The slate is being wiped clean over at Marvel TV. Soon after news that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is assuming the Chief Creative Officer title at the company and gaining control of the TV and publishing arms of Marvel, it appears that the other shoe is beginning to drop, as “Cloak & Dagger,” one of only a few Marvel TV projects still around, has officially been canceled.
According to Variety, Freeform will not be moving forward with the third season of “Cloak & Dagger.” As mentioned, this news comes after the recent Kevin Feige announcement, as well as the report that Marvel TV president Jeph Loeb is leaving his position. The YA series about two teens with superpowers that are mysteriously linked seemed like it was going to easily get a third season, especially considering that the show was going to crossover with one of Marvel TV’s other projects, “Runaways” later this year. Alas, Marvel is cleaning house.
The departure of “Cloak & Dagger” was confirmed by the series’ showrunner, Joe Pokaski, on Twitter, who appears to tease that the decision had less to do with the show itself and more to do with the new corporate structure.
“So, yeah. There are parts of me that feel gut-punched or angry at larger corporate forces, but the biggest feeling I have in my heart right now, by far, is pride,” he wrote. “I’m so fucking proud with what we got to do on #Cloakanddagger.”
He added, “So, yeah. Right now Tandy & Tyrone are on a bus. They’re going to hang out with some super-kids in a couple months. And from there it’s up to higher powers. But don’t be surprised when these two special people show up when you least suspect it…”
Obviously, he’s referencing the upcoming crossover with “Runaways,” but as for the future and an appearance by “Cloak & Dagger” down the line, that doesn’t seem likely. With Feige stepping in, he clearly has his mind made about how he wants to continue with the TV side of things, with his Disney+ series having a distinctly different look and feel to the Marvel TV counterparts.
As for the future of Marvel TV, the only series left on-air are “Agents of SHIELD” (ending in 2020) and the aforementioned “Runaways” (with its third season premiering later this year). ‘SHIELD’ has already announced its end date and don’t be surprised if “Runaways” gets the ax shortly after its season debuts. That leaves the Hulu animated series that were announced earlier this year (there’s no way those are moving forward, right?) and the Hulu series “Helstrom,” which begins production soon. The latter series seems destined for one-and-done status.
After that, it’s a clean slate for Feige to shape the future of Marvel.
So, yeah. There are parts of me that feel gut-punched or angry at larger corporate forces, but the biggest feeling I have in my heart right now, by far, is pride. I’m so fucking proud with what we got to do on #Cloakanddagger.
— Joe Pokaski (@JoePokaski) October 24, 2019