(CNN) Marvel's powerful track record in movies is no secret, but until now, the studio has largely avoided producing traditional superhero shows for television. "Agents of SHIELD" was only peripherally connected to the Avengers franchise, while the studio's "street level" dramas for Netflix -- including the upcoming "The Defenders" -- feature a gritty, almost film-noir style.

That changes with "Marvel's Inhumans," a new ABC series that the company will launch with a theatrical Imax release prior to its Sept. 29 premiere. And if DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. have suffered from a sort-of Marvel envy theatrically, given the popularity of DC shows like the CW's "The Flash" and "Arrow," "Inhumans" appears to represent an attempt to flip that script -- or at least gain greater parity -- in television.

The implications for Marvel and ABC look significant. With the former bringing titles like "Captain Marvel" and "Black Panther" to the movies, how "Inhumans" does will likely impact whether more second-tier costumed characters might be steered to TV, and ABC in particular.

Until now, ABC has been surprisingly slow to cash in on Marvel properties, despite their shared parentage as units of the Walt Disney Co. Attempts to expand on "SHIELD" have fizzled, as "Agent Carter" was canceled and a pilot featuring spun-off characters wasn't picked up as a series.

The main distinction in defining the new show, compared with other Marvel TV properties, is between superheroes and conjuring a drama around people who happen to have powers.

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