Word has come down the wire that four-time Eisner Award winner and Heroes co-executive producer Jeph Loeb is exiting his long-time role at Marvel Television. For the past several years, Marvel Television has been the home of shows like LEGION, GIFTED, AGENT CARTER, RUNAWAYS, INHUMANS, AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., and of course, Netflix's slate of superhero dramas. According to sources who're close to the matter, “Jeph has been thinking about making a change for a while and now seemed the right time to take that step.” Loeb's decision to leave Marvel TV comes not long after it was announced that Kevin Feige has been crowned Chief Creative Officer for the illustrious "House of Ideas."
I don't want to say I told you so, but I've had a distinct feeling in my gut that Loeb was preparing to step down from his Marvel Television position for quite some time. First there came the systematic slicing of Marvel and Netflix's superhero shows, which in recent times was followed by the cancellation of Marvel's GHOST RIDER series on Hulu. Add Loeb's lack of participation in the launching of Disney's streaming service, Disney+, and you've got a recipe for Retirement Pie.
While a date has not been scheduled for Loeb's official exit from Marvel TV, some who're close to the situation suspect that he'll move on before the year's end. It's also worth noting that this isn't the end for Loeb, not exactly. It's to be believed that Loeb will offer his talents up to other studios, thereby keeping the competition fierce and sharp. It's also worth noting that Loeb has enjoy a nearly 40-year long career as a writer of comic books for a variety of publishers, including DC Comics. Make no mistake, Loeb is a Swiss-Army Knife of talent, and just because he plans on leaving Marvel Television, that's in no way an indicator that he's out of the game for good. I wish Mr. Loeb the best of luck in finding his new creative home, as there are plenty of studios would be very lucky to have him.