Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon

Spider-Man & His Ultimate Friends: Nova A new Human Rocket blasts into 'Ultimate Spider-Man'! Posted Mar 2, 2012 12:19 pm Updated Mar 2, 2012 3:28 pm

Nova from "Ultimate Spider-Man"

By Marc Strom

When fans tune in to the premiere of “Ultimate Spider-Man” on Disney XD April 1, they’ll find a familiar hero with a new face in Sam Alexander, the next Nova.

In the comics, Earth’s resident member of the Nova Corps has long been Richard Rider, but for Spidey’s new animated series the creators decided to put an all-new teen hero under the Human Rocket’s helmet.

“Nova is an enormously popular character,” notes Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb. “When the decision in publishing was for Rich Rider to sacrifice himself [at the climax of THE THANOS IMPERATIVE] we wanted to respect that. We all know that there are other members of the Nova Corp and this is the story of one such member --Sam Alexander.”

As fans get to know Sam, they’ll discover a hero with a lot of potential, if not a lot of experience.

“He’s very much like Peter Parker was at the beginning of Spidey’s career--he’s got a lot to prove,” remarks Loeb. “The difference is that Sam comes with a full blown attitude—which, as we may suspect, might be covering up some insecurities.”

Nova will join Spider-Man, Iron Fist, White Tiger and Power Man to form a team of young heroes put together by S.H.I.E.L.D. so that they can learn how to better use their abilities. Within that group, each member brings their own unique attitude, and Nova’s no exception.

“He’s very funny--often at his own expense,” says Loeb. “Nova sees himself as a natural leader. Unfortunately, he’s the only one who sees himself that way. While he and Spidey are often at odds, we’ll see that friendship grow as the series goes on.”

In creating a completely new character, Loeb and the show’s writers and producers were able to imbue him with characteristics that make him stand out from the rest of the heroes.

“He has very different voice than the rest of the cast,” reveals Loeb. “He doesn’t quite know the limitations of his powers, so while there’s an irreverence that’s great fun, he’s also got a lot to learn.”

Loeb has high hopes for Sam, and rightfully so, as the new Nova isn’t one to sit on the sidelines.

“We’re huge Nova fans as well, so rest assured Nova will be front and center with the heavy-duty action. There’s no task he’s not willing to get into and that bravery--even at personal risk--will put him in harm’s way more often than not. He loves playing the hero, so look for Nova to be the breakout star of the series!”

webhead2006 wrote:Clip from ultimate spiderman:
http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/03/02/ultimate-spider-man-nick-fury/

UPDATE: New Details For Disney XD's MARVEL UNIVERSE Programming Block

Some new info has been revealed for the upcoming Marvel-centered block (which begins airing on Disney XD next month),including air dates,shorts,and more. Details after the jump. PaulRom - 3/5/2012

TV Guide has some new info about Disney XD's upcoming programming block Marvel Universe, which includes the coming TV series Ultimate Spider-Man and the second season for Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The block also has a batch of shorts and other miscellaneous videos (akin to Cartoon Network's recently launched DC Nation). Check out all the details below:

Kicking off the block at April 1st, 11am/10c is the new series Ultimate Spider-Man, which depicts the Web Slinger being trained by Nick Fury to become a true superhero. The creative team includes Paul Dini (Batman Beyond), Brian Michael Bendis (the Ultimate Spider-Man comic series), the production team Man of Action (Ben 10), and Jeph Loeb, the head of Marvel's TV division. Also on April 1st, a second episode of Ultimate Spider-Man will air at 11:30am/10:30c. This will be followed by the second season of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (which will move to its regular timeslot of 11:30am the following week, on April .

Below is a list of various character spotlights, shorts, etc:

Fury Files: Top-secret access to S.H.I.E.L.D. video dossiers on key Marvel heroes, including Iron Fist, Power Man, Nova and White Tiger and the villains they face, are animated with mix of traditional animation and motion comic art.

