There was definitely some vocal outcry after Marvel cancelled a couple of it’s best animated series to date in order to bring the series under the Disney banner. These cancelled series, The Spectacular Spider-Man and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, each lasted two seasons before getting the axe, and their absence is still felt in the cartoon world. While DisneyXD wasted no time in releasing the Spidey replacement, Ultimate Spider-Man, it was lacking any real heart and was clearly aimed at a younger audience. It’s currently in its second season, with no real improvement.
News on Avengers Assemble said that the new series was to be considered an evolution of the Avengers: EMH series, which was set to premiere along with the new Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and Ultimate Spider-Man during Disney XD’s Marvel Universe segment. We’ll take a look at the trailers for each new series and try not too judge them too harshly.
So obviously the goal is to bring in viewers who were fans of the movie and bring the animated series more in line with the film. That’s fine, it’s a smart move. But once again the retooling of the series leaves us with a low quality animation style, a lineup that offers nothing new to the fans of the movie except for the Falcon, and voice acting that seems out of place with our established perceptions of these characters. Yes, I may still be bitter at the loss of The Avengers: EMH, but this brief trailer doesn’t really showcase anything exceptional. Here’s the synopsis for Avengers Assemble:
[box_light]Featuring the team that took the world by storm in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Marvel’s Avengers Assemble” follows the action-packed adventures of the iconic Super Hero team, the Avengers, as they find a way to put their differences aside and work together to defend the planet from threats no single Super Hero could withstand. The world’s most dangerous Super Villains don’t stand a chance when the Avengers Assemble.[/box_light]
Maybe Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H. will be better? Let’s take a look at the promo:
Wow. No. No, it isn’t. Even twelve seconds of footage can’t save this show. Apparently Disney thinks so as well, as some rumors have dropped concerning the longevity of these two series. ComicBookMovie reports:
[box_light]An interesting rumor, that surfaced on the daily Marvelite, claims that Marvel’s upcoming Hulk animated series will only run for one season, while Avengers Assemble might last a lot longer.
“Marvel’s upcoming animated series is looking great, according to our sources. The show is not only been talked about, positively, inside and outside Marvel but Toy retailers have showed a big demand for the show’s action figures, which led Marvel to order a second season for the show before it even debuted. This is the same thing that happened with Ultimate Spider-Man (regardless of how Marvel looked like they made the decision because of the great ratings). So expect Avengers Assemble to run for at least 2 seasons, but word has it that we might, finally, get more than 52 episodes, which means higher chances (or more likely hope) for more than two seasons. Don’t expect to hear the official second season announcement until few weeks after the show’s premiere. ”
” Unlike Avengers Assemble, the negative reaction the show has been getting from both inside and outside Marvel made the company very cautious about ordering two seasons at the same time. A matter that has gotten only worse, by the low, to non existent, demand Toy companies have showed regarding the license. For these two reasons, Hulk and the Agents of SMASH will run for only one season. ”
“There are two things I couldn’t confirm: The first thing is that I heard that Hulk and the Agents of SMASH season 1 will only run for 13 episodes, and not 26. I will update this story as soon as I confirm the truth about this info.”[/box_light]
So while completely unconfirmed, there’s a chance that Disney is as unhappy with Agents of S.M.A.S.H. as the rest of the world is sure to be. One can only hope.
What are your thoughts on the new series from Disney XD? Are we being a little harsh? Sound off in the comments section below!
Grizzly Bomb 