Disney Plus will be making its debut on November 12, bringing subscribers lots of exciting titles to stream. Here are 15 superhero titles you should excited to watch.
Streaming services have become the definitive way to watch shows and movies. What started with Netflix has turned into a battle for streaming supremacy. Besides Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, HBO, The CW, Comedy Central, and a ton of other channels that have jumped into the game. This shouldn’t shock anyone, but one of the biggest and most popular companies has joined the streaming competition. Disney is throwing their hat in the race as well and other platforms should be scared.
In 2018, Disney announced its streaming app called Disney Plus, a place where you can watch all of your favorite Disney brand movies and series. It doesn’t stop there. Like most streaming services, Disney will offer original content. Among those original shows are Marvel Studios projects like Loki, WandaVision, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. There will be more Marvel projects to come as well.
While we’ll have to wait for Disney Plus to debut its MCU original titles, there are plenty of superhero titles to be thrilled about such as Wolverine and the X-Men, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, and Ant-Man (the movie). Projects like 2017s Inhumans and Iron Man 3 may not get people jumping out of their seats with joy, but they do give viewers a second chance to reevaluate what they watched.
Ahead of the launch of Disney Plus on November 12, we’re taking a look at the 15 superhero tiles available to stream at launch which you should be excited for!
15. Spider-Woman – Series (1979)
It was surprising to find out that Spider-Woman starred in a TV show in 1979. Especially considering how dark Jessica Drew’s past is in the comic books. Like most comic book projects, they didn’t follow the source material 100% as her incredibly grim past was altered to make it palatable for everyone.
In this series, she was bitten by a venomous spider. Her father then saved her with a spider-serum (it was the 1970’s. Just go with it). That serum gave her her spider-like powers that she uses to save the day.
A look at the show’s opening intro will show you what to expect. Considering the year it came out, it shouldn’t be shocking that this looks campy and the animation doesn’t hold up well. Why is Disney Plus adding this a good move? For two very important reasons.
First, this was right around the time that comic books started becoming more progressive. Spider-Woman came out soon after Lynda Carter’s iconic run of Wonder Woman showed the world that women should be included in starring roles. Second, this is a good place to start with Jessica Drew. Younger comic book fans may not be ready for the kind of character she is in the comics. Now, they can see her here. It may be a bit cheesy, but it’s still a fun cartoon. If this becomes popular, we may get more of her in the future. Looking at you, Sony.
14. Guardians of the Galaxy – Series (2015)
Who doesn’t love the Guardians of the Galaxy? Their team is full of incredible fighters, cool looking beings from across the galaxy, and complex characters. Even their sense of humor has multiple ranges. There’s something for everyone.
Since their movie debuted and shocked the world, Marvel has made it a point to do whatever they can to keep the Guardians of the Galaxy in the public eye. It would only make sense that Disney XD would have a cartoon about them. And it’s really good.
One of the major worries when creating a TV show after a movie, is that the essence won’t remain. It’ll somehow be watered down. This will take away from what people loved about the original content. This wasn’t the case with Guardians of the Galaxy.
Everything that we loved about the movie was on display in the cartoon. Even though they don’t have any of the sexual innuendos (it is a kid’s show after all), it doesn’t matter. It’s a cartoon adults will love as well.
What’s impressive is the way the team was introduced. It started with animated shorts that showed the origins of the characters. That meant that you didn’t have to know the movie or comic books to learn how the character became who they are. Adding this to Disney Plus early was a genius move.
13. Hulk and Agents of S.M.A.S.H. – Series (2003)
The Hulk is (and probably always will be) a fan favorite. He’s big, smashes things, and, every so often, has a well-timed one liner. When he’s the Hulk with his wits (not brainy Banner), he’s even more entertaining. Add She-Hulk, A-Bomb, Red Hulk, and Skaar and you’ve got the most underrated cartoon Disney XD produced.
Hulk and Agents of S.M.A.S.H. had everything you’d want from a Hulk project. All the smashing, random fights from well-known tough Hulk villains, and a decent plot. A personal favorite was making it a reality TV series as every so often there would be a break where a member of the team would talk to the camera like an actual reality TV program. The Hulk hated it and was vocal about it. Everything about that was brilliant.
It’s unfortunate that Hulk and Agents of S.M.A.S.H. only went 52 episodes. Maybe if it gets a better reception on Disney Plus, we could see more episodes. With Hulk being so popular, combined with the Disney Plus app, this could be a possibility. Viewers can watch episodes whenever they want. Not having to wait for them to pop on demand and rush to watch them before they disappear will work in their favor. This may have been Disney’s plan all along. Re-release the show and bring it back.