Marvel Mash-Up: The Marvel Universe is turned upside down with these hilarious and unexpected takes on iconic Marvel heroes and villains, featuring classic animation edited with a comedic twist.

Animated Reality: Stunt and special effects experts showcase the epic moves of favorite Marvel superheroes including Captain America and Spider-Man.

What Would It Take?: Get a glimpse into the science and modern technology required to create the heroes' gadgets, abilities and tech in real life, ranging from Iron Man's jet propulsion boots to Iron Fist's power-packed punch.

Master Class: Marvel's Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada, explains the artistic vision behind Marvel's greatest superheroes and shows how artists bring them to life.

Share your thoughts below in the usual place. Marvel Universe begins airing on Disney XD April 1st.

UPDATE: Below is the official press release from Marvel announcing the list of shorts, as well as a full cast for Ultimate Spider-Man.

The epic storytelling of Marvel -- full of action, adventure and humor, along with complex, courageous and aspirational characters – will be introduced to a new generation of kids and families through a dedicated programming block, Marvel Universe, premiering SUNDAY, APRIL 1 on Disney XD. The new series, Ultimate Spider-Man, is written and guided by the most star-studded creative team in Super Hero television history, including some of the most influential names in comic books and pop culture. The programming block will also feature the second season of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and new short-form series that take viewers behind the scenes to meet the creative teams and explore the many facets of the Marvel Universe.

"The Disney XD audience will be thrilled by the excitement and energy of the newest Marvel series. Our dedicated block showcases the relatable characters that have sparked the imaginations of so many people, young and old. The Marvel Universe block's new short-form programs are made with our audience in mind, and are designed to further explore the world of Marvel for fans of all ages. From learning how to draw Marvel heroes to seeing the real science behind the heroes’ cool gadgets, devoted Marvel fans and new fans alike will find the block to be a great destination," said David Levine, Vice President and General Manager, Disney XD.

"The Marvel Universe, which is exploding in theaters, comic books, games and online, bursts onto your TV with the top talent in comics and animation, and the premiere titles Spider-Man and The Avengers! We are bringing the fun, action and adventure known to Marvel fans and families alike. In addition, the never-before-seen animated and live action shorts round out your Sunday morning of can't miss shows in the Mighty Marvel Manner!" exclaimed Jeph Loeb, Marvel's Head of TV.

Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man (who also provides the voice of Stan the Janitor in Ultimate Spider-Man) said, "It's a thrill to see that the highest standards in story telling are so perfectly exemplified by Spider-Man leaping from the pages of the comic book onto the screen to be enjoyed by a new generation."

The amazing team made up of Marvel's Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada, and Marvel's Head of Television, Jeph Loeb, Supervising Producers/Writers Man of Action (Joe Kelly, Joe Casey, Steven T. Seagle & Duncan Rouleau), Creative Consultant/Writer Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Lost), and Consulting Producer/Writer Brian Michael Bendis (Marvel's Ultimate Comics Spider-Man comic series), Ultimate Spider-Man marks firsts for one of Marvel's most popular characters the world over. In the storyline, a teenage Peter Parker (voiced by actor Drake Bell) juggles the relatable challenges of high school with the extraordinary challenges of being a Super Hero. Nick Fury (voiced by actor Chi McBride) invites Parker to train with his S.H.I.E.L.D. organization, where Peter's alter-ego, Spider-Man, will join forces with four other teenage Super Heroes - Nova, White Tiger, Power Man and Iron Fist, on the greatest action and adventure ever as they work to become Ultimate Super Heroes!

The premiere episode (11:00 a.m., EST/PST) is entitled "Great Power," and the second episode is "Great Responsibility" (11:30 a.m., EST). The premiere episodes will be available on DisneyXD.com and Comcast platforms via VOD and XfinityTV.com directly following the Sunday, April 1 premiere on Disney XD. On April 2, they will be available on Disney XD Mobile VOD available via AT&T, MetroPCS, MobiTV, Sprint and Verizon; along with iTunes, Xbox Live and Sony Playstation.

