Ghost Rider and Helstrom Marvel TV series coming to Hulu

Avengers: Endgame may have been the last hurrah for a number of comic book heroes, but there’ll be no shortage of Marvel adapted adventures in the years to come, if the comics company’s latest announcement is any indication.

On Wednesday, Marvel announced plans for two new shows: Ghost Rider and Helstrom. The two series, developed by Marvel Television (versus Marvel Studios, which is behind the MCU-bound series debuting on Disney Plus), will launch on Hulu in 2020.

Ghost Rider will center on Robbie Reyes, a version of the character who also appeared on Agents of SHIELD (though Marvel gave no indication that this series would be a spinoff of the ABC series). The logline for the series, shepherded by showrunner Ingrid Escajeda (Justified, Sneaky Pete), describes Robbie as “the quintessential antihero, who lives on the Texas/Mexico border, consumed by hellfire and supernaturally bound to a demon. When he unleashes the Rider, Robbie brings vengeance for the innocents he encounters, but struggles controlling the power he wields.”

“I couldn’t be more excited and honored to be handed the reins to a Marvel character as beloved as Ghost Rider,” said Escajeda in a news release. “This story hits every note for me — my love for grounded yet conflicted characters and my desire to scare the $&!# out of people! It’s important to me to find a take that thrills existing fans as well as wider audiences and I believe we’ve done just that.”

Helstrom focuses on Daimon Helstrom, introduced in the pages of 1972’s Ghost Rider Vol 2 #1, and Ana Helstrom, later introduced in the horror comic Vampire Tales. The pair are the son and daughter of a mysterious and powerful serial killer. Per the logline: “The siblings have a complicated dynamic as they track down the worst of humanity — each with their attitude and skills.” The series comes from Paul Zbyszewski (Lost, Agents of SHIELD).

“As a lifelong Marvel fan, I feel incredibly fortunate to help bring this darker, thrilling corner of the comic book universe to life, and I’m just grateful to everyone at Marvel Television and Hulu for the opportunity,” said Zbyszewski in the announcement. “Marvel’s known for all the heart, humor, and action they put into every series, but this time around we’re adding some scares to that mix. I think we’ve found a compelling way to dissect some of our deepest fears through the experiences of our two lead characters.”

Though not directly stated, Marvel Television’s Jeph Loeb promise for the two series teases a potential shared universe.

“We’re thrilled Hulu will be moving into a new — admittedly chilling — corner of the Marvel Universe with Ghost Rider and Helstrom. Paul and Ingrid are crafting gripping adventures into fear that live in our ‘Spirit of Vengeance’ cornerstone.”

Along with the two live-action series, Marvel Television and Hulu are also partnering on an upcoming slate of shared-universe animated series, with four shows focusing on Marvel characters Howard the Duck, Hit-Monkey, the villain MODOK, and Tigra and Dazzler. Those series will culminate in a crossover series, The Offenders.