Clearly looking to challenge DC’s sheer numbers dominance when it comes to superhero TV series, Marvel has been ramping up its efforts of late. And now the company has announced not one, but two new series in development at different US networks. Fox is developing Hellfire, while FX Networks will work on a series based on the Legion character.
Hellfire, which as you might be able to figure out from that working title, focuses on The Hellfire Club, will be set in the 1960s and follows a young special agent who learns that a power-hungry woman with unusual abilities is working with a secret society of millionaires to try to take over the world. The Hellfire Club (which got a nod on film in** X-Men: First Class**), has long been a rival to the X-Men, though it’s unclear at this time how much of the X-movies’ elements (to which Fox owns the rights) could show up here. 24’s Manny Coto and Evan Katz and Star Trek 3 first-draft scriptwriters Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne are in charge of overseeing the show, with X-film producing team Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg and Bryan Singer all throwing in their creative consultancy hats. Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory are also, somewhat understandably, involved.
“We are thrilled to partner with Marvel to bring this world to television and build upon the vibrant mythology that has captivated fans for years,” says Fox’ Broadcasting’s David. Madden. “These powerful and dynamic characters are complicated and larger-than-life, the pace and visual imagination are unrelenting, and the story takes place during one of the most explosive eras in recent history. We are so looking forward to working with this incredibly talented team.” It’s a little surprising, since Fox is already the home of DC’s Batman-before-the-bat Gotham.
Then there’s Legion, which will focus on the character of David Haller from the comics. Long dealing with mental illness, he’s been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years until a strange encounter with another patient leads him to think that maybe the voices and strange visions he experiences might be more real than he or anyone else thought. Noah Hawley, who has done such fine work on bringing an anthology crime series inspired by Fargo to FX’s screens and beyond, is writing the pilot and will produce along with the same X-Men movie and Marvel TV team as listed above.
“Legion is just the sort of ambitious story that Noah excels at,” FX Networks’ Grad says. “His adaption of Fargo for television was one of the most acclaimed television events in recent memory. It’s also an honour to partner with Marvel on Legion and to enlist such an accomplished team of Executive Producers to create this pilot.”
Since they’re both in development and lacking other slightly key creative elements such as directors, cast and other crew, there’s no timetable for them to arrive on our TVs just yet. But given Marvel’s drive for more output, we’d be surprised if at least one didn’t turn up later next year or in 2017, assuming they make it past the pilot stage.