Here’s Why the Marvel’s Most Wanted TV Show Didn’t Work Out

In that time-honored tradition of cashing in on the success of another project, ABC greenlit a pilot for a show called Marvel’s Most Wanted. The series, which wasn’t so much a spinoff as it was “an entirely new project solely focused on the two characters to continue their story,” (as Variety tells it) centered on Adrianne Palicki as Mockingbird and Nick Blood as Lance Hunter on the run from a laundry list of enemies. The premise isn’t terrible, but did we really need a separate show when these characters were already doing so well on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? For ABC, the answer was no.

The network decided to pass on the series back in May, but now, according to Slashfilm, an executive is opening up about why they pulled the plug. “Most Wanted, ultimately at the end of the day, did not feel as strong as some of the other pilots that we shot,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey told the audience during her panel at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour. “We talked about it with Marvel and we all came to an agreement that we want to figure out what the next show is that we do together, is something that we all feel is as creatively strong as it can be.”

I can’t say that I’m surprised with the outcome. The project came to a halt last season, but ABC gave it a second chance with a backdoor pilot in AoS that apparently wasn’t strong enough for a solo venture. To be fair, it didn’t have AoS’ momentum as the first live-action series to be canon in the current MCU.

Even with a big “no” looming over its head, however, there’s still hope that the show can find a home elsewhere. “It was a joint partnership between Marvel and ABC Studios,” Dungey added. “We certainly are open if they were to find another home for it to have that happen.”

In the meantime, it looks like ABC will have its hands full with Marvel’s first half-hour sitcom, Damage Control, and its far more interesting premise:

Marvel’s cleaning crew specializes in dealing with the aftermath of the unique fallout from super hero conflicts. They are the ones who are in charge of returning lost ray guns to their rightful owners, help to reschedule a wedding venue after it has been vaporized in a super hero battle or even track down a missing prize African parrot that’s been turned to stone or goo. Sometimes the most important super heroes are the ones behind the scenes—and that’s who Damage Control will follow.

Now there’s a concept I can get behind.

(via Comic Book Resources, image via ABC/John Fleenor)

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