Rounding out the Marvel Universe block are exciting new short-form series including (the last three series are hosted by Radio Disney's Morgan Tompkins):

-"Fury Files" - Top-secret access to S.H.I.E.L.D. video dossiers on key Marvel heroes, including Iron Fist, Power Man, Nova and White Tiger and the villains they face, are animated with mix of traditional animation and motion comic art.

-"Marvel Mash-Up"– The Marvel Universe is turned upside down with these hilarious and unexpected takes on iconic Marvel heroes and villains, featuring classic animation edited with a comedic twist.

-"Animated Reality" - Stunt and special effects experts showcase the epic moves of favorite Marvel Super Heroes including Captain America and Spider-Man.

-"What Would It Take?" – Get a glimpse into the science and modern technology required to create the heroes' gadgets, abilities and tech in real life, ranging from Iron Man's jet propulsion boots to Iron Fist's power-packed punch.

-"Master Class" - Marvel's Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada, explains the artistic vision behind Marvel's greatest Super Heroes and shows how artists bring them to life.

Ultimate Spider-Man - Executive Producers: Alan Fine (The Avengers, Iron Man, Thor), Dan Buckley (The Avengers, Iron Man), Joe Quesada (Marvel's Chief Creative Officer), and Jeph Loeb (Marvel's Head of Television) (Smallville, Lost, Heroes, Teen Wolf and Commando); Co-Executive Producers: Stan Lee (Spider-Man) and Eric Radomski (Batman Animated, Spawn); Supervising Producers: Man of Action Studios' (creators of Ben 10 and Generator Rex) Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle; other Supervising Producers: Dana Booton (The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes) and Cort Lane (The Super Hero Squad Show); Creative Consultant (who also wrote the pilot): Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Lost): Consulting Producer: Brian Michael Bendis (visionary behind Marvel's Ultimate Comics Spider-Man comic series). Ultimate Spider-Man is produced by Marvel Animation and carries a TV-Y7-FV parental guideline.

Ultimate Spider-Man stars Drake Bell (Drake & Josh) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chi McBride (Boston Public) as Nick Fury, Clark Gregg (Iron Man,Thor, The Avengers) as Agent Coulson, JK Simmons (Spider-Man) as J. Jonah Jameson, Steven Weber (Wings) as Norman Osborn , Greg Cipes (Teen Titans, Ben 10) as Danny Rand/Iron Fist, Ogie Banks as Luke Cage/Power Man, Caitlyn Taylor Love (I'm In The Band) as Ava Ayala/White Tiger, Logan Miller (I'm In The Band) as Sam Alexander/Nova, Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Doctor Octopus, Matt Lanter (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as Harry Osborn/Flash Thompson, Tara Strong (The Fairly Odd Parents) as Mary-Jane Watson, Misty Lee (Batman: Arkham City) as Aunt May, and recurring guest star Stan Lee (Spider-Man) as Stan the Janitor.

‘Ultimate Spider-Man’: Joe Quesada says keep an eye out for Nova
March 09, 2012 | 10:40 p.m.

This is the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man and the websinger seems to be everywhere — a record-breaking Broadway show, the upcoming feature film, a new video game this summer, etc. You can add an animated television series to that list with Disney XD’s April 1 premiere of “Ultimate Spider-Man.” The promising new series will be spotlighted in a March 17 panel at WonderCon in Anaheim but Hero Complex contributor Jevon Phillips caught up with Marvel Entertainment’s chief creative officer, Joe Quesada, for some early insights.

This is the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man and the websinger seems to be everywhere — a record-breaking Broadway show, the upcoming feature film, a new video game this summer, etc. You can add an animated television series to that list with Disney XD’s April 1 premiere of “Ultimate Spider-Man.” The promising new series will be spotlighted in a March 17 panel at WonderCon in Anaheim but Hero Complex contributor Jevon Phillips caught up with Marvel Entertainment’s chief creative officer, Joe Quesada, for some early insights.

