San Diego Comic-Con saw Marvel bring a lot of birthday surprises as it leans towards its 80th anniversary. Marvel Animation is heading towards fifty years of storytelling as well. The merry Marvel animators didn’t disappoint, bringing together a star-studded panel of animation talent as well as a look at their upcoming slate of animated properties. From a look back at Stan Lee’s legacy to a future full of Venom, Marvel animation was a gem of a panel that turned out to be a must-see. Let’s break down what happened as Marvel brought us the best of its animation.
A Celebration of Stan Lee and his cameos in Animation
The panel began, as it should have, with a celebration of Stan Lee’s cameos. The panelists and Vice President of Family Entertainment and Animation Cort Lang showed a tribute video focusing on Stan’s history of his cameos. It was an emotional moment as Stan ‘The Man’ Lee acted in over a dozen different parts. His last animation cameo took place in Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda, where he met Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers while taking down Hydra.
The panelists then shared stories of Stan Lee and the work that he did at the studio. From his excitement for acting to his passion for his characters. Stan Lee had a hand in everything from Spider-Man to X-Men: The Animated Series. He truly was a legendary performer who moved several panelists to tears as they discussed the impact he had on their lives.
The Animated Spider-Man
The panel continued with a look at the history of Spider-Man in animation. Noted panelists included fan-favorite voice actor Josh Keaton from The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series and writer Mark Hoffmeier from The Amazing Spider-Man series. Both reminisced about the impact of playing Spider-Man, with Keaton sharing a story about how his first day recording Peter Parker nearly ended in disaster thanks to a dental emergency.
Keaton is currently playing Norman Osborn in Marvel’s Spider-Man. Norman is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains. It’s a very fun opportunity to have played both Peter Parker and one of his greatest nemesis. Check out a clip of Marvel’s Spider-Man below!
New episodes of Marvel’s Spider-Man are arriving on Disney XD in September before kicking off to the future. The future of Marvel animation, however, is looking a little…sticky…
Marvel Animation is Vexed By Venom
Marvel saved its biggest animation surprise, its What if… Disney+ series for Hall H on Saturday. Narrated by Jeffery Wright, the series will focus on the Watcher and be based on a collection of comics that examine different twists and turns in the Marvel Universe. What if… will have original MCU voice actors reprising their roles including Hayley Atwell as Margaret ‘Peggy’ Carter.
As for the future of Marvel and Disney XD, it’s a future that’s full of Venom. Marvel will be releasing a new lego special – Vexed by Venom. The series will spotlight everyone’s favorite web-head and his great big gooey nemesis with special toys already on shelves for all the Marvel Lego collectors. Marvel’s Spider-Man will also be taking a good hit of Venom. The third season of the series will be titled Maximum Venom and focus on Venom-izing the animated universe. Marvel’s Spider-Man will air season 3 in spring 2020.
Marvel Animation is one of the oldest parts of the Marvel brand. The house of ideas is always pushing forward with new ways to tell their stories. The Best of Animation panel teased that the future is brighter than ever for Marvel Animation.
Are you excited for the future of Marvel Animation? Tell us what projects you’re most excited to see in the comments below!
Marvel’s Spider-Man Season 3, Maximum Venom airs Spring 2020.
Marvel’s Vexed by Venom arrives in Fall 2019.