Marvel Launches Marvel Television, Gives Jeph Loeb New Job

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June 29, 2010

I call this “burying the lead”. Marvel has created a Marvel Television division to produce live-action, animated, and direct-to-DVD series, but instead of leading with the mention of the new department, their announcement was a sop to Jeph Loeb, the guy best known in TV for being fired from Heroes, where he was an executive producer. The whole first paragraph was about how he was going to be their Executive VP in charge of the new division.

Marvel Entertainment, LLC announced today that it has appointed Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President, Head of Television, a newly created division of Marvel Entertainment. In this new role, Mr. Loeb will work alongside Dan Buckley, Publisher & President of the Print, Animation & Digital Divisions, Marvel Worldwide, Inc., to translate Marvel’s popular characters and stories to the television medium, in both live-action and animation formats. In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Loeb will oversee the development and distribution of live-action, animated, and direct-to-DVD series. Mr. Loeb was previously a Marvel-exclusive Eisner-Award-winning comic book writer and an Emmy-nominated writer for his work on NBC’s Heroes.

Loeb also had a relatively lengthy run writing for Smallville and a brief stint on Lost. Marvel praises his career as follows, as well as providing the somewhat unflattering picture shown:

Mr. Loeb has written acclaimed stories featuring every major superhero in comics, including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Daredevil, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and more. Multiple-time winner of the prestigious Eisner Award for his writing, Mr. Loeb quickly established himself as one of the most sought after writers in the comic industry. Mr. Loeb also served as writer/producer on television series Smallville and Lost; writer/co-executive producer on Heroes; and writer of hit films Commando and Teen Wolf.

I look forward to seeing more live-action Marvel series in the future. It’s been a long time since the 70s Spider-Man and Hulk shows. The X-Men have huge potential as a drama, or some Marvel characters could be adapted into creative takes on comedy. I doubt they’re reaching that far, though. It’s more likely that this is a way to get more cartoons, where they’ve had more success, into production.

7 Responses

Thad writes:

June 29, 2010 at 11:43 AM

“The X-Men have huge potential as a drama”

Jeph Loeb already did that show.

The first season was pretty good.

James Schee writes:

June 29, 2010 at 11:55 AM

Hmm live action Marvel…. Only thing I can really come up with would possibly be Hawkeye & Mockingbird, couple based adventure series. I guess you could do X-Men academy or the like, young teens with powers who find a home at the Xavier Institute. Or a spy show in the vein of Alias starring Black Widow perhaps?

Most other things seems like it’d be too expensive or limited audience for a TV show. (or they have movies coming out with, and would kind of interfere)

Chris G. writes:

June 29, 2010 at 12:17 PM

Daredevil would be a good fit for TV, especially with the ground-level, serial storytelling approach the last few writers on the comic have taken.

James Schee writes:

June 29, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Oh yeah that’d be a good one. Seeing as how the movie was a flop too, a TV show wouldn’t interfere with any other property. Wouldn’t really need much more than your typical cop show for a budget too, as DD rarely has big super powers involved.

Johanna writes:

June 29, 2010 at 1:37 PM

I probably wouldn’t watch a Daredevil show, but that is an excellent suggestion — not too costly, a recognizable character, something where the Marvel elements could add distinction from every other cop show.

I love the Hawkeye/Mockingbird idea, too, but I love most romantic comedy caper suggestions.

Is the first comment a Heroes joke? I never watched it.

James Schee writes:

June 29, 2010 at 3:16 PM

I could see it now:

Mockingbird’s an agent of SHIELD, who just can’t believe her latest assignment. Partner with Hawkeye, the roguish criminal whom she herself captured, to take down the mysterious Hydra criminal organization.

Can she trust him to use his criminal connections to help her take down this organization? Or is he playing some new game that could lead to her end? And even if she can trust him, can she trust herself and this strange attraction she feels toward him?

Another possible live action series I thought of would be Dazzler, young female singer whose got a hidden power. She tries to hide them, as she just wants to be a world famous singer, but winds up using them to help people in secret when she can. Put Hilary Duff or that blond girl from High School Musical in in as lead.

Heck couldn’t be worse than Marvel’s last live action TV series, Night Man. (it was Malibu Comics when it started, but by the second season I think Marvel had bought the line)

Greg Manuel writes:

June 29, 2010 at 4:49 PM

Ever since I used to watch Spawn on HBO, I’ve wanted to see Daredevil as an adult-themed aminated series.

I’ve also wanted to see X-Men: First Class done with a Glen Murakami flavoring. The five character archetypes are practically interchangable with Teen Titans! (well, if you make Angel all melancholy because he’s got the big honkin’ wings to hide whenever he goes out in public, that is…)