Three Marvel Streaming Shows Halted As Disney Figures Out This Whole TV Thing

Richard Rider's long and tortured journey to becoming a live-action superhero simply isn't to be ... and his much buzzed-about TV series isn't the only developing Marvel project to suddenly hit a snag. Originally, and as recently as 2018, Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige had big-screen ambitions for the comic book character known as Nova. Eventually, however, those shifted to a streaming series headed by Marvel Television. Now, that "Nova" production appears to be put on indefinite hold as the franchise goes back to the drawing board as part of a move that has also similarly affected "Strange Academy" and "Terror, Inc."

Deadline has the scoop on this less-than-ideal update, describing the studio as having "paused development" on these three titles. Granted, none of them were ever officially greenlit and the report goes out of its way to mention that all of these series could potentially still happen at some point down the line. Of course, that'll be cold comfort for the writers who've been working to get these shows across the finish line. "Nova" appears to be the one that had made the most progress behind the scenes, with writer Sabir Pirzada (known for "Person of Interest" and previously credited on episodes of both "Moon Knight" and "Ms. Marvel") having been hired to bring the story of Richard Rider to life. Pirzada had since been replaced by Ed Bernero ("Criminal Minds," "Crossing Lines") as writer and showrunner, but all that seems to have been for naught.

What would these three shows have been about? While "Nova" would've expanded on the Nova Corps storyline we received glimpses of in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies like "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Strange Academy" was put into development as an extension of Doctor Strange's world, with Benedict Wong's Sorcerer Supreme Wong set to oversee a New Orleans-set school for gifted, magic-inclined youngsters. "Terror, Inc.," meanwhile, would've taken its cues from the 1992 comic book series of the same name and followed the exploits of the antihero Terror. As it stands, it's anyone's guess if or when we'll ever see these characters introduced to the MCU.

How hard could it be to build out a shared universe of superhero streaming shows? Apparently, harder than Marvel may have anticipated. The studio halting development on "Nova," "Strange Academy," and "Terror, Inc." marks the latest instance of it reshuffling its approach to television in this streaming age. Deadline has described this change as "reflective of a new model for producing television that's emerged at Marvel in recent years." In effect, long gone are the days when Marvel would breathlessly announce a full slate of titles for movies and television that would inevitably hit their scheduled release dates. Instead, Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger learned the hard way that quality is typically better than quantity.

If this sounds familiar, /Film reported as recently as October of 2024 that "Agatha All Along" would usher in a shift in strategy for Marvel Television. Lower budgets and increased creative freedom have become the new mandates, though even that wasn't enough to fully save this trio of streaming productions from their fate. Intriguingly, Deadline noted that this pivot occurred around the same time that Marvel was attempting to overhaul "Daredevil: Born Again" into the form that it will ultimately release in — one that's more overtly connected to the Netflix "Daredevil" series, complete with several fan-favorite characters (looking at you, Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page and Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson) now incorporated into the action.

Will Marvel's loss of "Nova," "Strange Academy," and "Terror, Inc." ultimately prove to be our gain? We'll find out when "Daredevil: Born Again" hits Disney+ streaming on March 4, 2025.