Disney+’s new offering ‘Marvel’s 616’ is a nod to all creators, storytellers, artists that brings fans the superheroes they love
Have you ever wondered what goes behind bringing a superhero to life? From a comic-book panel to the live-action film is a long journey for a character and its creators. One creator we all are very familiar with is late Stan Lee and a slightly younger generation will better know Marvel head, Kevin Feige. The two men are synonymous to the comic book world one for creating the universe another for bringing it to life on the big screen.
Nevertheless, a universe as expansive as Marvel’s has numerous contributors whose hard work and imaginations bring us the heroes we love. These contributors vary from artists to fans to the nerd community to moviemakers and actors. Marvel’s new offering on Disney+, “Marvel’s 616” is a nod to all these contributors.
Watch: Marvel’s 616 | Official Trailer | Disney+
The Marvelous Storytellers
Stan Lee used to say Marvel Comics Universe is the ‘world outside your windows.’ Which stories do you see when you look out one? His thought process gave us iconic characters like our friendly neighbourhood Spiderman or all righteous Captain America. This also made the heroes flawed and relatable – don’t we all wanna Hulk out once in a while? Alan Moore, another legendary comic writer, coined the designation ″616″ to refer to the main timeline in the comic as well as Marvel universe’s place in this larger Multiverse.
Together the thoughts of these creators became the crux for the new show. The new Disney+ series Marvel’s 616 will showcase the universe where superheroes are made and tell the stories of their creators. The official synopsis of the show reads,
Marvel’s 616 explores Marvel’s rich legacy of pioneering characters, creators, and storytelling to reflect the world outside your window. Each documentary, helmed by a unique filmmaker, showcases the intersections of storytelling, pop culture, and fandom within the Marvel Universe.
The eight-episode long anthology series is directed by 8 different moviemakers. Each one of them explores how Marvel characters have influenced their own real lives. The show’s executive producer and Marvel’s vice president of development and production for new media, Sarah Amos, explained during Comic-Con@Home “A lot of people have an idea of what Marvel fandom or Marvel fans look like, or what the people behind the comics look like.” Further adding, “The thing I love so much about the series is we’re going to introduce you to so many different types of faces and different types of people who have been so integral to the stories we tell and the content we create and haven’t all necessarily had a moment in the spotlight.”
Watch: A Look Inside “Marvel’s 616” on Disney+ | Comic-Con@Home 2020
Marvel’s 616 On Disney+
The first episode in the series ″The Japanese Spider-Man″ is directed by David Gelb and acknowledges the most important adaptation of the character. Rarely seen out of Japan, Supaidāman was adapted by Japanese TV giant Toei for the Japanese audience.
The second episode titled ″Higher, Further, Faster,” is directed by Gillian Jacobs and tells the stories of women who have influenced the storytelling. The title is inspired by the tagline of writer Kelly Sue DeConnick’s popular Captain Marvel comics. The third episode titled ‘Amazing Artisans’ will explore Barcelona based artists Javier Garrón and Natacha Bustos who used their personal experience in creating characters like Miles Morales and Moon Girl.
Further, the episode titled “Lost and Found″ directed by Paul Scheer explores forgotten, obscure Marvel characters. Next episode ″Suit Up!,” directed by Andrew Rossi will take one deep into the cos-play culture.
Ever wondered, which came first the toy or the comic? The answer isn’t always the same. The episode titled, ″Unboxed″ directed by Sarah Ramos will explore this ″symbiotic relationship″ between comics and toys. Similarly, ″The Marvel Method,” directed by Brian Oakes examines the creation of new Iron Man 2020 comic. And in the final episode “Marvel Spotlight” directed by Alison Brie looks follows high school students performing Marvel Spotlight plays and discovering how characters like Ms Marvel and Squirrel Girl speak to their own high school experiences.
All episodes of Marvel’s 616 arrives on Disney+ on November 20.
