John Ridley's long in-development Marvel series may have encountered some difficulties as ABC's President doesn't know if it is still happening. A few years ago, it was revealed that Oscar-winning writer John Ridley was developing a secret TV show for Marvel and ABC. In the time that has passed, there has been barely any details on the project, only that it was still moving forward. One of the only details to come out was that Ridley's project revolved around a reinvented character.

Unfortunately, it has never been made clear not only what character specifically Ridley had set his eyes on, but also the one that has been waiting in development to see the light of day. With ABC, Marvel, and Ridley remaining optimistic on the future of the project, it appeared to be only a matter of time before official word came that it was happening.

That announcement may not be coming however. Tracking-Board had the chance to ask ABC President Channing Dungey about the status of Ridley's show during the Television Critics Association summer press tour. Despite the previous positivity the project has received, Dungey is no longer sure what future (if any) the project has. When asked if Ridley was still working on the project, Dungey simply replied, "I’m actually not sure. That’s a question for Marvel."

John Ridley Oscars

Clearly, this is not the update that those interested in what Ridley could do with Marvel have been waiting for. Not only has the project appeared to have hit some sort of snag in recent months, but one that could have resulted in the project being canned altogether. Maybe this is a result of ABC and Marvel finally seeing the rewrite that Ridley was working on at the beginning of the year. If his rewrite was too different from the initial pitch or Marvel and ABC no longer see how it fits with their programming, all parties involved may have decided to simply move on.

That said, Ridley said only a few months ago that he was still interested in making the show, but ultimately pointed to Marvel's advanced planning as a potential roadblock to it happening. With the show never officially being announced, this could be just a case of a project that ran its course in development, but could not be cracked. Hopefully, that is not the current status of Ridley's show, but ABC's President not knowing the status anymore is not a good indication.

Should Ridley's project not move forward, that will leave ABC with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Inhumans to fill their Marvel fix for the time being. AoS is largely expected to end after the upcoming fifth season, while Inhumans may suffer from a lack of interest to even validate a second season. Should both of their current Marvel shows end, then maybe ABC and Marvel will push harder for Ridley's show to make it to air. But for now, the status of the show appears to be very much up in the air.

Source: Tracking-Board