August 2026 marks eight years since Marvel's New Warriors pilot was filmed. The show never made it to air. Freeform decided it couldn't fit into its 2018 slate, and Marvel couldn't find another home for it. The pilot sat in a vault, and the cast moved on to other projects. But the memories never faded.
Now, one of its stars is sharing what it was like to be part of a Marvel show that almost was.
The Team That Almost Was
The New Warriors would have been a sitcom set in Cleveland, following a team of misfit heroes trying to learn the superhero ropes while a documentary crew filmed their exploits. Picture The Office meets Marvel — a concept that feels remarkably prescient given the direction superhero storytelling has taken since.
The cast was a who's-who of up-and-coming talent: Milana Vayntrub as Squirrel Girl, Derek Theler as Mr. Immortal, Jeremy Tardy as Night Thrasher, Calum Worthy as Speedball, Kate Comer as Debri, and Matthew Moy as Microbe.
Vayntrub has since voiced Squirrel Girl in other Marvel media, but her co-stars have never gotten another chance to inhabit their characters[reference:41]. Theler, who shared behind-the-scenes photos and footage on social media, noted that no one was allowed to take pictures or videos on set. "As far as I know, this is the only footage from our shoot outside whatever Marvel has locked away in a vault," he said[reference:42].
What Went Wrong
The show fell into what Theler called "Hollywood limbo." Freeform passed. Marvel couldn't find another network or streamer willing to take it. The pilot was shot, the cast clicked immediately, and the crew was incredible — but the business side of Hollywood couldn't make the numbers work.
Theler described the show as "hilarious" and said the cast still keeps in touch regularly[reference:43]. He occasionally wonders how the show would have been received if it had gotten a full season.[reference:44]
A What-If That Endures
The New Warriors pilot has become a minor legend among Marvel fans — a tantalizing glimpse of a show that could have introduced Squirrel Girl to the MCU years before she eventually appeared elsewhere. The behind-the-scenes footage Theler shared offers a rare look at what could have been.
"I couldn't let my MCU introduction go completely undocumented," Theler said. Left only with memories, he concluded with a simple reflection: for a brief moment, he and his co-stars got to be the New Warriors of Cleveland, Ohio. "It was awesome."[reference:45]
The Legacy
The New Warriors pilot remains a fascinating footnote in Marvel's television history. It represents a moment when the studio was willing to experiment with genre, tone, and format in ways that feel bolder than much of what made it to air. The show never got its chance, but its cast and crew clearly treasure what they built together.