Avengers Assemble! Options

[ChuckMoore]

Avengers Assemble!

"THE AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES!," A NEW MARVEL ANIMATED SERIES, PREMIERES Wednesday, October 20 on Disney Xd
Micro-Episodes to Roll Out on Multiple Platforms Beginning Wednesday, September 22

"The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!," an all-new animated series featuring the best of the best in the Marvel Universe, premieres Wednesday, OCTOBER 20 (8:30 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Produced by Marvel Animation, the series stars the world's greatest heroes -- Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Ant-Man/Giant Man and Wasp -- who form the Avengers, a team assembled when the powers of a single hero are not enough to save the world.

Beginning Wednesday, September 22, Disney XD, DisneyXD.com/Avengers, Marvel.com, MarvelKids.com and Disney XD Mobile will roll out 20 micro-episodes introducing the team's core members. Each five-and-half-minute episode focuses on the back story, allies and nemeses of the heroes before the Avengers were formed.

In the two-part series premiere, "The Breakout," Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Wasp have defeated some of the most dangerous Super Villains on the planet. But when the Super Villain prison system mysteriously shuts down, chaos is unleashed on the world. Earth's Mightiest Heroes must now band together as the Avengers to protect the planet from the threats that no single Super Hero could face alone. Their first task is to try and stop Graviton, a being whose power dwarfs anything ever seen. He's after Nick Fury, but will destroy the world to get to him. Individually the heroes have no chance, but together they can make a difference.

The complete multiplatform rollout is:

Wednesday, September 22

Disney XD will air a special sneak peek of the first micro-series episode, "Iron Man is Born!," at 8:30 p.m., ET/PT directly following premiere of the network's newest series, "Pair of Kings."

DisneyXD.com/Avengers, Marvel.com, MarvelKids.com and Disney XD Mobile will unveil a new micro-episode every day, for 20 days, leading up to the micro-episodes’ premiere on Disney XD. DisneyXD.com/Avengers will also feature a gallery of each of the Avengers and offer inside information about Kang, Loki and the rest of the "most wanted" Marvel Super Villains

Tuesday, October 5

Select micro-episodes will be made available as a free preview on iTunes.

Monday, October 11

Disney XD will roll out all 20 micro-episodes during "Avengers Week" from Monday, October 11 to Friday, October 15, with four micro-episodes stacked each night at 8:30 p.m., ET/PT.

The complete micro-series becomes available on Disney XD on Demand on AT&T, Verizon, Charter and Cox.

Wednesday, October 20

The highly anticipated series premiere of "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!" airs with two back-to-back episodes from 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., ET/PT. The series also launches on DisneyXD.com/Avengers, Marvel.com and Marvelkids.com.

Thursday, October 21

Full episodes launch on iTunes, Xbox Live, Sony Playstation and Disney XD Mobile VOD.

Monday, October 25

The series becomes available on Disney XD on Demand on AT&T, Verizon, Charter and Cox.

Beginning with the "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" movies in 2008, the release of "The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!" follows Marvel’s overall "Avengers Assemble" strategy, introducing the greatest heroes in the Marvel Universe through various content platforms. This includes the feature films "Iron Man 2" in May of 2010, "Thor" in May of 2011 and "Captain America: The First Avenger" in July of 2011, all building up to "Marvel Studios' The Avengers" theatrical film in 2012. Disney XD, the single largest distributor of Marvel content around the world, currently showcases approximately 20 hours of Marvel series (including "The Spectacular Spider-Man," "Fantastic Four" and "Iron Man") each week.

Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 77 million households via its basic cable affiliates. Disney XD channels are in the UK, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Latin America and Japan.

[Ron Fortier]

Thanks to CR, I finally found this series and in time for the debut of Captain America episode. This is really well done and there are things in the cartoon that are obviously going to be mirrored in the new live action movie, ala Cap and Bucky are fighting Hydra in WWII, who are then some kind of arm of the German army. The thing being Disney doesn't want to use the word Nazi, feeling it is now politically incorrect. Sigh. So it's Hydra in both the live action movie coming next summer and this new cartoon series. Still, minor complaint, overall really well done and fun.

[Greg G.]

Started watching this on Netflix.

Had to get past my violent reaction to seeing it on TV and being horribly put off by the whiny sissy-boy intro theme.

Fast forwarding past the ear trauma, the show is actually really well written and I dig some of the character design tweaks. Black Panther in particular. The accents on his mask augment an already fantastic design.

Is it true this show got canned?

[Greg G.]

Just did some Googling and discovered this will be "continued" with Avengers Assemble.

Hopefully it's like the transition from Justice League to Justice League Unlimited. I'm really enjoying this series despite some of the art design. It's just so full of comic nerd fan service. Possibly the best Marvel animated series ever.

[Gonzogoose]

Greg, I posted this during SDCC coverage and it explains it a bit:

http://comicrelated.com/news/16968/marvel-television

[Greg G.]

Thanks.

I hope it's not too much like the film.

As a Hawkeye fan from the 80's I just can't get past the lame Ultimates design Hitch created, which has bled over into the normal Marvel universe.

[Gonzogoose]

I understand where you're coming from on Hawkeye, though I do like the Ultimate versions overall for what they are. Looking at Marvel NOW! it looks like a lot more Ultimatization (yep, just made up a word) is on the horizon.

[cougar18]

Sadly, Disney seem to be a bit averse to the word Nazi. What with the reputation that Walt Disney was an alleged anti-semite (there is no proof for this) because he made some cartoons that took the proverbial P out of adolf and his cronies, yet, like The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin, they were too smart for the audience of the time, who took them to be pro rather than anti-nazi.

