Even though audiences are very well acquainted with the Marvel cinematic universe at this point, the television side of Marvel Studios is still in its early stages. So far only Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter and Daredevil have hit this small screen, and while the first series left something to be desired, they’ve certainly gotten better with each new show. But what does the future of Marvel television have in store, and how will it effect the cinematic universe?

If some new rumors are to be believed, we’ll see plenty of new characters end up in Marvel Studios TV shows, and that includes the likes of Black Widow, Hawkeye, The Punisher, Blade, Ghost Rider and maybe even The Hulk. Find out more after the jump!

Heroic Hollywood, the new website creation of former Latino Review scoopmaster Umberto Gonzalez (aka El Mayimbe on Twitter), has a rundown of rumors about the future of Marvel television, and there’s quite a few tidbits to sift through.

Crossover Between Marvel Films and Television Shows

One thing fans have been hoping for ever since Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. started is more crossover from the stars of Marvel’s feature films. While Samuel L. Jackson has popped up as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill (plus a few others here and there) the cameos from any of the other heroes in Marvel’s cinematic universe have only come in the form of references in dialogue, and that’s just not cutting it.

Sadly, when it comes to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., despite a clear tie-in to the forthcoming film title Inhumans, fans shouldn’t expect the ABC series to impact much in the cinematic universe. As of now, rumors are pointing to the Inhumans movie almost completely ignoring any of the events involving these superhuman characters on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

However, over at Netflix, the folks working on those programs are really making a push to get more significant cameos from the big screen stars of Marvel Studios films, or even create some limited series for a couple of characters. For example, Netflix has a pipe dream of giving Hawkeye and Black Widow either a Netflix movie or miniseries that would include other television characters, making a more definitive bridge between the films and TV shows. But again, this is a pipe dream.

In addition, Netflix is also pushing hard to get Bendict Cumberbatch to cameo as Doctor Strange in the forthcoming assembly of The Defenders. Again, that may not be something easy to pull off, but it’s nice to see that Netflix is really making the effort to make Marvel’s television side actually matter. But unless Kevin Feige gets on board with all of these crossover ideas, they won’t happen.

Phase Two of Netflix’s Marvel Programming

Since we know that there are four different television shows (Daredevil, A.K.A. Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist) leading up to The Defenders, one would assume that all five of those shows would be considered Phase One of the Marvel Studios television programming block. However, that may not be the case.

With regards to the future of Marvel television on Netflix, this latest round of rumors says that The Defenders would be part of Phase Two of Marvel’s television shows on Netflix, and it won’t arrive in 2017. That likely means that Daredevil‘s second season would be part of this second phase as well.

In addition, the second phase of Marvel’s TV shows may expand the roster of characters being brought to the small screen. In fact, much like Dardevil, some of the characters being toyed with have already had somewhat disastrous feature film adaptations before. Reportedly, Marvel has been thinking about potential shows for The Punisher, Blade and Ghost Rider.

The Punisher seems to be the most viable option since he could easily clash with The Defenders, and there’s even rumblings that he could pop up in Daredevil eventually too. But that’s all just a rumor at this point. As for Blade and Ghost Rider, they take Marvel into a much more fantastical and somewhat goofy part of the Marvel universe, and that may not work with what Marvel has created on film and television so far. And the special effects budget is also a cause for concern.

Other Marvel TV Shows Beyond Netflix

While Netflix is clearly trying to cook up some great Marvel programming, there are other Marvel shows in the works elsewhere that could make things more complex. Reportedly there’s series adaptations of Cloak and Dagger and Ms. Marvel in the works, as well as a Hulk prequel. We’re not sure how those shows would tie in to anything that’s already in the works at Marvel and/or Netflix, but if they actually end up becoming a reality, we’ll find out eventually.

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Keep in mind that these are merely rumors for now, and things are always changing at Marvel as the overall plan for the future of the comic book universe evolves. Details are likely more solid when it comes to the shows that have already been in development for awhile, but when it comes to potential projects for Black Widow, Hawkeye, The Punisher, Blade and Ghost Rider, there’s no guarantee that they’ll even happen. But if Disney ends up getting a Marvel channel together, there will likely be plenty omore programming in the future to fill it with. As always, we’ll do our best to keep you updated on all the latest Marvel buzz.

Do you want Black Widow, Hawkeye, The Punisher, Blade or Ghost Rider to get their own shows?