the New Warriors, they were originally a team of Marvel’s castoff heroes, including Nova, Namorita, Night Thrasher, Justice, Firestar, and Speedball. However, they quickly rose to prominence in the ’90s thanks to the ongoing New Warriors series by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley. The New Warriors have often had a more serious tone in the Marvel Universe, but there was at least one miniseries that cast the team as the comedic stars of a superhero reality show shortly before they were scapegoated during Marvel’s first Civil War crossover event.
It’s not clear which characters would join Squirrel Girl in the potential New Warriors TV series, but if it goes forward, it probably won’t be long before Marvel relaunches the comic book series to reflect its new lineup.
Which network or streaming site should pick up the New Warriors? And who do you want to see on the team? Let us know in the comment section below!
Image: Marvel/Playdom
Learn about the history behind Marvel’s other new TV series, Runaways!
