Cloak & Dagger makes a few key changes from the comics

Cloak & Dagger fans will be in for a few surprises when the show debuts this summer.

Like the other Marvel television series, it makes some key adjustments to fit the format of storytelling. Cinema Blend reports that showrunner, Joe Pokaski assured viewers at WonderCon that the series would still embody the best parts of the comics.

The first issue he addressed was whether the heart of the characters would be the same. When the Cloak & Dagger comics first ran, they considered incredibly progressive. Now, their overall message and themes feel a bit dated.

"“Here’s the biggest hint I can give you, and hopefully I’m not giving anything away. When we talk about how sexist and racist the old versions were, it always drove me crazy, and it wasn’t really the original things, where people would be like, ‘Tyrone is about fear and Tandy is about hope.’ I never saw it that way. That felt very black and white in the wrong way. So the nature of their powers, from an emotional standpoint, is Tandy lives on the spectrum between cynicism and hope, and Tyrone lives on the spectrum between fear and bravery. So their first season stories are about Tandy trying to move from being a very cynical human being towards the light, and Tyrone trying to move from the fear that can cripple you to becoming a hero.”"

Based off of Pokaski’s comments, he already has a very good feel for the characters. There’s nothing wrong with trying to modernize a story to fit into the current world. It definitely looks like the series plans to fully develop both Tandy and Tyrone.

However, the biggest departure from the comics will be the setting. Pokaski addressed the relocation from New York to New Orleans from a story-telling perspective.

"“Jeph had the great idea of moving it down to New Orleans. I feel like New York is covered for superheroes. Hell’s Kitchen’s got like six of them. It’s like four blocks of a neighborhood. So I think moving it to New Orleans, but also taking some more time with the origin story and really investing in who this young woman is and who this young man is in today’s time, then bringing them together in a way that is rewarding.”"

It’s true, adding another superhero team to New York would make the city a bit overstuffed. Changing the city opens up a new world for Marvel to explore without having to address the other shows. However, fans are already hoping the two heroes will fly out to Los Angeles for a crossover with Runaways.

Next: New Legion first look trailer for season two

The early reviews for Cloak & Dagger are promising for Marvel’s second foray into young adult programming. While comic book fans are traditionally against changing canon, these adjustments seem positive. Fans can decide for themselves by watching the premiere on June 7.

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