It’s been known for some time that the Damage Control, a construction company set in the Marvel Universe specializing in property damaged related to superhuman conflicts, co-created by the late/great Dwayne McDuffie and Ernie Colón would be featured in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming film. However, whether the fictional company would have a significant role in the movie or simply serve as an Easter Egg for eagle-eyed viewers was unknown until now.
An official cast list reveals that the comic character Anne Marie Hoag, CEO of Damage Control, will be portrayed by Emmy and Tony Award winning actress Tyne Daly.
While the Damage Control concept has made small appearances and been briefly referenced in other Marvel media (most notable the Ultimate Spider-Man episode “Damage” where McDuffie’s likeness was used for a character) Spider-Man: Homecoming will not only feature Damage Control’s first substantial debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but the first time McDuffie’s name will appear in the “Special Thanks” credits in any comic book movie.
Decades before NBC’s Powerless ever made the scene, the idea of a workplace situation comedy series set in a superhero universe was conceived by McDuffie back in the 80’s when he first started at Marvel. It’s a criminally underrated work that showcases Dwayne McDuffie’s comedic brilliance and penchant for satire. I can’t recommend it enough. In fact, you can read his original pitch by clicking on the link:
For a brief time, a Damage Control film was in the works but according to Eugene Son, a friend and colleague of McDuffie, after 9/11 the idea of destroyed buildings seemed like a hard audience sell, so it was scrapped. Then in 2015, ABC announced plans to develop a Damage Control pilot from Daily Show writer Ben Karlin. Since then, the project has essentially remained in limbo.
Could we now see a potential Damage Control spinoff from Spider-Man: Homecoming with Tyne Daly reprising Anne Marie Hoag plus the rest of amazing Damage Control comic book cast? It wouldn’t be too dissimilar from what happened to Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson character in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Now that Powerless has crashed and burned, perhaps Marvel can finally bring us the superhero universe sitcom audiences deserve.
Awwwwww, I was really hoping she would play J. Jonah Jameson.
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