new warriors

Squirrel Girl and the New Warriors

Squirrel Girl and the New Warriors Head to Television on Freeform

Freeform television has added a second show to it’s growing superhero lineup. New Warriors, Marvel’s first live action, scripted comedy, has been ordered straight-to-series, and it joins the previously announced Cloak & Dagger on the Disney-owned network.

The Freeform version of the New Warriors follows the precedent set by the cartoon Ultimate Spider-Man, and will add fan-favorite Squirrel Girl to the team — a airing that never happened in the comics.

“Marvel’s New Warriors have always been fan favorites and now particularly with the addition of Squirrel Girl, they are Marvel Television favorites as well,” Marvel Television President Jeff Loeb said. “After the amazing experience we’ve had with Freeform on Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger we can’t think of a better place for our young heroes.”

The Hollywood Reporter asked Karey Burke, executive vice-president of programming and development at Freeform, whether there had been any discussion about casting actors Anna Kendrick or Shannon Purser — both of whom have expressed interest in the role — as Squirrel Girl. “Those names have come up!,” Burke confirmed. “This network has made a lot of stars and we’re in a unique position with Squirrel Girl and Marvel. The character is such a calling card. I’m interested to see if name actresses feel right for it.”

Kevin Biegel (Cougar Town) is near a deal to pen the script and serve as showrunner. The network has ordered 10 episodes for the half-hour comedy, which is set to debut in 2018.

Marvel Reportedly Developing New Warriors Television Show Featuring Squirrel Girl

The rumored half-hour comedy would put the fan-favorite heroine front and center as a member of a teenage superhero team.

After months of (completely baseless) speculation on who might play Squirrel Girl in movie that doesn’t actually exist, Marvel shocked everyone with the rumored development of a New Warriors television series featuring Squirrel Girl.

The New Warriors
The New Warriors

The New Warriors were a teenage superhero team that brought together existing heroes Nova, Firestar, Speedball, Marvel Boy and Namorita under the leadership of newly created hero Night Thrasher. In its most recent incarnation, the team was also the focus of a reality television show as they fought crime.

The roster rotated and changed over the years with a variety of young heroes — with  one notable exception: Squirrel Girl was never a member.

But according to TV Line, Marvel and ABC Studios are creating a comedy about the New Warriors featuring Squirrel Girl as the main character. The half-hour series is reportedly being shopped to cable networks and streaming outlets.

Squirrel Girl has been the name on everyone’s lips as of late, with Anna Kendrick mentioning that she was down to play the unbeatable mutant, followed by Stranger Things Shannon Purser also expressing interest in the role.

If the rumor is true, the show is very early in pre-production and casting decisions are a while off. It’s unlikely that Kendrick could be lured to the small screen, but Purser would be a real possibility. Or maybe we’ll get a new name we haven’t even thought of.