Four brand-new anime series featuring some of the Marvel Universe's landmark characters have been announced. Produced by Madhouse for Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan (SPEJ), these four original series will feature iconic characters from Iron Man, X-Men, Wolverine and Blade in a new anime re-version. These series will premiere in 2011.
Jeph Loeb, Executive Vice President, Head of Television at Marvel Entertainment said, “The size and scope of the animation from top-flight studios Madhouse and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan is nothing short of mind-blowing. We look forward to the start of a beautiful friendship and can’t wait to see the reaction from our worldwide fan-base.”
Each of the four new anime properties will air as standalone series made up of twelve 30-minute episodes. Guided by multiple Eagle award winner Warren Ellis, the four shows will feature a matrix of interlinked storylines and shared guest characters.
Iron Man (teaser trailer above): In an effort to make amends for his weapons manufacturing past, Tony Stark has dedicated himself to building the world up rather than tearing it down. Traveling to Japan to build a new arc reactor that will deliver unlimited free energy to the Japanese people, Stark is challenged by the Japanese government and the media when he attempts to import the necessary nuclear priming device. And when the reactor-in-construction is repeatedly attacked by the mysterious Zodiac consortium, Stark must gather his allies to take on Zodiac and its mastermind.
X-Men: The X-Men are reunited following the death of a teammate, and are summoned by Charles Xavier to Japan following the abduction of Hisako Ichiki (Armor). There, they confront the U-Men, a lunatic cult that steals and transplants mutant organs to further strengthen their own army, and the battle for justice is on.
Wolverine: Based on the popular graphic novel by Frank Miller, the series begins in Japan, where Logan is challenged by Shingen Yashida, the notorious leader of a powerful mafia clan. When Shingen's employee Yukio, a female assassin, falls out of Shingen's favor, she must kill him or be killed. Teaming up with Logan, the pair seek out the villain to exact their revenge.
Blade: Seeking revenge on Deacon Frost, the vampire lord who killed his mother while she was still pregnant with Eric. With all the powers of a vampire and none of their weaknesses, Blade's quest leads him throughout Southeast Asia in search of Frost, and, in Vietnam, he discovers a vampire plot that threatens to take down the whole world.
While anime translations have worked out for DC Comics in the past with Gotham Knights, it'll be a toss-up to see how Marvel capitalizes with this shift introduction of four major playing characters in one go.
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