12. Iron Man – Series (1994)
A catchy intro is something that cartoon fans will always hold onto. Almost everyone knows the intro to Ducktales. When that song goes off it’s difficult not to sing along. Among the great cartoon intros is Iron Man’s theme from the 1994 cartoon. Not the first one — that one was terrible. The one that survived the test of time was hardcore. It worked better with a shirtless, long-haired Tony Stark banging a hammer on a mold to create his armor.
The Iron Man cartoon was a traditional 1990’s cartoon. Even the animation looked like everything that was already out there. What made this special was the story. It was a lot deeper than what we were used to seeing. Tony wasn’t as funny as he is now, but it may be a nice change of pace — particularly for viewers who don’t know about Tony Stark other than his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There’s also the various Iron Man armors that he used throughout. Stark had a suit for every occasion. He had a hydro-suit, a lava suit, one for stealth and more. They all didn’t have his typical color scheme either. I guess the artist got tired of drawing red and yellow and who can blame them?
11. X-Men: Evolution – Series (2000)
X-Men: Evolution certainly had comic book purists throwing their hands in the air. It completely shied away from the original team. The younger class consisted of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, Rogue and Spike. While the older class was Professor Xavier, Wolverine, Storm, and Beast. It was completely different from what we’re used to seeing. That said, this is part of what made this program unique.
While some fans are sticklers for staying with the source material, this doesn’t leave much wiggle room. X-Men: Evolution was a like CW show before all of the more recent programs. They dealt with all of the issues you’d assume teenagers with powers would have, on top of being superheroes and mutants. This was another show that went less episodes than it should have, mostly because it was ahead of its time.
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All of the drama and issues that the X-Men went through would be perfect now – which is what makes the series must stream for Disney Plus subscribers. If it had gone on longer we could have seen both the heroes and villains grow into adults.
Although the series had a limited run, it featured a strong ending in which Xavier saw the future of mutants. This gave fans the chance to see what happened to the main roster, their friends, and enemies. We may not have gotten it in a complete episode or season, but at least we were given a glimpse.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy was Marvel’s biggest surprise. Movies like the Avengers and Iron Man are destined to make bank. They have well-known heroes. This movie had something different. A 1980’s action movie vibe with an unforgettable soundtrack to go along with it. And no one could have predicted that this group of ragtag characters would become this popular. A group of beings who got lost among the sea of Marvel Comics characters became something we’ll never forget.
Who cares about Star-Lord? No one did until Chris Pratt came along and reinvented the character. So much so that the comic book version’s personality was more like him than he originally was.
Zoe Saldana was as equally incredible portraying the deadliest woman in the galaxy, Gamora. Bradley Cooper was terrific as Rocket and captured his sarcasm flawlessly. Dave Bautista was a surprise, delivering one of the best performers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Then there’s Groot. They made a talking tree that only says, “I am Groot” (voiced by Vin Diesel) and turned him into a star.
Even though this movie may be owned by most of its fans, it’ll be convenient not to have to look for it. All you’ll have to do is turn on the Disney Plus app. Revisiting Guardians of the Galaxy is something I suggest everyone does. It’s one of the few movies that never get old.
9. Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes – Series (2006)
We’ve had three Fantastic Four movies and all of them are generally looked at as failures. I’d debate that the first two had a fantastic cast and chemistry (pun intended). Well, the Fantastic Four was good, not Doctor Doom.
The 2015 movie is viewed as one of the worst comic book movies of all-time. Because of this, people started losing faith that the Fantastic Four could do well. If you’ve seen the short-lived Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes, you’d see that it could work and without long origin story.
This version of Marvel’s First family captured their personalities to a T. Reed’s genius helped save the day. Sue Richards was the tough and powerful woman she is in the comics. The relationship between Ben and Johnny was hilarious and heartwarming. The creative team also added H.E.R.B.I.E. and Alicia Masters and worked them into the story without making it feel forced. Little things like this make a big difference.
This was an established Fantastic Four who’d been saving the world for a little while now. Without the need to get into how they got their powers, this meant that all of the team could go up against villains that were already veterans in the game. It’s phenomenal, a perfect representation of the team and must-see series for Disney Plus users.
8. Spider-Man – Series (1994)
The 1990’s was full of incredible cartoons. Even though there being comic book cartoons before the 1990’s, a debate could be made that this was their true beginning.
