It’s been just over a year since Marvel announced plans to develop a Cloak and Dagger television series for Freeform, the network formerly known as ABC Family, and now we have our first look at the upcoming show.
The first trailer for Cloak and Dagger introduces series stars Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph as Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, respectively, two teenagers with very different lives who share a secret that bridges everything that sets them apart. As with their comic-book counterparts, the preview of the series hints that the pair have powerful abilities beyond the bond they share.
Joe Pokaski, who served as a writer and producer on Heroes and Daredevil, will be the showrunner on Cloak and Dagger, which is based on the Marvel Comics characters of the same name. The characters Cloak and Dagger first appeared in a 1982 issue of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, which portrayed them as a pair of teenage runaways who were subjected to an illegal drug experiment that gave them powerful abilities. While Tyrone’s powers give him control over a shadowy dimension capable of swallowing people in darkness and teleporting him — and anyone else he chooses — over a great distance, Tandy’s ability grants her control over light, allowing her to create “daggers” of concentrated light energy. With the pair’s powers comes a drawback, however, in that they’re reliant on each other to maintain control of their abilities.
The characters, who were created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Ed Hannigan, rarely fought costumed villains in their early days, and instead had adventures focused on battling drug dealers and street-level criminals that prey on children.
Freeform’s Cloak and Dagger series is a joint production of Marvel Television and ABC Signature Studios, with Love & Basketball director Gina Prince-Bythewood set to helm the first episode.
Along with Holt and Joseph in the lead roles, the series’ supporting cast includes Andrea Roth (Rescue Me), Gloria Reuben (ER, Mr. Robot), Miles Mussenden (Bloodline), Carl Lundstedt (Grey’s Anatomy) James Saito (Life of Pi), and J.D. Evermore (True Detective, The Walking Dead).
The first 10-episode season of hourlong episodes is currently scheduled to premiere in the first half of 2018 on Freeform.
