10 TV Shows That Marvel Seriously Needs To Make

By Percival Constantine / April 9, 2013

Back in 2010, Marvel announced that it would be developing some live-action TV shows, and the comic book community exploded with discussions of what properties could possibly be in the running. We already know what the first series will be, the upcoming Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for ABC, which will see the return of fan favorite actor Clark Gregg reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson (how hell return after the events of The Avengers has been the subject of much speculation around the net). But what about other properties? A few have been mentioned as being in development so far, including The Incredible Hulk, Mockingbird, A.K.A. Jessica Jones (which was passed on), Cloak and Dagger, and The Punisher (also passed on, thankfully). Some of these have sounded promising, others not so much. But the Marvel Universe is an extremely diverse place, and the potential for quality shows that can be executed with a TV budget is actually pretty extensive. Marvel has a wide variety of characters that can fit into a multitude of genres, beyond just standard superhero fare. For now, lets take a look at some of the options...

10. Howard the Duck

What Is It? If your only experience with Marvels anthropomorphic mallard is George Lucas awful 1986 movie, then you need to track down Steve Gerbers Howard The Duck series from the 1970s. Howard hails from another dimension and ended up trapped on Earth, where he befriended and eventually began a relationship with a human model named Beverly Switzler. The series was very existentialist, a magnificent social satire that frequently featured parodies of genre and comics. As if to prove how little they understood the concept, screenwriter Gloria Katz said, its a film about a duck from outer space its not supposed to be an existential experience. The creator disagrees with you, lady, that should tell you something. How To Do It Right? This ones a bit of a cheat, because Howard doesnt work as well in a live-action setting. The bizarre adventures he and Bev frequently find themselves in pretty much demands an animated series. And that does pose some problems, because this wouldnt be the type of show youd find on Disney XD alongside Ultimate Spider-Man and the upcoming Avengers Assemble and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. This is the kind of show that begs for a slot on Adult Swim. Think George Carlin, in duck form. Theres also the matter of his appearanceHoward bears a very strong resemblance to Donald Duck, so much so that Disney once threatened legal action. Now that Disney owns Marvel, chances are they wouldnt allow a satirical, existential series aimed at older audiences, one which parents would likely believe was intended for children (the kind of parents who complain the loudest about this stuff evidently never monitor their childrens viewing habits).