JP: What’s the new “Ultimate Spider-Man” animated show about, and will it follow the comic book exactly?
JQ: Well, it won’t follow the comic book exactly. The goal really is to show Spider-Man to a new audience and demonstrate to them what’s wonderful about Spider-Man and add a little twist to the story. Something obvious to anyone who’s followed Spider-Man is that there have been many many animated shows. Most of them took the same route: here’s Peter Parker’s origins, and here’s how he got his powers, and he’s got an aunt named May and he’s got Mary Jane … all those things. We decided to amp that up a little bit by giving him much more responsibility — he has that great mantra ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ – so what happens when you give him more responsibility than he’s accustomed to?

We introduce him to SHIELD. While SHIELD has been in the Marvel Universe for decades, it’s become something of a character unto itself as this sort of secret spy organization because of the Marvel movies, and I think that it’s only going to get bigger as you see more Marvel movies made over the years. So Peter Parker and Spider-Man are going to be a part of SHIELD, which gives him access to really cool tech. That’s a real twist to the Spider-Man mythos. Most of the tech that you’ve seen with Spidey are his web shooters, or in the comics he was given this sort of iron spider suit by Tony Stark, but it was not something he used on a regular basis. But in the cartoons, Spider-Man will have a lot of really cool toys that he uses, as well as his new teammates.

JP: Who’s writing on the show?
JQ: It’s a large group of us. There’s Paul Dini — the legendary Paul Dini; Man of Action, who you probably know from “Ben 10;” Brian Michael Bendis, arguably the greatest writer of Spider-Man comics since Stan Lee — he’s probably written as many books as Stan and could be the greatest writer in comics today; and Jeph Loeb, of course, who’s the head of Marvel TV and is also a great writer in his own right. It’s a pretty fun group of guys and a very very talented pool of writers.

JP: So you’ve had some time to evaluate now… Really tell us how has it been being part of the Disney family?
JQ: This may sound hard to believe, but it has been fantastic. Coming from the world of Marvel, say three years ago, we were a decent-sized company, but we didn’t have quite the reach, or the muscle, that we do now by being part of the Disney family. This enables us to do shows like “Ultimate Spider-Man,” ’cause in the past we couldn’t do our own animation. This is really the first Marvel-produced Spider-Man animated show — which is a hallmark for us… And working with XD has been fantastic. They trust Marvel… It’s going to feel like a Marvel-produced thing, much like the movies do now with “Iron Man,” “Thor” “Captain America” and the upcoming “Avengers.” Those movies distinctly feel like Marvel movies because they were produced by us, and for Marvel animation, “Ultimate Spider-Man” is sort of the kick-off for that [on TV].

JP: And any TV plans after “Ultimate Spider-Man?”
JQ: Well, we haven’t announced anything to this point, so I can’t get into that — but I can tell you that we do have other shows in the works. We are planning a wonderful slate, and every show has Marvel people working on them. Like Steve Wacker, a senior editor who I wanted to mention for “Ultimate Spider-Man.” I think it’s important for the beginning of Spider-Man to have the guy who’s editing the books be in the room.

JP: Fans were giddy with all of the epilogue drops that were done for the movies leading up to “The Avengers.” How long did it take for you to think those up and tie them together?
JQ: Many, many years of planning before the ball really started rolling. The idea was, in a perfect world, if “Iron Man” was a success, then we’d be on the road to “Avengers.” And luckily we’ve had some great success with our solo character movies building towards “Avengers” — and there’s even a plan to go beyond that… But that’s always been a part of Marvel. It’s something that we started in publishing, to always have a long-reaching plan. We’re doing that in the cinematic universe, and starting to in the animated universe and beyond that…. And I don’t want to confuse it by saying the animated universe is going to be the same as the comic book universe or movie universe. They’re going to be completely different. Just that within the different mediums, there will be some consistency.

JP: So, you don’t think that anything will come back to the book from the show?
JQ: In my world, I like to look at the comic book as the source material. What you’ll see is that things that originate in the comic books will eventually bleed into the show. Obviously we can’t get as edgy in animation as we can in the comic books…. But there are some wonderful Easter eggs for longtime followers of Spider-Man, though. It’s no different than our movies.

