While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown exponentially in theaters, the TV side of things has been expanding as well, with a number of existing projects, plus series currently in development. Though Agent Carter is sadly no longer on the air and Most Wanted never even got a chance, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is still going strong on ABC, and The Defenders universe continues to grow over on Netflix. On top of that, Marvel has a number of projects in various stages of development that could begin hitting the small screen next year.

There's the long-gestating project from John Ridley; Damage Control is also potentially still in the works, though it may be waiting to move forward based on the success or failure of DC's similar Powerless; and then there's Runaways and Cloak & Dagger, both of which are set to film in February and are said to be arriving in 2018 on Hulu and Freeform respectively. The latter has named Daredevil producer Joe Pokaski as showrunner and we learned earlier today that the pilot for the series already has a director. With filming just around the corner, it seems the biggest piece of news may have just broken.

Thanks to a rumor unearthed by MCU Exchange, the titular stars of Cloak & Dagger may have already been cast. An anonymous source told the outlet that Heroes' Noah Gray-Cabey and Disney Channel star Debby Ryan will be playing Cloak and Dagger respectively. While the report is just a rumor at this point, MCU Exchange did a little more research that helps support the claim. Pokaski follows Gray-Cabey on Twitter, though that could simply be from his time as a producer on Heroes. Ryan, meanwhile, is following the Cloak & Dagger Twitter herself, which likely means she at least auditioned for the part. Both actors have the look and age of the characters, so it's entirely possible that this rumor is true.

It was recently reported that Cloak & Dagger would have a budget to match the Marvel/Netflix shows, assuaging a number of fan's worries that the young adult network Freeform wouldn't be able to do the characters justice. While Dagger mostly uses light blades, something easily replicated on TV, Cloak's abilities would require extensive CGI. Cloak can not only levitate and teleport, but use his cape to attack foes and transport friends. Hopefully, the large budget will mean the world will be fully fleshed out and feature a number of other Marvel Comics characters.

With production starting next month, we'll know soon enough whether the casting rumor is true and will likely learn about a number of other cast members and characters. Like Runaways, Cloak & Dagger will be Marvel's chance to see if they can expand their television brand beyond ABC and Netflix. If they're successful, we could see other outlets develop their own Marvel projects, thus giving fans live-action versions of more of their favorite characters. Until then, we'll bring you all the Marvel TV news as it arrives.

Next: Cloak & Dagger Season Budget Matches Marvel’s Netflix Series

Cloak & Dagger will reportedly debut on Freeform in 2018.

Source: MCU Exchange