Fans are eagerly awaiting news and announcements from the Marvel Animation panel set to take center stage at D23 2024.
D23's Friday night panel brought dozens of announcements from across the wider Disney landscape, including information on projects from Disney, Marvel Studios, Star Wars, and more.
Day 2 will allow Marvel Studios to shine once again with its own animation department, which has already delivered two successful outings. Although What If...?'s two seasons had their ups and downs, X-Men '97 Season 1 became one of Marvel's top new shows according to both critics and fans.
Updates From Marvel Animation Panel at D23 2024
Marvel Studios' Head of Streaming, Television and Animation Brad Winderbaum takes the stage at D23 2024 alongside ComicBook's Brandon Davis as fans hum the theme music from X-Men '97.
Winderbaum and Marvel want all of Marvel's animated shows to have their own artistic style, and none will be seen as a house Marvel style. The panel will be covering projects being released over the next 12-18 months
A montage is playing and highlighting What If...? Season 3, Marvel Zombies, Eyes of Wakanda, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
The footage included shots of both White Vision and Ironheart, potentially from What If...? Season 3.
X-Men '97's New Additions and Updates
The mutant character Danger was confirmed for inclusion in Season 2 of X-Men '97. Winderbaum explained how Marvel had to limit themselves in terms of characters and stories they wanted to bring into Season 2.
Fans erupted as Rogue actress Lenore Zann and Wolverine voice star Cal Dodd took the stage at D23 for X-Men '97.
Zann shared her favorite Rogue moment with the D23 crowd — "There ain't no cure for who you are."
Another character who will be more heavily utilized in Season 2 is Bishop after his return to the fold in Season 1.
News on Marvel Studios' What If...? Season 3
What If...? director Bryan Andrews takes the stage to hype up Season 3, which is said to be "The final arch of The Watcher’s Multiverse-spanning story."
Andrews explains how Marvel Animation can "take big swings" with how crazy the story gets in What If...?.
One episode will feature "Go-Avengers: Heroes of the Gamma War," and it is heavily centered on mechs.
Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson/Captain America delivers the "Avengers, Assemble" line as mechs are assembled and developed. The footage also sees the Red Guardian and Melina Vostokoff from Black Widow get their own mechs, and the Red Guardian is happy to be an Avenger.
The footage also includes Moon Knight and Monica Rambeau, confirming both for Season 3.
Eyes of Wakanda Arrives at D23 2024
Producer Ryan Coogler and storyboard artist Todd Harris take the D23 stage to promote the new Black Panther-centric series, Eyes of Wakanda.
The idea for the show was first pitched during production on Avengers: Infinity War. Coogler then proceeded to call Harris one of the most incredible story artists on the planet.
Harris joked around with the crowd about how "everyone in Wakanda gets a six-pack" and that "even the cake baker can kill anybody."
The series is described as a four-part story.
Also teased was a "glowing fist," possibly referencing the Iron Fist character. However, the specific character who would be the Iron Fist was not confirmed.
A new character named Noni is being introduced via D23-exclusive footage.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Arrives for D23 2024
Giving fans a sneak peek into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is show writer Jeff Trammell.
The show will allow the team to "really get to dig into who Peter is" as fans see "how that affects who Spider-Man becomes."
An undisclosed horned symbiote will also be included opposite the web-slinger.
Peter Parker actor Hudson Thames (who returns from What If...?) takes the stage to address the crowd about his new show.
Additionally, Oscar-nominee Colman Domingo joins Thames in front of the crowd as he is introduced as the show's Norman Osborn. The actor describes Osborn as "the ultimate supervillain."
Osborn is said to have "good intentions," although the methods he tries to share with Peter Parker "won't work out in everyone's best interest."
New footage is shown from Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, featuring Doctor Strange opening a portal and dropping a horned/bug-like bipedal symbiote, which is black and blue.
Strange is seen fighting the symbiote as Peter falls through the portal, although he appears to not have his powers yet. This is potentially Peter's origin story in this series.
Strange then pulls the symbiote back into the portal while a spider falls on Peter, biting him as he speaks to Nico Minoru.
Fans then see a new show intro utilizing a remix of the classic Spider-Man theme song along with a splash page recreating the original Spider-Man comic.
Spidey takes on two thugs with impressive tech — a man with boots making him super fast and a woman with gauntlets.
Osborn dishes strategic advice to Peter over a communication device. The cast then leaves the stage as fans wait for what's coming next.
Marvel Zombies Closes Marvel Animation Panel at D23
Brad Winderbaum comes back on stage to share early information about Marvel Zombies. The series is described as a sequel to Episode 5 of What If...?, which also featured zombies.
This will be a sequel to that episode which is four episodes long — each episode serving "as its own event." It is also confirmed to be rated TV-MA.
The show is described as "hardcore," although it also is "not coming out for a bit."
Early footage from the series shows Wenwu/The Mandarin and Death Dealer from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Wenwu is seen jumping out of a helicopter with the Ten Rings on his arm, and he saves both Shang-Chi and Katy.
Shang-Chi and Katy still work as valets, although Shang-Chi appears to be immediately bitten by a zombie. Wenwu then gives him the Ten Rings to cut the bite off from taking over his body.
There is a five-year time jump before Shang-Chi's arm is zombified under the Ten Rings, although he is still human otherwise.
He and Katy are leading a caravan in post-apocalyptic wasteland, giving off Mad Max vibes.
Fans see a fight scene between them and a group of Skrull bandits before the footage and presentation come to an end.
The Marvel Animation Panel has concluded! Check out our D23 master article for every update from D23 across Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney!
What Time is the Marvel Animation Panel at D23 2024?
Marvel Studios' animation panel (officially labeled "Marvel Animation Sneak Peak") will take place on Saturday, August 10th at 12:45 p.m. PT / 3:45 p.m. ET at the 2024 D23 Expo.
This panel is scheduled to run for an hour at the Premiere Stage.
How To Watch the Marvel Animation Panel?
Marvel's Animation panel will not be available to live-stream and is exclusive to D23 attendees. Video snippets of the event have been posted to Marvel Studios' official X account and can be watched on the platform.
What Shows Will Be at the Marvel Animation Panel?
Marvel Studios is expected to highlight a handful of animated series at the Marvel Animation panel.
The shows that fans know the least about at the moment include Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (which is still happening despite cancelation worries) and Eyes of Wakanda.
Fans are also hoping to hear more information on Marvel Zombies, which will be the MCU's first-ever TV-MA-rated animated series.
Stay tuned to The Direct for more information on Marvel Animation from D23 2024!
