Marvel’s Most Wanted would have carried on the story of two popular characters from Agents of SHIELD, but ABC execs backed away from that and other Marvel projects.
[Updated]
What Is It?
Marvel’s Most Wanted would have been a spin-off from Agents of SHIELD and would have followed the characters Bobbi Morse (aka Mockingbird) and Lance Hunter who had recurred on that series. Following is the logline that IMDb.com gives for the pilot:
Two ex-spies and ex-spouses who are on the run with no friends, no S.H.I.E.L.D. and a long list of enemies looking to claim a bounty on their heads. Able to trust no one but each other, Bobbi and Hunter form an uneasy alliance with Dominic Fortune, a rogue adventurer with a wealth of resources and even more adversaries, who agrees to protect them so long as they help him with his own agenda. These two heroes will help anyone in need, all while trying to uncover the conspiracy that put their own lives in jeopardy.
Aired: Never Aired
Developed By: Jeffrey Bell, Paul Zbyszewski
Starring: Adrianne Palicki, Nick Blood, Delroy Lindo
Why Didn’t it Fly?
Morse and Hunter had bowed out of Agents of SHIELD in the show’s third season in preparation for the potential spin-off series. Development had actually begun the year prior with a short, proof-of-concept reel, and the original thinking was that the show might make it to the mid-season 2015-16 schedule. ABC passed at that point but kept the project in development, and the buzz was that it had a good chance of getting the greenlight for the 2016-17 season. In fact, at one point, it looked like ABC could have four Marvel shows on its schedule with the comedy Damage Control in the works (based on the comic book of the same name about a team that cleans up after superheroes) and rumors that AoS and Agent Carter would both get renewed.
That did not seem like a likely scenario, though, because of the tepid ratings that the latter two shows had been pulling. But Marvel’s Most Wanted looked like a good bet because of the popularity of its central characters (Deadline Hollywood claimed the series pickup to be a “no brainer”) and it seemed like a less costly option than Agents of SHIELD to keep a Marvel Universe tie-in on television. But instead, ABC decided to cancel Agent Carter and pass on the two pilots (Damage Control apparently did not even make it to the finals round for the pilots) and keep AoS going.
ABC exec Channing Dungey had the following to say about passing on the pilot
Most Wanted, ultimately at the end of the day, did not feel as strong as some of the other pilots that we shot. 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.
Would It Have Worked as a Series?
Yes. Marvel’s Most Wanted definitely looked like a promising addition to the MCU shows that ABC had going at that time, and seemed to have sparked a lot of interest, but sadly never made the leap to series. Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood had good chemistry and had already proven popular in their appearances on Agents of SHIELD. The show had plenty of potential to carry on as a series, and would have at least acted as a consolation after the cancelling of fan-favorite Agent Carter. There were talks about retooling MMW, but sadly nothing ever came from that.
Should It Be Rebooted?
Yes. The concept was solid and would still work today. Adrianne Palicki has expressed her interest multiple times in returning to the property, and she does not appear to have a series commitment at the moment. Nick Blood also appears to be available, and this show could work as either a Disney+ or Hulu original, though it does seem like the former streamer is moving away from ongoing originals. And if not there, perhaps it could air on ABC since it could follow a more Prime Time-friendly procedural format. There is still plenty of interest in revisiting the Agents of SHIELD universe (which is not directly in sync with the MCU), and Most Wanted could provide a first step in that direction. If fans were to mount a campaign, perhaps Disney execs would consider revisiting the pilot.
Where Can You Watch It?
Sadly, neither the pilot nor the original proof-of-concept reel were ever released, so not many people have had a chance to see the trial run beyond the network executives. Perhaps at some point it will get released online or with an Agents of SHIELD Blu-ray set, but for now it remains hidden. You can read more about the development of Marvel’s Most Wanted at its Wikipedia entry.
Read about more Sci Fi TV pilots that did not fly at this link.
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