Freeform, the network formerly known as ABC Family, has ordered a full series based on Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger. The project is being described as a “superhero love story” featuring the two tragic heroes from the Marvel Comics universe.
Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Ed Hannigan, Cloak and Dagger are the names taken by Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen, respectively, after they develop superhuman abilities and decide to fight crime.
In the Marvel Comics universe, the pair were teenage runaways who connected with each other despite their different backgrounds, only to be abducted by criminals who had been testing synthetic drugs on homeless children. Instead of killing the pair, the drugs awakened their mutant abilities, allowing Tyrone to tap into a mysterious “dimension of darkness” that let him teleport and absorb energy, and giving Tandy the ability to channel light and create “daggers” that can either heal or hurt her targets.
The pair’s powers came at a cost, however, as those powers made each of them reliant on the other to balance out the energy they each controlled. Neither teenager could be away from the other for too long without their energy growing too unstable.
Freeform is currently looking for a writer to work on the Cloak and Dagger series.
It’s worth noting that Cloak and Dagger was initially mentioned as one of the upcoming projects for Marvel Studios way back when the movie-focused studio was formed, so the show has been bouncing around in development for quite a while now. At this point, it’s unknown whether the series will be connected with Marvel’s official cinematic universe — which extends to television with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC and four Netflix shows currently in the works — but it’s highly likely, as Marvel has shown every indication of wanting to tie all its live-action projects together in one form or another.
There’s no timeline for the Cloak and Dagger series at this point.
