Squirrel Girl's planned Marvel Television debut may have never happened, but she is finally making her way to Disney+ in 2027. Back in 2016, now over a decade ago, Marvel Television and ABC Signature Studios began developing New Warriors. Per its logline, the single-camera comedy would have followed "six young people learning to cope with their abilities in a world where bad guys can be as terrifying as bad dates." The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, played by Silicon Valley actress Milana Vayntrub, was set to be among the leads of the young-adult New Warriors adaptation.
Despite receiving a 10-episode straight-to-series order at Cloak & Dagger's home network, Freeform, and even shooting the pilot, New Warriors was canceled by the network in November due to a lack of room in the schedule. The Hollywood Reporter stated that the single-camera comedy "tested through the roof and caught the attention of high-level Disney executives." Unfortunately, plans to shop Squirel Girl's debut project to another network failed, and the show was axed.
Marvel Animation officially confirmed that Squirrel Girl, aka Doreen Green, is set to make her Disney+ debut in 2027 as part of X-Men '97 Season 3. The hilarious New Warriors icon appeared in the first look at X-Men '97's return as one of many superhero guests at Gambit and Rogue's long-awaited wedding. Squirrel Girl previously appeared in Disney XD's Marvel Rising and Disney Jr.'s Spidey and His Amazing Friends, but X-Men '97 will mark her debut in a Disney+ original.
Even with almost a decade gone since New Warriors was briefly in front of the cameras, the cast have remained eager to celebrate their work. Namely, Mr. Immortal actor Derek Theler, who would have been among the series' stars, offered up the best look yet at Squirrel Girl's costume in the show, alongside footage of Vayntrub in action as the bushy-tailed heroine.
In a post on Instagram in August 2026, Theler confirmed that New Warriors was set in Cleveland, Ohio, with six young heroes followed by a documentary crew in what the Mr. Immortal actor called "Marvel meets The Office." He boldly declared that they "genuinely thought [they] had something special," but production simply never resumed after the pilot, as is the unfortunate nature of Hollywood.
Vayntrub may have lost her chance to bring Squirrel Girl to live-action, but she recently voiced the New Warriors superhero in Marvel Rivals, as well as Disney XD's diverse Secret Wars-focussed Marvel Rising banner.
It seems that New Warriors was developed as part of the MCU, with references to Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man spotted in set photos. However, as a product of Marvel Television in the pre-Disney+ era, around the same time as Agents of SHIELD and Netflix's Defenders Saga, the connections likely would have been one-sided with a slim chance at the character crossing over with the Avengers.
Vocal cries for the Defenders' return eventually led to Daredevil: Born Again, while many remain eager to see Agents of SHIELD revived next. So, somewhere in the Multiverse, there is a chance that audiences are preparing to tune in for The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Strikes Again, or something of the sort.
Squirrel Girl's Introduction Poses a Dilemma for Marvel Studios
In recent years, Squirrel Girl got a popularity boost thanks to Marvel Rivals, which makes now the perfect time for her to enter the MCU fold. The character's inclusion in X-Men '97 Season 3, even in a cameo, proves that she is on Marvel Studios' radar, but it's still tough to see room for her anywhere in the upcoming slate.
Squirrel Girl is typically depicted as a young adult in her late teens or early 20s, placing her in the same generation of heroes as Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Cassie Lang, and Billy and Tommy Maximoff. That could make Doreen Green a perfect match to join the MCU's Champions roster in their rumored Disney+ project, even though she has technically never been part of the team in Marvel Comics.
Introducing Squirrel Girl poses a dilemma for the MCU because she is arguably one of Marvel's most powerful superheroes, yet many view her as a gag character due to her rodent nature and general lightheartedness. That makes it tough to find a project for Squirrel Girl until the MCU finally finds room for a true comedy, with an animated project arguably being the best avenue for her arrival.
Sadly, at 39 years old, Milana Vayntrub has likely aged out of the running to play Squirrel Girl in live action, unless Marvel Studios opts for an older take. That fact is arguably one of the greatest tragedies of the New Warriors' cancellation, as most agreed that she was a stellar choice, as she has proven in her voice-over roles.
In canceling New Warriors, Marvel missed its chance to be nearly a decade ahead of DC Studios, which is now moving forward with its own superhero mockumentary in The People v Gorilla Grodd. However, the DCU comedy show appears to be more American Vandal than The Office, embracing a true-crime style.
