Donald Glover Exits ‘Deadpool’ Animated Series
Ten months after FX announced plans for a Donald Glover-written animated series dedicated to the Marvel antihero Deadpool, both the network and the Atlanta star revealed Saturday that they are exiting the project.
Donald Glover and his brother Stephen Glover were recruited to write, executive produce and showrun the cartoon the wisecracking mutant mercenary – popularized on the big screen by Ryan Reynolds – and were given a 10-episode straight-to-series order in May 2017.
However, FX said in a statement Saturday, “Due to creative differences, FX, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover and Marvel Television have agreed to part ways on Marvel’s Deadpool animated series, FX will no longer be involved with the project. FX and Marvel have an ongoing relationship through our partnership on Legion, which will continue.”
According to Variety, the studio behind the FXX’s Archer was on board to animate Deadpool, but production on the series didn’t begin. It’s also likely Glover’s jammed schedule – the recently finished shooting Solo: A Star Wars Story and the acclaimed second season of Atlanta, is set to contribute the voice of Simba in a live-action The Lion King and, as musical alter ego Childish Gambino, is heading out on tour this autumn – likely contributed to Deadpool‘s demise.
Marvel TV holds the option of reviving the Deadpool animated series for another network or the rumored Disney streaming service. Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool 2 arrives in theaters May 18th.