For The Consideration of Mr. Whedon

Disney just announced Joss Whedon will write and direct THE AVENGERS 2 and develop a Marvel TV show for ABC.
— Marc Graser (@marcgraser) August 7, 2012

While the announcement by Disney that Joss Whedon, supreme nerd god of all, will be at the helm of Avengers 2 comes as no surprise, the additional announcement that he’ll be developing a Marvel-centric show for ABC is the real news here. 

Details are scant, with little more than Graser’s tweet and others like it to confirm the announcement by Disney’s Bob Iger, but hearing that Joss will soon be returning to TV made my little Whedonite heart go a-pitter patter like a lovesick schoolgirl. 

A show with a “Created by Joss Whedon” title card that DISNEY is backing and thus has an infinitely higher chance of A.) Not getting cancelled after a season (RIP Firefly & Dollhouse) or B.) Getting shuffled around from network to network!?! 

I must be dreaming!

But since I’ve already realized that I have to cope with the sad reality that it will probably be months before we hear anything more about Whedon’s latest Marvel-centric undertaking, its time for the rampant speculation to begin and here’s what I’m hoping Joss will do with his TV show. 

Front to Back: Nico, Molly, Gertrude,
Karolina, Nico, Chase, & Old Lace.

Runaways. 

While there has been a Runaways film adaptation floating about in various stages of development since 2008, I think the series would do better as a television series and I hope that Whedon thinks the same.

Now before you jump down my throats about how the comics are too visually complex and need the kind of budget only a movie could carry, etc etc, hear me out. 

Its common knowledge that Whedon is a huge fan of the series, and his active participation in the fan-led revival campaign helped bring the series back when it was cancelled after 18 issues.

Hell, he was even singled out by creator Brian K. Vaughan to write the story arcs that immediately followed Vaughan and Alphona departure from the series! 

Plus, the series has all the hallmarks of a Whedon-esque series already: 

Multi-faceted ensemble cast? 

Runaways is a team of 6 teens (plus 1 telepathic raptor) who are at once, say....sorcerers, but struggle with issues such as magically necessary self-harm (ala my favorite, Nico). They‘re believably teenage protagonists, and the interplay between the adult situations they’re often faced with and their teenage experiences and K-12 educations is brilliant. 

Witty but natural dialogue? 

Brian K. Vaughan, arguably one of the best writers in the comic industry, heads up the comic, and the possibility of Whedon and Vaughan teaming up for a TV adaption of the series is the stuff nerdgasms are made of.  (Then again, both writers are so adept at working pop culture references into their dialogue that there's a chance all the characters would just communicate via references ala Juno, and we all remember how annoying that got after 90 minutes.)

Strong female characters? 

Duh. Did you really except Whedon to be interested in something where the female characters roll over and raise a white flag at the first sign of trouble? I thought so.

So while the common consensus has already decided that Whedon will either be joining the Guillermo del Toro-led The Hulk series or come on as show runner for Cloak & Dagger, I hope that there’s at least some consideration given to a Runaways TV series. 

Television is ready for another ensemble driven, Whedon-written show, and I really REALLY want to have a show on where genetically-engineered raptor from the 87th century is part of the central cast.