FX and Donald Glover are expanding their respective relationships with Marvel.
The Atlanta star and his brother Stephen Glover are set to write, executive produce and serve as showrunners on an animated adult action-comedy series for FXX based on the comic book giant’s Deadpool.
The 10-episode series will launch in 2018, with Marvel’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory joining the Glover brothers as exec producers. Loeb and his executives are believed to be big fans of FXX’s Archer, and approached FX brass with the idea, not the other way around. FX then approached Glover, a significant talent with increasing geek cred. Following a complex negotiation, the series will hail from Marvel Television, FX Productions and ABC Studios’ cable arm, ABC Signature. A voice cast has not yet been determined.
A writers’ room for the animated series has already been set up in London, where the Atlanta creator and star is filming the Han Solo Star Wars spinoff movie where he takes on the role of a young Lando Calrissian. The latter caused the second season of the Golden Globe-winning comedy to be delayed until 2018, though insiders says Glover has already written Atlanta‘s season two.
Deadpool expands Glover’s relationship with FX, where he has an overall deal with Atlanta producers FX Productions. The series also reteams Glover with Marvel, for whom he next appears in Spider-Man: Homecoming. For FX, Deadpool marks its latest collaboration with Marvel Television following Noah Hawley’s critically acclaimed X-Men drama Legion. That series, starring Dan Stevens, has already been renewed for a second season, to come in 2018.
“How much more fun could this be? Deadpool, Donald and FX — the perfect fit for the Merc with the Mouth! We’re thrilled that our relationship with FX that started with Legion continues with what is sure to be a groundbreaking show in adult animation,” Loeb said.
Deadpool becomes Marvel’s latest half-hour primetime entry. The company recently landed a straight-to-series order at Disney’s younger-skewing cable network Freeform for a live-action take on New Warriors. Deadpool also arrives as Marvel continues its hot streak, landing series pickups recently at Fox for X-Men take The Gifted and Hulu for Runaways. Those join Freeform’s Cloak and Dagger, ABC’s Agents of SHIELD — which is expected to return for another season — as well as the broadcast network’s forthcoming Imax collaboration The Inhumans. There’s also Marvel’s Netflix slate, which features The Punisher, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and mini The Defenders.
Deadpool, the character created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, has appeared in multiple Marvel animated TV series but he’s best known from last year’s box-office hit starring Ryan Reynolds, which grossed more than $780 million globally in early 2016. Reynolds will reprise his role as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in Deadpool 2, which coincidentally cast Atlanta breakout Zazie Beetz — who plays Glover’s ex-girlfriend — as comic book character Domino.
Donald Glover is repped by WME, MGMT Entertainment and Ginsburg Daniels. Stephen Glover is a staff writer on Atlanta and penned four episodes of its first season. An accomplished songwriter and performer, he also wrote music and lyrics for the comedy alongside his brother and has experience writing for stand-up comedians. He’s with WME and Lev Ginsburg.
For FX, Deadpool joins a comedy roster that includes FXX’s Archer, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and You’re the Worst and FX’s Atlanta, Baskets, Better Things and Louie.
