Freeform and Marvel are striking up a relationship, and it involves the internet’s favorite heroine, Squirrel Girl.
The Disney-owned Freeform network has already announced it’s moving forward with a series based on Cloak & Dagger following a successful pilot, but for the next Marvel property, it is going forward with a straight-to-series order for New Warriors. While the former will be a traditional one-hour drama, New Warriors will be Marvel’s first foray into half-hour comedy, hence the inclusion of Squirrel Girl.
The New Warriors have had a mixed history in the comics. It began as a semi-serious team story, but the inclusion of Speedball as a member always meant it was at least somewhat goofy. Things then get super serious years later when while participating in a reality TV series the team was involved in a battle that actually set off the Civil War storyline in the comics as opposed to The Avengers.
Is it time for comedy?
With Marvel dominating at the box office and receiving critical acclaim for many of its television efforts (We’ll ignore you, Iron Fist), it does actually feel like it may be time for the House of Ideas to branch out. That being said, however, DC has been trying something similar with Powerless on NBC this season, and it just hasn’t worked in the ratings.
The inclusion of Squirrel Girl will give New Warriors a definite leg up as she is extremely popular around the internet for just how goofy a concept she is. Even Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) once famously said that she would like to play the character. “My brother sent me a Squirrel Girl comic because he thinks I should [play her],” she told Net-a-Porter. “I don’t know what Squirrel Girl does other than be half squirrel, but I could be half squirrel!”
Somehow we doubt she will be donning the fluffy tail for a Freeform series, however.
No word as of yet as to when New Warriors will debut, but it is believed it will be before the end of the year.