Marvel Announce Multiple Animated Shows
The Netflix’s shows are seemingly done for, as part of Disney and Marvel’s strategy to prepare for its streaming service, but don’t fret just yet.
Marvel have lined up a series of animated spin offs ready to be enjoyed in the future. However… they aren’t exactly the heroes you would expect.
So far, Howard the Duck, M.O.D.O.K, Hit-Monkey and Tigra & Dazzler will be getting their own animated shows on Hulu. Of course, I’m sure many recognize Howard the Duck and M.O.D.O.K, but honestly, I had to Google the others. Hit-Monkey seems to be a cross between John Wick and a monkey. Tigra reminds me of DC’s Cheetah, but instead of being a murderous Cheetah, she’s a friendlier Tiger. Dazzler, who is usually associated with the X-men, can turn sound waves into beams of light and energy, which is actually very cool.
An incredibly random assortment of characters, don’t you think? But hey! Marvel can work wonders sometimes, especially when it comes to misfit characters.
Very little has been released about the shows, however, Empire have provided some details just to help contextualize everything.
Howard the Duck– This troublesome duck, who appeared briefly in Guardians of the Galaxy, will be trapped in a world he doesn’t know and will fight to return home with the help of Beverly. Comic book enthusiast, Kevin Smith, will be writing the show alongside Dave Willis.
M.O.D.O.K– Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. Yep, that’s his name. This particular animated series will focus on the super villain with a massive head and a tiny body who struggles to control his organization and his family. Comedian and writer, Patton Oswalt will work on the show alongside Jordan Blum.
Hit-Monkey– Writing this with a straight face was near on impossible. I absolutely love the idea because it is so crazy. Out of all the shows announced, this is the one I’m most excited for. The animated series will follow Hit-Monkey, the well dressed Japanese snow monkey. Mentored by the spirit of an American assassin, Hit-Monkey goes through Tokyo cutting down the underworld. Josh Gordon and Will Speck will be writing this particular series.
Cover art by Dave Johnson
Tigra & Dazzler- Penned by Chelsea Handler and Erica Rivinoja, this series will follow both Tigra and Dazzler who work together to try and get through the City of Angels and fight for recognition among the plethora of super powered beings.
The Offenders– Much like The Defenders, this series will serve as an ensemble series that will bring M.O.D.O.K, Howard, Hit-Monkey, Tigra and Dazzler together in order to save the world against an unknown threat. At this rate, the threat could literally be anything.
In addition to those, we of course have the shows coming to the Disney+ streaming service. Focusing on characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these shows will center on Loki, Bucky, Falcon, and Scarlet Witch.
So it seems both Disney and Marvel are making a massive push for more animated shows. Whether they’ll fill the void left by the Netflix shows is an absolute mystery, but perhaps we will get a Daredevil animated show in the future?
Just by looking at the characters implemented, I think these are going to be a lot of fun. I’m hoping the animation is at a decent quality and considering the type of characters we’re dealing with, particularly Hit-Monkey, I’m hoping for a more mature level of content and animation. While we will forever spend our days comparing Marvel and DC, perhaps this time Marvel could learn a thing or two from DC’s more adult themed animated films.
What do you think about these animated shows? Which characters would you like to see land their own series? Let us know in the comments below.
James Lister is a University student in the UK, currently undertaking his Masters degree in Media & Communication. He has a strong passion for everything Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and Anime related.
