Three episodes into Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel is declaring victory and moving on to the next phase of its media world domination. Deadline reports that the moviemaking juggernaut—which maintains a quaint sideline in comic books—has plans in the works for five new TV series, which are being pitched to both cable networks and platforms like Netflix and Amazon.
The winner-take-all package includes four dramas and a miniseries, for which Marvel is reportedly asking for a 60-episode commitment, spread across all five shows. As Marvel is being extra-secretive about its plans (the Deadline article sets a record for use of the phrase "I hear," so consider it all to still be just rumor at this point), there's no word yet as to what those shows will be about. One show per each member of the Fantastic Four, and a miniseries that's just Stan Lee lighting cigars with $100 bills and laughing? Excelsior!!!
Okay, it probably won't be that. As we know already, Marvel is interested in developing Agent Carter, based on Hayley Atwell's character from Captain America and her one-shot episode on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray. What's unknown still is whether that's included in, or in addition to, this new package. However, it is expected that Marvel's TV output will continue to focus on such secondary, cheaper-to-produce characters, leaving its heavy-hitters for the big screen. That could mean more S.H.I.E.L.D.-style shows that are light on actual superpowers. It could mean finding superheroes whose powers are easy on the special effects budget. Or it could mean reaching way back into the archives for Homer The Happy Ghost and Millie The Model. Only time will tell.