Tuesday, January 5, 2010

The Marvel Channel...


Like Peter Parker changing into his secret identity, you can expect Disney XD to start morphing into a different place by the end of this year...

Well, it'll start to begin later this year, but that's more of just announcements and preparations. I'd say between 2011/12 you're going to quite a new line up of the cable network. Formerly Toon Disney, Disney XD is the male-centric cable channel that the Mouse wants to be the alternative to The Disney Channel, which is now predominately female/girl oriented. They've been attempting to duplicate the "Hannah Montana" experience with shows and all, but the drive to get more boys and their toys will kick into overdrive soon.

Marvel characters are being evaluated for several slots on the daily line up and at least two characters have or will very soon get a greenlight to head into production. This is just the first offerings from the Mighty House of Marvel. More are said to be coming, with 2012 looking to cast this network as a very superhero focused place on the dial. Expect every property in Marvel's catalog to be combed through to find the right collection of men in tights to attract the young boy demographic. It's those that Iger actually paid for... he's trying to get instant or close to instant cred with this group. The male sector doesn't go for anything labeled "Princess" too well and this the beginning of the company's attempt to win over these guys. Having them identify Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, Thor and all the others with the Disney name is something that's going to be emphasised over the next few years as these characters make their home in their new house.

So if you need a hero, you're about to get one, or many actually...

14 comments:

Captain Marvel said...

Marvelous.

Captain Pudding said...

So what second or third tier character made it to a greenlight?

Bathtub Man? Plunger Boy?

I'll wait to praise it till I see it.

Captain Ridiculous said...

Oh boy! Reruns of Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk!

Honor Hunter said...

I'm not talking about reruns...

Not even in the right realm, Captain.

Sorry to disappoint you...

Hostile17 said...

Please please please let them do something with "Runaways" or "Young Avengers" or, both if possible. Exciting things are coming for us Marvel/Disney fans, I can FEEL IT!!!

JJJ said...

It's not even superheroes in the Marvel back catalogue. When I was collecting comix in the early 70s, Spiderman was my favourite, but I also had a lot of westerns like Kid Colt and the Two Gun Kid, and war titles like Sgt. Fury.
Ka-BOOM!

Shang-Chi said...

Bring on some Master Of Kung-Fu!

Anonymous said...

Please please please let them do something with "Runaways" or "Young Avengers" or, both if possible. Exciting things are coming for us Marvel/Disney fans, I can FEEL IT!!!

It will all depend on whether the Marvel crew is up to tapping those properties and whether Iger OK's them.

Whether they can be as significant projects as Spiderman and Iron Man totally depends on how well the production is handled.

Honor Hunter said...

"Bring on some Master Of Kung-Fu!"

I concur...

Twas always one of my favorite comics. Especially the Gene Day issues. Would make a great film, if they can ever get it off the ground.

But that's not what I was talking about either...

Laman said...

A marvel show would be exciting. I think a show perhaps about crossovers with X-Men and Spider-Ma could produce story and marketing possiblities to wonderful to ignore.

Good on Disney for wisely purchasing Marvel.

jedited said...

I would think that Thor and Captain America would be the logical properties because Marvel/Disney owns these properties outright(they only have a movie distribution deal)and they have movies coming out soon.
Plus nothing significant in any non comic medium has ever been done with them before.

Honor Hunter said...

Laman said: "A marvel show would be exciting."

Not show, show(s).

Anonymous said...

Well, since Disney has failed so miserably at trying to lasso the young male demographic (let's just forget about Cars and The Incredibles for a moment), I guess its only alternative was to buy ready-made, high-profile characters created by another company. Hell, it's not like Disney didn't really TRY - look at all the craft and effort it put into stellar projects like Aaron Stone and Zeke and Luthor and...ahhh, screw it. I'm through trying to put a good face on this. This news is stomach-turning. It's yet another sign that Disney is losing its mojo and its connection to its innovative, creative past. Disney is becoming more and more dead to me. It's doing things Walt would plotz over. Mickey shoved aside by Kermit the frog to advertise the parks! Spiderman likely to invade the magic kingdom! Gaaakkk! It's enough to make a true Disneyphile turn in his ears and defect to Universal exclusively when vacation time comes up. Today's Disney REEKS.

Girl Squirrel said...

Wow Anonymous you have made such a brilliant point I think you have truely turned me over to your point of view!!

You, like most Disney fanatics around the net are so nieve. You don;t see past the mouse-ears do you.
This will affect your precious world less than one of trips to the toilet.