Marvel Launches Marvel Universe On Disney XD

[Rich Johnston]

DC Entertainment have been openly planning their DC Nation block of programming on Cartoon Network for quite some time. Cartoons such as Green Lantern and Young Justice, interviews, live action, shorts, a smorgasbord of DC stuff.

Well now it's time for Marvel to follow suit.

Their well publicised upcoming animated series Ultimate Spider-Man based on Brian Bendis' comic of the same name, will debut in a new programming block on basic cable channel Disney XD called Marvel Universe. The block will also contain:

exclusive Marvel content, including new animated short-form series, live-action interstitials and the series return of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The block will be home to Marvel's biggest superstars, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America and many more to introduce dynamic stories of action, adventure and heroism to a whole new generation.

Ultimate Spider-Man will also have a few differences from the comic we know so well. For a start, the lead character is white.

Ultimate Spider-Man features a teenage Peter Parker juggling the typical growing pains of high-school with the not-so-typical growing pains of being a Super Hero. As the newest member of Nick Fury's S.H.I.E.L.D. organization, Peter finds himself on a team with four other teenage Super Heroes.

Credits across the shows include Joe Quesada, Paul Dini, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle and Brian Bendis.

[Comicsfan101]

At a guess, I would predict success based on Dini's level of involvement. He's done some great stuff and his shows seem to usually do well, but that description sounds pretty weak.

Curious: Why would we be surprised that Spidey is white? Even in the Ultimate version, Spidey not being Peter is still pretty close to brand new. "The comic we know so well" featured Peter a lot longer than the new kid (whose name the wikipedia entry apparently still hasn't been updated to include and I've drawn a complete blank).

[Blade X]

2 quick points.

1. The DISNEY XD MARVEL UNIVERSE block was actually announced a couple of months before the DC NATION block was announced.

2. Marvel has already said that the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN cartoon isn't based off of the USM comic. It's basically an updated version of SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS crossed with BATMAN:THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD and the TEEN TITANS cartoon.

[mquitney]

Don't forget Scott Mosier working on Spider-Man!

[Comicsfan101]

2 quick points.

1. The DISNEY XD MARVEL UNIVERSE block was actually announced a couple of months before the DC NATION block was announced.

2. Marvel has already said that the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN cartoon isn't based off of the USM comic. It's basically an updated version of SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS crossed with BATMAN:THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD and the TEEN TITANS cartoon.

Well then scratch what I said. Even Dini couldn't make that combination watchable.

[syon]

Makes me long for the much lamented SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN cartoon, for my money, the best MARVEL animated series.Oh, well, AVENGERS:EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES is pretty good.

[Scavenger]

USM has Clark Gregg playing SHEILD Agent Coulson in it. That's all I need to know. Woo!

Well then scratch what I said. Even Dini couldn't make that combination watchable.

Yes because mixing a classic, much beloved in its time cartoon with two modern classic much beloved cartoons is a recipe for disaster.

[Amergin]

My dvr. will be filled with nerdy goodness.

[Comicsfan101]

USM has Clark Gregg playing SHEILD Agent Coulson in it. That's all I need to know. Woo!



Yes because mixing a classic, much beloved in its time cartoon with two modern classic much beloved cartoons is a recipe for disaster.

YMMV

For me, that list includes three of the most obnoxiously juvenile superhero cartoons ever made. My fault for not being clear, but all I meant was that I would not be watching if that was an accurate description. I didn't intend that to be a statement on whether or not other people would like it, though I failed to make that clear.

[Benjamin1345]

YMMV

For me, that list includes three of the most obnoxiously juvenile superhero cartoons ever made. My fault for not being clear, but all I meant was that I would not be watching if that was an accurate description. I didn't intend that to be a statement on whether or not other people would like it, though I failed to make that clear.

The footage has looked pretty good so far. I wouldn't write it off if I were you, as that description doesn't really do it justice.