So, you've probably seen those grainy, leaked photos of Milana Vayntrub in a fuzzy brown suit with a massive tail. It looks like a fever dream. For a specific subset of Marvel fans, those images are the "Snyder Cut" of sitcom-style superhero media. Milana Vayntrub Squirrel Girl was supposed to be a massive thing. We’re talking a full-blown TV series on Freeform called New Warriors.
It didn't happen. The show vanished. But the story of why it disappeared—and how Vayntrub actually became the "canonical" version of the character anyway—is weirder than a girl who can talk to rodents.
The Pilot That Everyone Loved (But No One Saw)
Back in 2017, Marvel Television was a different beast. It wasn't all Disney+ and Kevin Feige. They were making Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the gritty Netflix shows. New Warriors was meant to be their first half-hour comedy. Basically The Office but with superheroes who were kinda bad at their jobs.
Milana Vayntrub was cast as Doreen Green, better known as Squirrel Girl. Honestly, it was perfect casting. She had the comedic timing from Silicon Valley and that "approachable but could definitely kick your butt" energy from the AT&T commercials.
They filmed a pilot. Test audiences apparently obsessed over it. Reports from the time say it was testing through the roof. Kevin Biegel, the showrunner (the guy behind Cougar Town), has since shared bits and pieces of what went down. He’s gone on record saying the show was "proudly gay" and featured characters that felt real.
Then things got messy.
Freeform, the network that ordered it, suddenly realized they didn't have a slot for it in their 2018 schedule. They gave the rights back to Marvel. Marvel tried to shop it to Disney+ and Hulu. Both said no. Why? Some insiders, including Biegel in now-deleted tweets, suggested a specific high-ranking executive at the time killed it because it was "too gay."
Whatever the reason, the footage stayed locked in a vault. We only have a few clips of Milana jumping around and some photos of the cast hanging out on set.
How Milana Vayntrub Became the Voice of Doreen Green
Usually, when a pilot dies, the actor moves on. Not Milana. She basically refused to let the character go, or maybe Marvel realized they’d never find anyone better.
Even though the live-action show was dead, Vayntrub became the go-to voice for the character. It’s a weirdly consistent run for a "cancelled" role.
- Marvel Rising: She voiced Doreen in the Secret Warriors animated movie and a whole string of shorts like Initiation, Chasing Ghosts, and Battle of the Bands.
- The Podcast: In 2022, she starred in Marvel’s Squirrel Girl: The Unbeatable Radio Show. It’s a scripted SiriusXM podcast that actually continues the vibe of the Ryan North comics.
- Marvel Rivals: Most recently, she’s the voice of Squirrel Girl in the 2024 video game Marvel Rivals.
If you play the game, you can hear her improvising lines. She’s been playing this character in various booths for nearly a decade. She knows Doreen Green better than anyone at this point.
Is a Live-Action Return Actually Possible in 2026?
We're currently in the middle of the "Multiverse" era of the MCU. Fans keep asking if we’ll see a "John Krasinski as Reed Richards" moment for Milana Vayntrub.
Here’s the reality.
Milana is 38 now. In the comics, Squirrel Girl is usually portrayed as a college student or a teenager. Some fans argue she’s "aged out" of the role. Others think that’s total nonsense. They argue that a slightly older, more experienced Doreen Green who has already defeated Thanos (yes, that’s canon in the comics) would be hilarious.
Honestly, the window for a New Warriors revival has probably closed. The MCU is moving toward the X-Men and massive Avengers events. A low-stakes comedy about a girl with a tail might not fit the current "save the universe" vibe.
But there’s a nuance here. Marvel loves meta-casting. Putting Milana in a live-action suit for a five-minute cameo in a multiverse scene? That’s exactly the kind of fan service they do.
Why People Still Care
Squirrel Girl is the "Unbeatable" hero. She’s a weird icon of optimism. In a world of brooding Batmen and tortured Avengers, Doreen Green just wants to eat nuts and kick butts.
Milana Vayntrub represents that era of Marvel that felt a bit more experimental and fun. The fact that the pilot was reportedly great only adds to the "lost media" mystique.
If you want to experience the "Milana version" of the character today, you’ve got options. Don’t wait for a leak of the pilot. It’s probably never coming. Instead, go listen to the podcast or play Marvel Rivals. You can hear the work she’s put in.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Listen to the Podcast: Search for Marvel's Squirrel Girl: The Unbeatable Radio Show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It’s the closest we’ll get to her actual performance in the TV show.
- Check the Leaks: If you're curious about the costume, look up the 2021 Twitter leaks from Kevin Biegel. They show the practical effects used for Tippy-Toe the squirrel.
- Play Marvel Rivals: It's the most modern version of her performance and shows how she's evolved the character's voice over the years.
