Marvel's upcoming Helstrom TV series appears to be trying to hide its comic book connections. Back in May 2019, Marvel Television reached an agreement with Hulu to begin work on new live-action comic book adaptations, inspired by some of Marvel's horror comics. Marvel Television and ABC Signature Studios originally planned to produce both a Ghost Rider and a Helstrom series. Plans changed, and Ghost Rider was canceled, with Marvel Television itself largely wound down.
Surprisingly, Helstrom remains, and the cast appeared in a Comic-Con@Home panel, appearing alongside a first trailer drop that confirmed the series will debut on Hulu in October. It stars siblings Ana (Sydney Lemmon) and Daimon (Tom Austen), the children of a serial killer who dedicate themselves to confronting the worst in humanity. It's a dramatic change from the comics, where Daimon Hellstrom is actually the Son of Satan, and it indicates the kind of creative license showrunner Paul Zbyszewski has taken; note even the surname has been changed, so as to make it a little less on-the-nose.
Marvel fans who check out the Helstrom trailer will immediately notice there's something very different about this show; it lacks the distinctive Marvel logo. Ordinarily, any trailer for a Marvel Television series begins with an animated logo of flipping comic book pages, as designed by Avi Arad back in the early 2000s. This is an important piece of branding, signifying that viewers are watching a Marvel property. Its absence in the trailer likely indicates one simple fact; Marvel do not want Helstrom to be associated with them. It's not on-brand.
Helstrom was commissioned by Hulu back in May 2019, and things have changed significantly at Marvel since then. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was appointed Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment in October 2019, and Marvel's live-action TV productions have essentially been moved to Marvel Studios. Feige's Disney+ production have a production value beyond anything Marvel Television could afford, and so they just don't compete. All previous live-action Marvel Television shows have now come to an end, with even Agents of SHIELD currently in its final season. Feige has, however, allowed Helstrom to continue, likely reflecting the fact he has no interest in developing an MCU version of the character. But he's very much brand-aware, and he wouldn't want the family-friendly Marvel brand to be associated with a dark, chilling, supernatural horror. Hence the logo's absence in the trailer.
The Helstrom panel stressed the show will be packed with Easter eggs to the comics, but the truth is that nobody who simply tunes in will ever realize this is a Marvel series. It appears to be as disconnected from the MCU as Legion or The Gifted, and the trailer suggests a dark and cerebral tone that will never be seen in a Marvel Studios/TV project. Should Helstrom prove a success, it will blaze its own unique trail, most likely the last off-brand Marvel Television TV series.