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“Loeb told CBR News, adding that after catching the first flight from Los Angeles to New York Monday morning to meet with Marvel Publisher Dan Buckley, the job has so far involved finding a way to make Marvel’s independent publishing identity work with Disney’s broader broadcast division. “We (Marvel and Disney) all want the same thing: to make the best shows with the best talent. Marvel Television will approach each project the way publishing does with the comics and Marvel Studios does with the movies — get the right people who understand and love the characters.” The writer acknowledged that while superhero TV has grown outside the occasional kitsch attempt drama over the past decade, Marvel hasn’t had as strong a hand in that growing genre in the same way it has in other media. All the while, genre-driven shows as varied as “Battlestar Galactica” and “Burn Notice” each have considerable followings and big budgets without the backing of network TV, and in part, that paradigm shift helped the newly merged Marvel/Disney company bring him into his new role. “Marvel waited for the right situation to present itself before getting into live series,” he said. “With Disney the opportunity is perfect. Between ABC Studios and ABC Family combined with the networks ABC, ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney XD, ESPN – who could ask for anything more? When we look at the best of ‘genre’ television, the stuff that sticks out for me is what’s been driven by the vision of a super talented creator/show runner. Damon Lindelof on ‘Lost.’ Joss Whedon on ‘Buffy.’ Al Gough and Miles Millar on ‘Smallville.’ And as it happens, these guys are also big Marvel fans. What we will be looking for is that kind of energy for Marvel Television. People who understand and love both mediums.”

That pretty much spawned a lot of “Which books/characters should marvel adapt to TV?’s

My answer:

Three words … Patsy Walker: Hellcat!!! [which should star Deborah Ann Woll]

Ok – you caught me – that was nine words, but still … what kind of self respecting comic book geek wouldn’t watch that show? More importantly, it has virtues starting with how unlike too many of the other marvel show suggestions that have been offered up in blog posts just like this one  (cough: Luke Cage, Power Man + Iron Fist and adapts of various sub X-Men X books) Hellcat isn’t going to be staring in her own film – or even her own film development deal – anytime soon. And unlike great comics like Alias, [which also received more than its share of yea make that votes] a Patsy Walker: Hellcat show would depend on marvel continuity references for added humor rather than for critical points of its main story lines. And the final sell point; Hellcat even has a topical villain [yeah, say it with me kids] … Roxxon Oil!

Now a couple of seven to twelve folks out there in comic book geek Blogger-land have argued in response to the news that there will be a marvel show or shows that “it should be male fronted because female fronted shows haven’t done so well” … To which your friend and humble narrator is forced to respond with a sobering dose of reality + a history lesson … It’s the genre films with female leads that have run some trouble [though the Underworld and Resident Evil films seem to have done pretty well box office-wise]. On TV the female lead fronted genre shows have done as well and arguably better than most – both creatively and ratings-wise.  This soon after Dollhouse and Sarah Connor crashed and burned [Connor ratings-wise  and Dollhouse—did anyone else lose the ability to watch the show after Sierra’s origin was revealed? I mean, how were we supposed to not root for the place to be burned down after that?] but where was I? O’ yeah … It may be tempting to look at their fate and forget all about Xena, La Femme Nikita, Dark Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Marrs, Tru Calling, Charmed [crap - but that sh-t ran for-ever!], Ghost Whisperer plus Medium [also craptasticalishous but not exactly what you’d call ratings poison] and then of course there was Alias and the simple fact that genre shows from Heroes and Battlestar Galactica to Fringe are more or less built around their female stars. Fringe plot-wise and Heroes and Battlestar Galactica popularity-wise [meaning by the way that there are simply more actresses than actors capable of carrying such a show].  So anyway, even though it may be tempting to apply the lamentable cinematic success rate of turkey’s like Catwoman and Aeon Flux to the question of which B or C grade marvel hero should get his or her own show, but it wouldn’t exactly be accurate or helpful to.

Which brings me neatly to my back-up choices … starting with how my second choice would be a Dazzler adaptation  staring someone whose been criminally underused on the big screen … namely Kristen Bell; who—for those who haven’t seen the musical Reefer Madness—can  sing, dance, do action and be beloved by geeks all at the same time. Third choice would be a Cloak and Dagger adaptation staring maybe Mehcad Brooks and say Sarah Carter [what? I really enjoyed DOA, don’t judge]. Fourth and finally I can’t help but wonder how a network, other than Fox, could miss with a Jessica Drew: Spider Woman adaptation starring say … the only reason many geeks get up in the morning – wait for it – Summer Glau!

Bonus thought … The Starjammers

Tags: abc family, abc studios, Dazzler, Deborah Ann Woll, disney company, genre television, hellcat, Jessica Drew: Spider Woman, joss whedon, Kristen Bell, marvel studios, patsy walker, Summer Glau