JP: Are there any particular characters that you like in “Ultimate Spider-Man” that we may want to know about?
JQ: I think my favorite character is going to be Nova. Nova is a character that will hopefully break out. He’s a lot of fun and sort of the yin to Peter Parker’s yang. And I will give you one little hint: If you’ve liked the Marvel movies, I think you’re going to see a character that’s really going to make you smile.

– Jevon Phillips

Ultimate Spider-Man: Ultimate Villains
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Ultimate Spider-Man: Ultimate Villains
We get the scoop on Spidey's Ultimate villains!
Posted Mar 14, 2012 2:54 pm
Updated Mar 14, 2012 6:57 pm By Marc Strom

When your Friendly Neighborhood Wallcrawler returns to animated television in “Ultimate Spider-Man” April 1 on Disney XD, he’ll bring a number of classic Marvel villains with him.

As we countdown to the series premiere inside the Marvel Universe block on Disney XD, we sat down with “Ultimate Spider-Man” Associate Producer Harrison Wilcox to discuss four of the baddies you can expect to see.

DOCTOR OCTOPUS


Doctor Octopus of "Ultimate Spider-Man"
“Doctor Octopus is actually the design that we’ve played with the most,” remarks Wilcox. “He’s not the fat guy with a bowl cut. Before the series begins, he’s suffered a horrific injury and can’t use his arms or legs. He’s essentially atrophied to the point where his metal arms have to do his work for him. His suit acts as an iron lung, and he can’t survive outside of his suit.

“He works for Norman Osborn. He’s sort of subservient to Norman, but at the same time has his own agenda. He’s more about the science at the beginning of the series, and then as we get further along, the more he interacts with Spider-Man, the more obsessed Ock gets with capturing and eventually attempting to kill him.”

DOCTOR DOOM


Doctor Doom of "Ultimate Spider-Man"
“Doctor Doom is a little bit different in this series,” says Wilcox. “We’re earlier in his continuity, if you wanted to compare him to the comics, because he isn’t the evil super villain yet. He’s a dictator, but he’s not living outside the law, he has an embassy in New York, and the first time Spidey and his gang meet him, they’ve actually gone to Latveria, so they’re the aggressors in the situation.

“He’s not a magician yet in our series. He’s just about the suit and the tech and the Doombots and all the fun of that. But he definitely is the biggest bad in the universe of ‘Ultimate Spider-Man.’”

THE TRAPSTER


The Trapster of "Ultimate Spider-Man"
“The Trapster is sort of Spidey’s go-to villain for the beginning of the season,” reveals Wilcox. “He’s not the intelligent inventor from the comic with a bag of tricks. On the show he’s all things glue gun. In this series, every time he and Spidey have fought, they make a big mess everywhere, and that’s sort of a catalyst for Nick Fury recruiting Spidey.”

VENOM


Venom of "Ultimate Spider-Man"
“Venom actually has a completely new origin that we think the fans are really going to like in the series,” teases Wilcox. “I can’t really tell you too much about it without spoiling, but the symbiote has a link to Oscorp.”

“There’s an evolution to the suit in our series. It starts out in a more as a goo form, and then it becomes closer to the actual suit and continues to evolve further into something kind of frightening.”

Quesada & Loeb Attempt the 'ULTIMATE' Animated SPIDER-MAN
By Albert Ching, Newsarama Staff Writer
posted: 20 March 2012 06:14 pm ET

With the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series debuting soon, the network held a press junket Tuesday morning in Burbank, Calif. Newsarama was there, and talked one-on-two with Jeph Loeb, head of Marvel TV, and Joe Quesada, Marvel chief creative officer.

