Tuesday morning, Marvel let both Steve Lightfoot and Paul Zbyszewski go from their overall contracts with the House of Ideas. The reports got a substantial amount of attention on social media because the latter of the two is still in working on post-production for Hulu’s Helstrom. Rumors quickly circulated suggesting Helstrom was subsequently cancelled; as of now, that’s simply not the case. Despite Marvel yanking Zbyszewski’s overall deal, it’s still business as usual on the Helstrom front. Visual effects and post-production continue remotely as Hulu works to premiere the show later this year.
As for the future of the show, that’s a completely different story. Even then, it still doesn’t mean doom for the Son and Daughter of Satan. THR’s original post says Zbyszewski and Lightfoot’s overall deals were with Marvel itself instead of a network or proper studio, like most deals in the biz. It could mean the two were relieved from their current contracts in order for them to sign overall deals with an entity like ABC Studios so that they can continue writing Marvel properties in addition to work for other Disney-owned entities.
The choice on the opposite side of the spectrum — which many believe is accurate — is that the two were relieved because Disney and Marvel Studios have no plans for Helstrom or Ghost Rider in the overarching plans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That means that after the first season of Helstrom debuts on Hulu, that’s it for the series before it’s sent to the chopping block.
But there’s still a middle ground between the two options: maybe the shows will continue and the creatives were let go to make room for new writers. This wouldn’t be the first time television shows under the Marvel umbrella switched creatives from season to season. Daredevil had a new showrunner each of its three seasons and Iron Fist found itself in a similar situation. On this front, it stands to reason there’s a timeline out there where Kevin Feige wants to keep Helstrom as a Hulu series, but he’d rather have someone from the stable of creatives at Marvel Studios he’s developed over the past decade and a half.
Helstrom has yet to get a premiere date from Hulu.
Do you think Marvel Studios will pick Helstrom, Ghost Rider, or any other Marvel Television shows back up? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting me up on Twitter at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!
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