CLEVELAND, Ohio — Following the success of “Luke Cage” and “Jessica Jones” on Netflix, Marvel Television seems to be delving deep into its character list for new shows. Enter obscure super duo Cloak & Dagger.
The crimefighting pair are getting their own series on Freeform — a Disney-ABC owned channel that evolved from ABC Family and the Christian Broadcasting Network.
If Cloak & Dagger are unfamiliar to you, you’re not alone.
The duo — teenage runaways who developed special powers after being forcibly injected with experimental heroin — doesn’t even have their own ongoing comic book series.
But their obscurity is clearly no obstacle to TV success.
Even Marvel shows based on heroes that are unknown to non-comic book fans have found enough viewers to thrive.
“Luke Cage” and “Jessica Jones” have both been renewed for their second seasons and “Daredevil,” also on Netflix and based on a lesser-known character, has been renewed for a third.
Living in New York City, Cloak & Dagger were introduced as allies of Spider-Man in 1982, and starred in a four-issue limited series in 1983.
Marvel tried twice in the 1980s to give the two their own ongoing series, but neither attempt lasted more than 20 issues.
But they’ve played key roles in iconic Spider-Man and X-Men stories, and have reappeared several times in recent years.
While both members of the crimefighting pair are runaways, they come from wildly different backgrounds.
Tyrone Johnson (AKA Cloak) grew up in abject poverty in Boston, while Tandy Bowen (AKA Dagger) was raised by a multi-millionaire in Shaker Heights.
Cloak can phase through solid objects and teleport over great distances, often bringing people with him, while Dagger can emit light daggers that drain the life from their targets.
Aubrey Joseph will play Cloak and Olivia Holt will play Dagger in the upcoming series, which is scheduled to premiere in 2018.
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