Ultimate Spider-Man uses the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book as a launching point — Brian Michael Bendis is a consulting producer and writer on the series — while also incorporating elements from different eras and new twists; like Peter Parker working with fellow teen heroes Power Man, Iron Fist, White Tiger and Nova. The show premieres Sunday, April 1, as part of the new "Marvel Universe" programming block on Disney XD, along with the second season premiere of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Quesada and Loeb both serve as executive producers on the series, and spoke with us about what makes Ultimate Spider-Man different from the many Spidey animated series that have come before.

Newsarama: Jeph, Joe, after seeing the Ultimate Spider-Man series premiere this past weekend at WonderCon, the one thing that really stuck out is the tone of the series — it's more openly humorous than past Spider-Man animated series, with elements like Spidey breaking the fourth wall and frequent peeks inside of his head. What motivated Marvel to go in that direction with the series?

Jeph Loeb: It really played into who Spidey is. The truth of the matter is, unlike a lot of heroes who are out there, in Spider-Man's DNA is that "quippage," as we like to refer to it. While Peter Parker's real life is that "Peter Parker luck" — that he's going to lose the girl, or lose his lunch, or disappoint Aunt May in some way — Peter always allowed us, through Spider-Man, to be able to see the fun and the exhilaration of being a superhero. We wanted to be able to then take that to the next level, which is to say to our audience, "You know what? You could be Peter Parker, or you know someone who's like Peter Parker. Come with us now, and let's show you exactly what it's like, both inside his mind and outside, to see what the fun of it is going to be."

Joe Quesada: It's funny, because it's almost like this is exactly what the show is meant to be. I remember calling Jeph, "What if we took this approach to Peter Parker where we break the fourth wall, and we get to see what's inside of his head?" And then subsequently, Jeph is in the process of hiring Paul Dini to come on to the show, and Paul sends Jeph an email saying, "What if we tell this story where Peter Parker breaks the fourth wall, and we get into his head, and we're doing all these sort of funny bits." I just think that's what the show is meant to be; it was in the ether.

I think we all had the same idea that we've seen the origin so many times before — we figured, that's iconic, and we'll definitely touch on it in the show, but let's start in a different place this time — let's start where Peter's already been a hero for a year, and he does great on-the-job training, but guess what, kid? Here comes Nick Fury, who plays in the big leagues, he's a professional, and you've only been in the minors. "I'm going to teach you how to be professional. I'm going to teach you to be the Ultimate Spider-Man." It's a fun place to jump on, and I don't think anyone's going to have any problems understanding where our show takes place or when it takes place.

Loeb: I think the other thing that was important to us was that, when we were looking at designing the Marvel Universe block, and knowing that we were going to have these two giant franchises, one in Ultimate Spider-Man and the other in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes — Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is so much about being the best heroes that you can be. You're already there; you really do see Cap, Thor, Iron Man and the Hulk doing the best at what they do. We really wanted to have an opportunity where in the first half hour, you'll be able to see what it takes in order to get to that place. So you really are getting the full experience of the Marvel Universe.

Nrama: In large part because of those more whimsical elements, Ultimate Spider-Man, while with definite all-ages appeal, seems more specifically targeted at kids than past Spider-Man series and even Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. How important is that aspect to the series?

Quesada: I think that's just the essence of Spider-Man. I read my first Spider-Man story when I was 8 years old. Jeph, how old were you?

Loeb: About the same.

Quesada: For me, it was Amazing Spider-Man #96, and I know Stan wasn't writing for a young 8-year-old me. I could still read those books, and though they're dated in the '70s, it's pretty sophisticated stuff. I think it's the same thing with Ultimate Spider-Man; even some of the comics that we do. If we do our job right, 6, 7, 8-year-old kids will absolutely be able to relate and have a laugh, and they'll be able to watch it with their dads, or watch it with their moms, and they'll get a laugh at something else, as well. I think that's really the blend that we're going for. We're not talking down to anybody. We want to make sure that if you do Spider-Man right, he's going to be funny. If you do Spider-Man right, he's going to be young, enthusiastic, and he's going to be a bit of a screw-up. That instantly makes it something that I think kids can relate to.