One could argue that Disney also do not want to use Nazi's in the show because real horror is often inescapable, but fantasy horror is. Hydra never existed, so making them the villains is a way around it. Plus you don't have to expose any child to the horrors of a concentration camp. There is enough horror in the real world. I would question it if they made obvious references to jews, yet they balked at using the word 'Jew', as seen with Superman years ago.

I know one can argue that Indiana Jones used the Nazi's as villains, but then again, they were portrayed in a more comical fashion. And no comments were made about the jewish community nor were there any references to jews or the concentration camps. Again, we know they are evil, yet we do not need to see the camps, because it would almost make the hero look powerless. Yeah, he can stop them getting their hands on the holy grail, and the ark of the covenant, but he cannot prevent the loss of so many lives.
Plus 20 years have passed, since the third film ( I will not recognise the 4th. Never.) and a greater degree of horror has engulfed the world. Some foreseen, some completely out of the blue.

[Greg G.]

I understand where you're coming from on Hawkeye, though I do like the Ultimate versions overall for what they are. Looking at Marvel NOW! it looks like a lot more Ultimatization (yep, just made up a word) is on the horizon.

It's no different from the X-Men suddenly being decked out in black and yellow after the movies.

Marvel wants the comics in line with the movies, but that means absorbing the Ultimate stuff they're using in the movies into the mainstream Marvel U. Black Nick Fury. Lame Hawkeye. Tony's injury no longer being Korean war related.

Black Nick Fury is particularly egregious as that's the result of Mark Millar's man-crush on Samuel L Jackson. Just make a new character guys. It's hilarious in the context of World War II Sgt. Fury in the 616 universe, then in the cartoon universe where it was Jack Fury. Then in the comics they have the illegitimate son of Nick Fury or some such? And he just so happens to lose and eye and have "Nick" as a nickname or some nonsense?

If you're going to waste all that energy spinning, then spin up a new character. The problem there is Marvel isn't in the business of making new characters. Just warming over old ideas they own the rights to.

Sadly, Disney seem to be a bit averse to the word Nazi. What with the reputation that Walt Disney was an alleged anti-semite (there is no proof for this) because he made some cartoons that took the proverbial P out of adolf and his cronies, yet, like The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin, they were too smart for the audience of the time, who took them to be pro rather than anti-nazi.

It's a sad day when we can't use Nazis as a go to villain. I was thinking about this and how as a youth comics introduced aspects of history I was unaware of or unfamiliar with at that point in my young life. Never mind the vocabulary expansion they caused. Marvel in particular framed their heroes in relation to real world events, and crafted the histories in such a way that it made sense why Cap never made the impact a real hero in the real world would have.

Removing the Nazis from the equation does make it easier to swallow in today's day and age, but it removes learning element found in the old comics. Now kids aren't going to learn anything other than what toys to raise a fuss over for their parents to buy.

Ultimately it doesn't matter. The show is still enjoyable despite the several coats of stupid that's been applied to it.

This post has been edited by Greg G.: Aug 15 2012, 07:31 PM

[cougar18]

No, Greg, seriously, tell us what you think.

Yeah, I understand what you mean. But there were alot of shows, be they Spider-man Unlimited or whatever, where there were more levels of stupid than ordinary. About 2 episodes in, you start to feel idiotic just watching SU.

I, too, found elements in comic books that made me want to know every flipping thing about the origins of the story or myth. I mean, an old Thundercats comic talked about King Arthur, while others talked about Robin Hood, or other mythological heroes or villains. Won't see alot of that in TV or comics now., sadly. Unless it's Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman. I'll go into a tale of why I am such a fan of mythology below, if anyone wants to read it. I'm editing myself because I know I can veer off thought without any hindrance. If losing one's train of thought were an olympic sport, I'd get gold for sure.
But so many tales, then and now, in TV and comics, used to use history as a source of their stories. I mean, I cited Indiana Jones before, but when the 4th film came out, even THEY would no longer use Nazi's for the story. Now it was communists and aliens.
Commies were meanies, for sure, but they were nothing compared to Nazi's. Plus we rooted for Indy more when fighting them. And one could easily insert Nazi's into the film. The supernatural element, Hitler's actual supernatural division of the third reich... No matter how much time had passed.

It's such a shame that people don't want to learn about mythology, even their own countries mythology. I just sit there and think 'Why not? There is so much to learn from these stories.'








One of the things that got me into mythology and superheroes was an old TV show called The Storyteller: The Greek Myths. It spoke about the Minotaur, Icarus, and a few others. But they were told in such a way as to make both the villains and the heroes cut from the same cloth, and sometimes the hero was far less noble than the supposed monster.
The highlight episode, for me, was the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Theseus, as played by David Morrissey (Soon to be seen in season 3 of The Walking Dead) is portrayed as a foolhardy, stubborn character, the guy who views himself as God's gift on earth. Which, since he is Zeus' son, makes sense.

The Minotaur, the monster of the piece, is actually portrayed as a victim of circumstance. And his death is not portrayed as 'Wahey, I slew the monster' but rather in a similar fashion to transcripts soldiers tell after killing an enemy or opponent. Perseus cannot understand the creature, but he knows what he is crying out for as it lies dying...it's father, it's mother, and his sister, Ariadne. His family. The people he cares about, despite his horrific reputation.
Even then, as a kid, it struck me as moving, and shall I say, upsetting. I saw more of myself in this supposed monster than I did in the so-called hero. And as a child, it was a massive wake up call, that the monster is unfairly treated as evil. The ending was also fitting, as the main character is haunted by his mistakes and the monsters visage..
Anthony Minghella worked on that series as a writer, and it shows. It really was remarkable, both then and now. And even watching it now, I find myself hoping to be wrong about the ending.

This post has been edited by cougar18: Aug 15 2012, 10:04 PM