The 90s was a time when companies started to realize how much money can be made from comic book cartoons. Forcing them to put a real effort into the content. Batman the Animated Series and Superman remain two of the premier cartoons of 1990’s, a testament to the creative team. There are a couple of Marvel Comics cartoons to make their debut in the 1990’s. One of them was Spider-Man on Fox.
It’s been 25 years since Spider-Man debuted and it’s still incredible. It had all of Spider-Man’s quips, web-slinging, and Peter Parker drama. There were even a host of villains from the Kingpin to the popular symbiotes Venom and Carnage. Despite not punching or having any hard-hitting violence, this Spider-Man remains one of the definitive Spider-Men in any genre. The story was so good that the fighting became an afterthought.
Of all of the additions to the Disney Plus streaming service, this is a personal favorite. It’ll be fun to go back and relive all of the episodes from the first to the last and some of the things that may have been missed when I was younger.
7. Ultimate Spider-Man – Series (2012)
Nick Fury came to Spider-Man to tell him that he could be better than what he was. Fury said that he wanted Spidey to become one of the greatest heroes in the world. He wanted Peter to become the Ultimate Spider-Man (see what they did there).
He was put on a team where he was leading teenage versions of Luke Cage, White Tiger, Nova, and Iron Fist. Together, they fought everyone from Doctor Doom to the Juggernaut. Though they had their share of victories, they didn’t come easy. It took them some time to get their chemistry together, but when they did, it was magical.
This was a magnificent move. The Ultimate version of Spider-Man in the comic books was one of the more well-liked versions of the Wall-Crawler. It made sense to capitalize on his popularity with a series. To make sure that the show was good, Brian Michael Bendis (who created Ultimate Spider-Man in the comics) was used as a consultant which is probably the reason Ultimate Spider-Man was so good.
Unlike the 1994 cartoon, you could punch, kick and smack people with inanimate objects; however, the action didn’t take away from the story. Spider-Man learned how to be a better hero and leader all while becoming a better person. The main cast was exceptional too. This meant that the entire series wasn’t dependent on Spider-Man and more of the characters could be explored without sacrificing the star. Plus there are cameos from Captain America, Wolverine, the Hulk, and more.
6. X-Men – Series (1992)
When the conversation of comic books cartoons comes up, you’ll rarely find a person who doesn’t bring up the X-Men animated series. It came at what may have been the height of the X-Men’s popularity and, thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.
Wolverine may have been the star, but all of the X-Men shined. Characters like Rogue, Gambit, and Jubilee remain pop culture stars because of this show’s run. Despite already being a beloved X-man, this series helped Storm become noticed on a bigger scale. And people couldn’t deny how tough Cyclops was, even if he was considered a goody two shoes.
X-Men was ahead of its time. It was incredibly dramatic. It may have been more than a younger person could understand back then. Magneto saying things like, “Better to die on our feet than live on our knees” or the overly dramatic speeches by Apocalypse are good examples of this. Plus, people got severely hurt and even died. It wasn’t every day you would turn on a cartoon and see real life consequences. It’s arrival on Disney Plus is the perfect time to revisit this show.
People of all ages will appreciate X-Men, maybe more so now than back in the 90’s. The subject matter, cheesy one liners (looking at you, Wolverine), and the dramatic stories will be loved. Plus, a younger generation can see the Phoenix Saga done properly. This show will be binge watched over and over on Disney Pus.
5. The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes – Series (2010)
It’s doubtful that people appreciated what The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was. They had everything. First, it had all of your favorite Avengers from the comics and movies with Iron Man leading the way with Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Wasp, Ant-Man/Giant Man, Hawkeye, and the Hulk. The only exception being they upgraded their personalities to make it work for Disney XD.
Second, the amount of guest heroes was awesome. For example, there was an episode where the New Avengers (Wolverine, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, The Thing, and War Machine) saved the day while the main roster was off Earth thanks to Kang the Conqueror. It was hilarious seeing Luke Cage send Iron Man a bill since he technically used Heroes for Hire. What more could you ask for? Well, you get more.
On top of the heroes, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes also had a good rotating cast of villains. There were the obvious choices like Loki and Red Skull, but there were some more obscure ones as well. Purple Man, Ulysses Klaw, and Baron Zemo were all antagonists on different episodes. They also did a great job incorporating the Skrull’s Secret Invasions as well.
The series only went 50 plus episodes, but it wasn’t because it was a bad show. It looked like they came in with a plan. Once it was completed, the series ended. Sometimes it’s good to end something before it gets bad. The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will be one of the most watched on Disney Plus. Guaranteed.
