Disney is expanding its Mar
vel TV universe to Freeform with Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger, a straight-to-series live-action drama based on the Marvel characters, which is aimed at young adults. Freeform, which is holding its upfront today, also has given a pilot order to Issues, a scripted series inspired by the life of Joanna Coles, editor in chief of Cosmopolitan.
Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger follows the interracial romance between Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, two teenagers from very different backgrounds, who find themselves burdened and awakened to newly acquired superpowers while falling in love. Tandy can emit light daggers and Tyrone has the ability to engulf others in darkness. They quickly learn they are better together than apart — but their feelings for each other make their already complicated world even more challenging.
Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger had been in the works at Freeform’s predecessor ABC Family for about five years, though there is no writer currently attached, with a search underway. Cloak and Dagger is a co-production of Marvel Studios and ABC Signature Studios. It joins three Marvel projects for ABC: series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., already renewed for next season; Agent Carter; and the Marvel’s Most Wanted pilot. Marvel also is producing animated series for Disney XD.
Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger joins fellow newly picked up Freeform series Famous in Love starring Bella Thorne,
Issues chronicles the lives and loves of the editors behind the Cosmopolitan magazine. The series was created by Sarah Watson (Parenthood). David Bernad, Joanna Coles and Ruben Fleischer serve as executive producers. Holly Whidden is a co-executive producer. The show — Freeform’s first pilot order of 2016 — comes from Universal Television and The District.
John Ridley already had this covered on the first season of American Crime.
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Coat
I am excited for it!
FINALLY! A comic book superhero television show. I’ve been patiently waiting for one to come to television. Whew! God bless my wait is over.
Still hoping for a “Squirrel Girl” series…
Interesting channel choice. Hopefully they give it a decent budget; Shadow Hunters looked very cheap, the little I saw of it.
The original mini-series comic dealt with some pretty heavy issues… drugs, human trafficking, and abuse. Hoping more for a Jessica Jones/Daredevil tone, but Freeform/ABC Family? Hope it’s not all angsty teens.
I knew Disney was prepping ABC Family (FreeForm) to be the Disney cable version of The CW. They will push more Marvel shows to FreeForm and add other SciFi shows there as we’ve seen recently with Stitchers and ShadowHunters.