Deadpool, an Upcoming Television Series

One of the most controversial, profane and caustic superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe is getting its own television series. Donald and Stephen Glover, executive producers of hit television shows Legion and Atlanta recently announced that they will be working on a new animated series featuring Deadpool, a character that was masterfully brought to the silver screen in 2016.

The first run of the new Deadpool series will consist of 10 episodes that will be carried on the FXX network. The Glover brothers have previously adapted another Marvel Comics property, Legion, to great success for FX Productions. The Marvel universe has proven to be a strong draw for television, but most productions thus far have been live-action features.

To a certain extent, Deadpool will be like the short-lived HBO animated series Spawn, which told the story of a tormented superhero by means of dark and supernatural adult themes. Whereas the Spawn series was extremely brooding and gloomy, Deadpool is more likely to mirror Archer, an animated television series for adults noted for its sarcasm and brilliant, yet very offensive, adult humor.

Deadpool is unique in the sense that he is a true antihero. His character biography tells the story of Wade Wilson, a special operations soldier who later became a mentally unstable mercenary. After undergoing a super soldier experiment, Wilson ends up with a deformed physique, superhuman strength, unnaturally fast reflexes, and healing powers. The experience also exacerbated his mental state, which deteriorates as he hunts down the people who subjected him to the terrible experiment.

Initial interviews with Donald Glover suggest that dark humor and masculinity will be tightly woven into the plot of Deadpool. Writers in London have started crafting the story, which is expected to be loaded with violence as well as poignancy. Wilson is a natural-born sociopath; however, he is keenly aware of his precarious mental state. Deadpool’s non-stop cynicism is a coping mechanism that Wilson uses to deal with mental illness and deformity. His struggle between sanity and madness will be a major driving point in the animated series.

Hip-hop musician Childish Gambino is expected to contribute to the production. There is a planned film sequel scheduled to be released in 2018; the Deadpool series on FXX is planned to air around the same time. FX productions actively pitched the Glover brothers on the idea because they are fans of the Marvel Comics universe.

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