4. Captain Marvel (2019)
Captain Marvel was one of the biggest movies and successes for Marvel Studios in 2019. Grossing over a billion dollars and proving yet again that people want to see strong women in leading roles. It also showed that the star doesn’t need a love interest to have a good story. Captain Marvel had one of the better origin tales we’ve seen.
One of the biggest things they did was spend the ideal amount of time on her backstory. Even though it isn’t well-known, people may have gotten bored if time was wasted showing too much of Carol Danvers’ life before she got her powers.
Even though Captain Marvel isn’t new, it will be one of the more watched movies on Disney Plus. Besides this being a good flick, it’s the first time we’ve had a female lead in the MCU. It’s something people are going to re-watch at and draw inspiration from. It’s also going to be used to pick up hints on the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We know about the Skrulls, Nick Fury, and Maria Rambeau (and her daughter Monica). What else was there? Marvel Studios always finds a way to hide things that will come up in future movies. Something that may have seemed minor, but ends up being crucial. There will certainly be articles written up about that once more MCU movies and show start coming out.
3. Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors – Series (2018)
Marvel Comics has done a great job of creating new and young characters in the comics. Their foresight shows that they’re aware of times needing to change. Instead of just changing the race and sex of a character, they started giving classic characters a legacy. Among those characters is Kamala Khan, Marvel Comics’ first Muslim character to headline her own ongoing series.
Kamala is a teenager who’s always admired superheroes. Chief among them was Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captain Marvel. When Kamala got her powers, she became a hero herself. She decided to take Danvers’ former name and go as Ms. Marvel.
Kamala’s become popular among comic book fans and is becoming well-known outside them as well. Marvel Comics sees the writing on the wall. It was time to give the new Ms. Marvel a chance to shine. They had he star in a cartoon movie called Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors. She wasn’t the only hero to grace this team either. A host of other young heroes joined this movie as well.
This was the beginning of a series of Marvel Rising projects, an important series that will focus on the younger generation of heroes. This is a wonderful way for people to get introduced to new heroes. Especially since they’ll be in the MCU one day. If the younger class is going to be front and center one day, then Marvel needs projects like this to be successful. Expect more Marvel Rising projects on Disney Plus in the future.
2. Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man is the movie that started it all. Without Robert Downey Jr’s classic performance as Tony Stark and Iron Man, it’s not likely there would have been a Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Iron Man reached more than just comic book fans. Everyone loved him. He was cool in a way we haven’t seen in any comic book project. Stark was the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist playboy that Bruce Wayne only acted to be. As the film progressed, Stark grew and became a better person. He gave up making weapons for war and became a weapon for peace.
This is the most important project in the MCU. It wasn’t just the beginning of Iron Man. It was the start of Phil Coulson and the introduction of S.H.I.E.L.D. Maybe more importantly, this was the official beginning of the Avengers. The end credit scene when Nick Fury introduced himself set the stage for everything that was coming up. Everyone was excited at the idea of an Avengers project.
Iron Man is a movie that every fan of the MCU should have in their library. Disney Plus adding it gives people the option of revisiting the beginning of the MCU and Iron Man’s legacy whenever they want.
1. Marvel’s Hero Project – Series (2019)
It seems almost impossible to turn on the TV or the internet without seeing bad news. Sometimes our favorite programs seem to have some kind of a negativity that we get in our every day lives. In a world like this, it’s good to know that there are things that will make you smile.
People who do things out of the kindness of their hearts. They may be far and few in between, but Marvel and Disney Plus added something to show the world that there are good people all around us. Not only are they good, but they’re kids too. Introducing Marvel’s Hero Project.
"“Marvel’s Hero Project reveals the remarkable, positive change several young heroes are making in their own communities,” Marvel.com says of the Disney Plus original. “These inspiring kids have dedicated their lives to selfless acts of bravery and kindness, and now, Marvel celebrates them as the true Super Heroes they are.”"
Marvel’s Hero Project makes the number one because this world needs more of this. Sure, the movies and shows with all of the action and adventure are all fine and well, but there’s more to life than escapism.
Marvel is going to show that there is more to being a hero than wearing a suit of armor or being able to lift a car over your head. Being kind and brave isn’t easy. If so, everyone would do it. These kids are going to be an inspiration to their peers and hopefully adults as well. We should all support this show by tuning in and telling our friends about this touching Disney Plus show.
These are only 15 of the superhero shows and movies that will be available on Disney Plus. Which ones are you excited to check out when Disney Plus launches on November 12? Let us know in the comments below.