Posted in: Hulu, streaming, TV | Tagged: disney, Hit-Monkey, hulu, jeph loeb, kevin feige, M.O.D.O.K., marvel

Hit-Monkey & M.O.D.O.K. Futures in Marvel's Hands: Hulu/ABC's Erwich

Published Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:25:12 -0600

So let's time travel back in time to December 2020 so we can see how all of this connects to Hit-Monkey and Marvel's M.O.D.O.K., shall we? That's when Hulu's Tom Austen & Sydney Lemmon-starring Helstrom was canceled after one season, marking the final live-action project that ex-Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb had under the Kevin Feige-led Marvel Studios banner. Marvel's Ghost Rider? Gone. Hulu's Marvel's Runaways? Done in three. Freeform's Marvel's Cloak and Dagger? Gone in two. ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Also done. And animated series Howard the Duck, Tigra & Dazzler Show, and The Offenders were canned before they ever hit the serious production stage.

For some, this was seen as the fallout from a power-play within Marvel between Feige and Loeb, with Feige finally claiming the crown and going "scorched earth" on anything with Loeb's name attached to it. For others, it was an organic ending for those projects that just so happened to have gone down in the midst of some boardroom drama. So where does that leave Josh Gordon & Will Speck's Hit-Monkey and Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt's Marvel's M.O.D.O.K., the two remaining projects after the previous "Loeb-otomy" of Marvel Studios? Realistically? Probably feeling nervous- and we're feeling nervous for the latter. Because M.O.D.O.K. was a special kind of animated series in an ever-growing sea of adult animated series, always striking the right balance between cruelty and kindness.

Craig Erwich, President, Hulu Originals & ABC Entertainment, was asked about the fates of both shows during an Executive Session on the second day of the Television Critics Association's (TCA) Virtual Winter Press Tour. And let's just start with the good news, shall we? So both shows are still streaming so that's a good thing, right? Because other than that, the question was one that Erwich wasted no time making sure everyone knew he couldn't answer. Which is odd because you would think he would've offered one of those, "… but from Hulu's perspective, we would love to have them back"-like response if the streamer was looking to put some weight behind a renewal decision. So for now? Hit-Monkey and Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. continue waiting… either for the ax to fall or a Season 2 "Wonka Golden Tickets."

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