Loeb: By the same token, you're going to get to see really balls-to-the-wall action-adventure that's done in a way that is unique Marvel style; that you really do feel like it's larger than life, that the animation is better than we've ever done before, and that it really translates into something that is an exciting experience for you to have.

Quesada: There's a great moment — I think it's episode one, where Peter's in his room, and he stands up and he looks in the mirror, which is definitely a tip of the hat to the old-school fan. [Newsarama note: It's a visual reference to 1975's Spider-Man: Rock Reflections of a Superhero album cover.] We throw in all of that sort of stuff for the older fan, as well, to say, "Hey, we're thinking of you, don't worry!" The 8-year-old kid isn't necessarily going to get it, nor should they, but there's tons of that stuff in our world as well.

Nrama: Another factor that distinguishes Ultimate Spider-Man — and something that people really didn't know about until a couple of weeks ago — is the "team" aspect, with Spidey working alongside Power Man, Iron Fist, White Tiger and Nova. At what point did that become part of the plan for the series?

Quesada: That was part of the challenge that was given to us before we even started. [Marvel executive vice president] Alan Fine challenged us to do a different kind of Spider-Man story; a Spider-Man story that involved Peter and Spider-Man, as far as a team aspect, and can get tech involved, all these little things that he threw at us — "What kind of show would you come up with?" I think we hit the nail on the head.

It was an effort to give you a different Spider-Man story, plus the fact that the precedent had already been set in the comic books — Spider-Man had become a part of the Avengers, he had become a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. Publishing is the hub of everything, it's the proving ground for everything. We noticed that chemistry was working in publishing, so we could absolutely make it work in animation.

Loeb: We also felt very comfortable that in the motion picture universe, you do see that Nick Fury has a definite agenda in what he refers to as the "Avengers protocols," that have been referred to in the Iron Man movies and the Thor movie. We took that to sort of the next level, which is to basically say, "How does Nick Fury look at the young heroes that are out there, and what kind of program is there for them?" It's not really so much that he's putting a team together, as much as he's trying to find out, of the young heroes that are out there, who is going to be the next Captain America, the next Iron Man, the next really great superhero? The "ultimate" superhero.

Got a comment? There's lots of conversation on Newsarama's FACEBOOK and TWITTER!

MARVEL UNIVERSE EXCLUSIVE: An Interview with Jeph Loeb

DisneyXD is destination TV on Sundays for Marvel Universe,a one-hour block featuring Ultimate Spider-Man and season two of The Avengers. In this exclusive interview,Marvel’s Jeph Loeb discusses the block and the importance of both shows. EdGross - 4/7/2012

SUPERHERO TOONIVERSE: The last time we spoke, the Marvel Universe block wasn’t happening. What was the genesis of the idea?

JEPH LOEB: The idea is to bring the Marvel Universe to life; to find a destination that is exclusive out there in TV land on DisneyXD where we’ll be able to tell stories with some of the most talented people that are working in animation. It’s an extraordinarily talented group that we run very much the way we run a live action show. There’s a writer’s room, we break story together and it goes through a process of just coming up with the best scripts that we possibly can. In the case of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, it results in Marvel’s first step at making a Spider-Man show that is pure Marvel. Every generation has a spider-Man show and a theme song in their head, but all of those shows were done by other companies that Marvel sometimes had some say over, and sometimes didn’t. This is really a chance where it’s just us guys.

