Before Kevin Feige took more control of Marvel Entertainment, Jeph Loeb and Marvel TV had multiple shows in development on various networks. ABC had Agents of SHIELD, and Netflix had the Defenders shows, but Freeform was set to pick up another Marvel show after Cloak & Dagger. The project was a sitcom based on the New Warriors, which had Milana Vayntrub cast as Squirrel Girl.
Development on New Warriors moved quickly after it was announced in 2016, with the full cast announced in the summer of 2017 before the start of production. New Warriors was ordered to series by Freeform, but the channel wasn’t involved with the show after the pilot was filmed.
It was reported that Freeform was unable to find a slot for the show. In contrast, other reports said the pilot tested so well that Marvel wanted to find New Warriors a new home with a bigger potential audience. However, the show has effectively been canceled after three years of no news – and now the showrunner is teasing what could’ve been.
Would Feature Live-Action Debut of MODOK
Kevin Biegel was tapped to serve as the showrunner on New Warriors and has now revealed on Twitter that his long-term plans included the live-action debut of MODOK.
In the comics, MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a super smart villain with an enormous head, who is confined to a floating metal chair. Now, Biegel has revealed that part of their season-long plan for New Warriors was to turn Keith David’s character into MODOK.
The appearance of MODOK is one of the few story points of New Warriors that has ever been teased. It was known that the roster of characters included Mister Immortal, Night Thrasher, Speedball, Debrii, and Microbe, but there was no evidence that MODOK was part of the plan.
When Keith David was cast, he was said to be playing a man named Ernest Vigman, who was described as “a caustic municipal employee who butts up against the hopeful energy of the New Warriors.”
That is a very different description from George Tarleton, the man who became MODOK in the comics, so it appears Keith David becoming MODOK would’ve been a big surprise. So, what do you all think about this news guys?