The Inhumans come to TV. What and who should you know?

So, in what appeared to come out of nowhere, Marvel announced a stunning revelation: the Inhumans are coming to television in 2017 with a show that will debut in IMAX movie screens and then shift to ABC Television. So, let’s review why this is shocking and, most importantly, who are the Inhumans?

The Inhumans come to TV. Why is this a surprise?

First, it is shocking because the Inhumans have played such a key part of the Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, especially over the last couple of seasons. But they have been tweaked. Now, in that current television version, they are humans exposed to Terrigen Mists and they metamorphose into super powered individuals, like Daisy Johnson aka Quake. Based on what they are saying about the Inhumans show, that won’t be what they are focusing on.

Second, the Inhumans has been an on-again or off-again title for a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. For awhile now, the Inhumans have loomed large, and you could make the argument that Marvel was trying to make them a big deal in the comics, possibly even shifting them to become the new “mutants” to stick it to Fox, who owns the X-men rights. So for them to now shift to what seems really abruptly to a television franchise seems really odd. Which leads to…

Third, like “Fetch” in the film Mean Girls, it just wasn’t happening. Over and over again, it felt like they just couldn’t get any traction on the Inhumans other than one of their hottest commodities the teenaged Ms. Marvel is an Inhuman, and they would LOVE to get her on to film sooner rather than later. But, historically, in the Marvel Comics world, the Inhumans have been something entirely different, with a wealth of places where they can mine stories from in the future.

The Inhumans come to TV. But who are they?

So those are the reasons the television announcement is shocking. Now let’s take a look at the Inhumans.

First, the Inhumans tie into the Marvel cosmic, outer space world. They were created as a part of an experiment by the Kree who were attempting to build a world to help them in their fight with the Skrulls. This probably largely has to be ignored, as I have to imagine much of those rights are tied into Fox’s deal, as the Skrulls were Fantastic Four villains first and foremost. It has been hinted at in the SHIELD show, with the blue alien and Phil Coulson’s visit to Tahiti but I’d stunned to see them do much else with it.

Second, The Inhumans television show will have the chance to play out like a super drama. Think Empire meets the Avengers. The Inhumans have always been centered around the Inhuman royal family, led by the powerful but silent Black Bolt, whose one whisper can level a city. From there, there are many other key characters:

• Medusa, Black Bolt’s wife, who often serves as his voice, while having weird hair powers all her own.
• Crystal, Black Bolt’s sister, who has most often dealt with the “outside” world. Her version of a “Rumspringa” would make a fine introduction into the Inhuman royal family’s story. Her powers over the elements could make for some interesting stories as well.
• Karnak, a virtuous warrior, whose power to detect the weak point in an object/person before striking it could prove to be great and relatively affordable to make work on television.
• Lockjaw, who is either a man in a canine shape or a canine with powers, depending on who is writing him in what era, is a powerful teleporter and will be a fun character for television. Maybe he becomes verbal and is a witty figure like Rocket the Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

There are many more Inhumans and the battle over a throne to rule them all would be for some compelling television in a much different tone and genre than we have seen anyone do with superhumans yet.

Third, maybe this television show is an attempt to make an interconnection with the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a way that they never were able to make work with SHIELD. The opening of this show with two episodes back to back on IMAX screens certainly seems to want to scream that such a connection is more likely but it will be interesting to see. SHIELD never quite got to where it felt like the television and the movie studio wanted other than one epic Nick Fury appearance.

So, what do you think? Does the idea of an Inhumans television show fire you up? Is there a particular Inhuman you’d like to see on the show? Or does this feel like Marvel’s “Fetch” that they are going to just keep trying to make happen?

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