SUPERHERO TOONIVERSE: Okay, so who is this Spider-Man? JEPH LOEB: This is a 16-year-old Peter Parker who has been Spider-Man for about a year. He’s doing a good job, he believes that he wants to be the best hero that he can be and he gets an opportunity from Nick Fury to become, as we say, the “ultimate” Spider-Man; to get SHIELD-trained, to be part of a program that will sort of usher in the next generation of heroes. When you live in a world where Captain America and Thor and Iron Man are your inspirations, how you go from being a 16-year-old kid with all of Peter Parker’s trials and tribulations of high school, and friends and homework into really becoming the best Spider-Man that you can be is the journey. The other element of the show that we’re having great fun with, is that because it’s Spidey, there’s a lot of opportunities for humor and I think people will be both surprised and delighted by how the blend of action/adventure and humor really works well. And really will be part of the signature of the shows we’re doing in the block. I should also point out that Drake Bell who plays both Peter and Spider-Man, is pretty extraordinary. He has brought that incredibly unique ability to capture the dramedy – even though you try and do the right thing, somehow you end up with a pie in your face. He manages to capture that so well, and at the same time he nails the Spider-Man quipping, as we refer to it. It’s amazing to watch his work in the booth and it’s very inspirational for the production people.

SUPERHERO TOONIVERSE: The other part of the block, of course, is season two of THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES, which has really turned out to be a terrific show.

JEPH LOEB: We had a tremendous response to the first season and in that case the two people who have been really integral to the success of that show is Josh Fine, the producer; and Chris Yost, another big name from the comic book world. It’s gotten tremendous response and the second season picks up with the same concept of huge storylines, big action and great characters. Characters that we know with this little independent, tiny movie called THE AVENGERS coming out on May 4th. In a year where there is gigantic, spectacular Avengers movie from the creative genius of Joss Whedon and a brand new relaunch of Spider-Man that does deal with a younger Spider-Man, we just feel that the timing couldn’t be better for Marvel to have a block which uses our two biggest franchises of Spider-Man and The Avengers put together.

SUPERHERO TOONIVERSE: In the comics, Spidey seems pretty much a contemporary, but in the series he’s a kid compared to The Avengers, right?

JEPH LOEB: He absolutely is. When he meets Iron Man for the first time, it’s awesome. He can’t believe it. It’s not just Iron Man, this is Peter Parker getting a chance to meet Tony Stark. We are actually playing up the element that Peter Parker is the kid who invented the web shooters, so he’s a bit of a scientific genius for a 16 year old kid, but to meet Tony Stark, that’s just meeting your favorite sports hero or any other hero in your life. So we really do get to see that kind of wish-fulfillment element that you often don’t get with a young hero, and see in him the hope for what he wants to be.

SUPERHERO TOONIVERSE: Is there any cross-over with Spider-Man and The Avengers or has that ship sailed since production has wrapped on THE AVENGERS’ second season?

JEPH LOEB: Let’s just say that is a distinct possibility. I can tell you that it is absolutely designed to be all of one universe. There certainly were elements because AVENGERS season 2 was well underway when we started on SPIDER-MAN. There are a couple of elements that don’t quite fit together, kind of like the comic books, but certainly as time goes by folks will see, “Oh, that’s how that fits with that.”

SUPERHERO TOONIVERSE: The animated AVENGERS is finished, right? There’s no season three currently in production.

JEPH LOEB: I can only tell you that we’re committed to The Avengers universe and that’s as far as I can go.

SUPERHERO TOONIVERSE: C’mon, Jeph, that’s pretty vague.

JEPH LOEB: I think right now people should enjoy THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES.

SUPERHERO TOONIVERSE: Moving on, do you see the live action movies as a real opportunity to put these shows on the map, so to speak?

JEPH LOEB: I think it’s a couple of things. First of all, we were very satisfied with the first season. In our first season DisneyXD was a new network that needed let folks know that this is a destination place for Marvel. Really what we’re excited about is not just the block, but the pairing of these shows. Spider-Man is a big, huge draw and, yes, absolutely, as soon as that Avengers movie opens, it is certainly our hope that folks are going to want to see more stories about The Avengers and they’ll be right there. I’m reminded very much, and you and I are both “of an age” that we’ll know what that means, there was a little show called FAMILY TIES that not a lot of people watched. Once they put it behind a monster show called THE COSBY SHOW, the two of them together took off. Very often television is about placing shows and making a destination something that people will want to come to. It’s certainly our hope that ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN not only has its own success, but that that success will also have the audience stick around for the second half hour for EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES