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The Avengers will soon be assembling for a much younger demographic.<\/p>\n
Disney Jr. plans to expand its collaboration with Marvel, announcing a new series launching in 2027 titled \u201cMarvel\u2019s Avengers: Mightiest Friends.\u201d It\u2019s a partnership that began in 2021 when Disney Jr. premiered \u201cSpidey and His Amazing Friends<\/a>,\u201d the first full-length Marvel preschool series, and has expanded to include the upcoming \u201cIron Man and His Awesome Friends<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDisney Jr. are the pros at this age group,\u201d says Brad Winderbaum, head of Marvel Studios television and animation. \u201c\u2018Spidey and His Amazing Friends\u2019 was our first shot at giving little kids a front-row seat to the Marvel Universe.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently in its fourth season with two additional seasons already greenlit, \u201cSpidey\u201d has been wildly successful. It\u2019s the first Disney Jr. series to run for more than five seasons and is the second most popular streaming series<\/a> (after \u201cBluey\u201d) for children ages 2 to 5, according to Nielsen.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/b> To break into kids TV, Marvel met a group of Hollywood power players: preschoolers<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe success of \u2018Spidey\u2019 really confirmed we were onto something and proved the demand for superhero stories designed specifically for this age group,\u201d says Alyssa Sapire, head of original programming and strategy at Disney Jr. \u201cIt fueled this broader strategy with Disney Jr. and Marvel.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and now there will be the Marvel Preschool Universe. \u201cMarvel\u2019s Avengers: Mightiest Friends\u201d will feature kid versions of all the MCU characters including Spidey, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Panther, Thor and, for the first time, Black Widow. \u201cAvengers are the ultimate learning to play nice story,\u201d Winderbaum says. \u201cIt\u2019s endless fun to watch Thor, Widow, Hulk and Cap learn about teamwork. That\u2019s always a fundamental lesson for that group whether it\u2019s in the features or the animated shows.\u201d<\/p>\n Young viewers will get a sneak peek of what\u2019s to come with two \u201cMarvel\u2019s Spidey and Iron Man: Avengers Team Up!\u201d specials. The first 22-minute special premieres Oct. 16 and finds Spidey, Iron Man and all the Avengers stopping Ultron and Green Goblin from their nefarious plans. Another special, this one Halloween-themed, will debut in fall 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cThese characters are so timeless and have appealed to audiences across generations,\u201d says Harrison Wilcox, who executive produces all the Marvel preschool series. \u201cWhat is most important to us is to tell fun, relatable, positive stories that families can enjoy together.\u201d<\/p>\n To that end, next up for Disney Jr. and Marvel is \u201cIron Man and His Awesome Friends\u201d which will premiere Aug. 11 on Disney Jr. and stream on Disney+ on Aug. 12. Tony Stark and his alter ego, Iron Man, were the natural choice for the next MCU character to get the preschool treatment. \u201c\u2018Iron Man\u2019 was the film that launched our studio,\u201d Winderbaum says. \u201cWe love the idea that a young audience who wasn\u2019t around in 2008 can be introduced to Marvel through a character at the core of Marvel history.\u201d<\/p>\n This series finds Tony Stark (Iron Man) and his best friends Riri Williams (Ironheart<\/a>) and Amadeus Cho (Iron Hulk) working together to solve problems, like a villain intent on stealing everyone\u2019s toys.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/b> ‘Ironheart’s’ Riri Williams is unapologetic. Head writer Chinaka Hodge is too<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cTony Stark is very relatable and aspirational,\u201d says Wilcox. \u201cHe didn’t stop until he found a way to protect the entire universe. We wanted three kids that were distinct from each other but also shared some certain qualities. They’re all very intelligent. They’re all tech savvy. They all want to use their brains to make the world better.\u201d<\/p>\n The trio works out of Iron Quarters (IQ) with Vision as their de facto supervisor. \u201cWe thought it would be nice to have someone who could sort of act as the caretaker of our kids,\u201d Wilcox says of including the beloved android in the series. \u201cWe wanted our audience to know that these characters were loved and supported. Even though they have superpowers, someone’s looking out for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Each superhero also brings something new for the young audience to connect to. One thing that will separate the upcoming \u201cIron Man\u201d series from \u201cSpidey\u201d is that Iron Man doesn\u2019t have a secret identity. Everyone knows Tony Stark is Iron Man. \u201cWe saw there was this differentiation we could really lean into,\u201d Sapire says. \u201cThey’re real kids who use their ingenuity and smarts for the good of the community.”<\/p>\n When bringing these characters to the under 5 set, every detail matters. \u201cEven in this Marvel superhero space, we’re always tapping into that preschool experience,\u201d Sapire says. \u201cWe take the responsibility to entertain naturally curious preschoolers very seriously. When we have their attention, we want to honor that time with them with stories that inspire their imaginations and bring that sense of joy and optimism.\u201d<\/p>\n They approach the legendary Marvel villains with care as well. \u201cIron Man\u201d features Ultron (voiced by Tony Hale), Swarm (Vanessa Bayer) and Absorbing Man (Talon Warburton). \u201cYou have to make sure the villain is not sympathetic,\u201d Wilcox says. \u201cBut also not frightening. We rely heavily on our partners at Disney Jr. for that and their educational resource group, which provides us a lot of feedback to make sure our preschool audience is engaged in the story and they feel the stakes of the story, but they are still watching in a comfortable space.\u201d<\/p>\n While all the series remain true to the overall MCU, they don\u2019t get too tied up in what is and isn\u2019t canon. \u201cThese shows are about what makes each character tick, more than the lore that surrounds them,\u201d Winderbaum explains.<\/p>\n And, like in the movies, the superheroes will make mistakes. \u201cMarvel does not put their characters up on a pedestal,\u201d Wilcox says. \u201cWe want our characters to reflect real people in the real world. So that’s always been important to us is that there’s a certain level of relatability. Everyone can see a part of themselves in a Marvel hero and learn and grow just like our characters do.\u201d<\/p>\n