A brand new superhero comedy is in development at ABC, and this one isn’t from Marvel Television.
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It was announced today that the Disney-owned network is expanding its superhero programming with the addition of a superhero comedy from Bassem Youssef and Larry Wilmore. The series will focus on the Sharif family, an ordinary Middle Eastern-American family with two superhero parents at a time when it’s illegal to be a superhero, so they are forced to save the world in secret. The show, which is still in development, is set to highlight some of the issues that immigrant families are forced to endure.
Wilmore and Youssef, who have worked together on The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore, will serve as writers and executive producers on the single camera comedy. This will mark the first solo project for Youssef under his overall deal with ABC. He has previously worked on Insecure and Black-ish.
“To have ABC challenge the narrative and stereotypes that have long stuck to people in my region is something spectacular to say the least,” Youssef said. “To have only terrorist roles available for us one day, then get to play superheroes the next, is ground-breaking. I am grateful to work with Larry Wilmore, one of the most talented writers and producers in the market. SCH is unprecedented, culture-defining and entertaining for the whole family.”
RELATED: Jeph Loeb Says ABC is Still the ‘Mothership’ for Marvel Television.
Rumors previously suggested that John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) was developing a Ms. Marvel series for ABC based on the eponymous character, a Pakistani-American superhero with the power of hyper-elasticity. Ridley’s project has continued to remain in a state of uncertainty over the past couple of years.
(via Variety)