ABC Lets Mockingbird Fly in Her Own Series
Variety is reporting that ABC is working on a deal to put Mockingbird and Lance Hunter in their own show, Marvel’s Most Wanted. The show will star Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood.
After putting a halt to the proposed series earlier this year, ABC is moving forward again on this idea. The show will follow the adventures of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Bobbi Morse, code named “Mockingbird”, and her ne’er-do-well ex-husband Lance Hunter, both of whom have been through tumultuous times during the most recent season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. At the end of the season, the two seemed to have reached an understanding of sorts, and may be on the path to reconciliation.
The new show will be run by S.H.I.E.L.D. execs Jeff Bell and Paul Zbyszewski, who co-wrote the pilot script and will executive produce along with Marnel’s television chief Jeph Loeb.
It was reported in April that Palicki and Blood would possibly get a spinoff show, but ABC didn’t include it on their lineup of orders, with network president Paul Lee saying “We absolutely love those characters on S.H.I.E.L.D.” The implication was that the show had hit its stride, and that the two characters were a strong part of that successful mix.
It’s possible that with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. moving into the Secret Warriors storyline from the comics, and with a focus on Daisy Johnson and the Inhumans, now’s a better time to spin out Mockingbird to her own show. This not only gives ABC a third Marvel property, but also adds another show with a female lead. Palicki certainly has the acting chops to handle the promotion. Not only does she have S.H.I.E.L.D. on her resume, but also G.I. Joe: Retaliation and the failed Wonder Woman pilot under her belt (and the WW failure had nothing to do with her performance).
No word on schedule or whether it would be set up through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and there’s still no word about the other Marvel project ABC is developing with American Crime creator John Ridley.
