'The O.C.' & 'Gossip Girl' Creators Are Making A Marvel Show

This just in: Hulu has snapped up a cartoon series about a group of teenagers who have to bridge their differences to fight their parents, who are part of a secret criminal collective, according to Variety. But will Marvel's Runaways be like Gossip Girl, or even The O.C.? It's a worthwhile question even if it's seemingly coming out of nowhere. After all, while this storyline doesn't sound particularly similar to the hyper-privileged worlds depicted in both series, with the criminal parent collective sounding far quirkier than anything in either show, Gossip Girl/The O.C. team Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are acting as Runaways' co-showrunners, writers, and executive producers.

As such, it seems likely that the teenage-centric cartoon won't be as far from the showrunners' most famous previous projects. For a start, it's been described as a "coming-of-age action project" by Variety. Drop "action" from that description and you've basically got a summary of Schwartz's Newport Beach and Manhattan-based projects. Again, "six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other" sounds familiar. Remember Summer hating on Seth and yet their relationship being end game? Or Blair being repelled by Chuck, and then — surprise, surprise — ending the show in his arms? Minus the diversity aspect, this all sounds quite familiar.

While far more extreme than in your favorite nostalgia shows, the parent hate is definitely another point of comparison. Remember how Julie and Marissa's mother-daughter relationship in The O.C. was so fraught that Julie thought it was appropriate to mack on her daughter's high school ex-boyfriend? Or how in Gossip Girl, Selena and her mother Lily are constantly butting horns? Characters focused on battling evil super-villain parents were just the next logical step for the two TV super-creators.

Still, I can't say I'm terribly distressed by any of this imitation — have we ever truly found a replacement for Schwartz and Savage's most successful TV treats? I think not. While some of you might argue Pretty Little Liars has offered a convincing modern-day equivalent — since it does offer the same good-flowing-mermaid-hair-and-b*tchy-retorts formula — it lacks the warmth of either of the '00s shows.

And if you're a fan of the Marvel comics, you already know that this show will offer a fun addition that even the likes of Blair Waldorf don't have: actual superpowers. So, if you're looking for a show that combines all the emotional tension and comic warmth of your favorite teen '00s shows with all the action of the average Marvel property, get set. This could be exactly what you're looking for.