Today, Marvel announced Marvel’s Runaways, a new television project set for streaming service Hulu. The series will be overseen by Gossip Girl and The O.C. producers Stephanie Savage & Josh Schwartz, in addition to usual Marvel Television suspects Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory.
The show will be based on the comic of the same name, starring a group of super-powered teenagers who discover their parents are supervillains. Marvel’s press release indicates that plot point remains intact, although the particulars are currently under wraps.
This is not the first time Runaways has been optioned for a screen adaptation, but previous attempts to adapt the comic have failed. Iron Man 3 writer Drew Pearce wrote a script for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film adaptation that went as far as casting, but never fully materialised.
Marvel’s Runaways is the first original Marvel project on Hulu. Until this point, original Marvel content had been exclusive to the Disney-owned ABC Network & streaming service Netflix. Currently, there is no word as to whether Marvel’s Runaways will be part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe (like Daredevil or Agents of SHIELD) or if the show will stand on its own (like Noah Hawley’s Legion).
The recent schism between Marvel Studios and Marvel Television may cause Runaways to fall on the latter. Marvel Television still reports to Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter, whereas Marvel Studios is now under the Walt Disney Studios umbrella. Although much of Marvel’s television output is ostensibly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, crossovers between the two have been sparse.
Marvel Television’s next project is Luke Cage, a Netflix show based on the long-running mercenary superhero. Cage made his first appearance as a supporting character in Jessica Jones, and will be played by the incredibly handsome Mike Colter. Luke Cage will premiere September 30th.
