A to Z of Animation Studios: M Is for Marvel Animation
Some of the best superhero cartoons ever made, and some very strange experiments.
M is for Marvel Animation
Long before the Marvel movies took over theaters, Marvel heroes lived on Saturday-morning TV. Over the decades, Marvel's cartoons have been made by many different studios and owners, which is why the quality swings so much.
Greatest hits
X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997). Serialized storytelling, a legendary theme song and stories that took its audience seriously. REAL: it returned in 2024 as X-Men '97.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998). Big, multi-episode arcs. RUMOR, partly: fans love to say Spider-Man was never allowed to throw a punch. TV standards at the time did strictly limit violence, so fights leaned on webbing and dodging, but "never" is an exaggeration.
The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008–2009). Many fans' favorite Spider-Man show ever, canceled after two seasons.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010–2012). A team-up show that felt like a comic book come to life.
What If…? (2021). Marvel Studios' own animated series, exploring alternate versions of the movie heroes.
The misses
Spider-Man Unlimited (1999–2001). Spider-Man in a strange alternate world, wearing a strange new suit.
Iron Man (1994–1996). The first season especially is remembered as very stiff.
Motion comics. Marvel experimented with "motion comics," mostly still comic art with small movements. Interesting, but not quite animation.
Why Marvel cartoons are so uneven
Different owners, different studios. Marvel's TV cartoons have been produced by many companies over the decades.
Budgets swing wildly. Some shows got big resources, others very little.
Toy pressure. Some series existed mainly to sell action figures.
Honorable mention: Madhouse
One of Japan's most respected animation studios, founded in 1972. For family viewing, try Cardcaptor Sakura (1998), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) or Summer Wars (2009). It also animated the first season of One Punch Man.
The lesson
Marvel's best cartoons all did one thing: they trusted the original characters and stories instead of watering them down. When a show respects its source and its audience, fans stay for decades.
Up next
N is for Nickelodeon Animation Studio.
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