5 Obscure Marvel Comics that Could Be Great TV Shows
Jessica Henwick, Finn Jones in Marvel’s The Defenders. Photo: Sarah Shatz/Netflix. Acquired via Netflix Media Center.
In the past few years, Marvel has proved that they can turn their lesser known properties into hit TV shows. Here are five obscure comic books that might be turned into tomorrow’s must see TV.
Five years ago, the notion of a TV series based on an obscure comic book being Netflix’s most binged series of the year would’ve seemed ridiculous. However, Marvel’s emergence as a dominant global brand in the last half decade has changed the face of mass media. Now, audiences flock to anything that’s branded Marvel Studios, even it features unfamiliar characters like Ant-Man or Dr. Strange. The company’s appeal is so strong, it’s allowed Marvel to crossover into television.
More from Marvel Movies
- The ladies of Madame Web and their marvelous powers
- The Marvels movie review: Absurdist masterpiece or serious let-down?
- The Marvels closes out 2023 for Marvel as fans await Deadpool’s MCU debut
- The Marvels is likely to stream on Disney+ in early 2024
- The Marvels cast: Which Marvel stars return in the new movie?
Marvel’s expansion into TV started with Agents of SHIELD, a spin-off of The Avengers that airs on ABC. While that series drew in viewers with MCU tie-ins, its slate of Netflix shows are very different. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist have tenuous connections with the Marvel movies. And aside from Daredevil, they’ve all lacked the mainstream recognition. Earlier this year, the studio went even more obscure with FX’s Legion. Unexpectedly, the X-Men spin-off has become one of this season’s most acclaimed new shows.
And Marvel Studios has no plans to ramp down their TV production efforts. Later this year, Netflix will bring its street-level heroes together with the Defenders mini-series. Also, ABC will bring the science fiction themed adventures of the Inhumans to the small screen. And in 2018, Freeform will step into the superhero arena with teen-centric Cloak & Dagger. Given that Marvel has more than 7,000 characters in its library, don’t be surprised if one of these little known comic book series becomes TV’s next big thing.