Disney Plus has released a first look trailer for Marvel's 616, a series of documentaries about the different ways Marvel has impacted popular culture – from the creation of the superhero comics themselves to cosplaying, and the impact of women on Marvel's history.
In a year with no MCU movies (though you do have WandaVision to look forward to), it's well worth a look when the series drops on Friday November 20. If you were hoping it'd dive into how the movies are made, you might be disappointed – that's not a part of the objective here.
But a look inside the comic book industry and adjacent cultures sounds good too. Each episode is made by a different filmmaker – curiously, two episodes are directed by Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs respectively, both actresses of Community fame.
If you know your comics, you'll spot a number of recognizable faces in the trailer, like long-time Spider-Man writer Dan Slott. Here's a first look:
Disney Plus has also released the episode titles and who's directing each one, some of which are more descriptive than others. Check them out below:
- “Japanese Spider-Man” directed by David Gelb
- “Higher Further Faster” directed by Gillian Jacobs
- “Amazing Artisans” directed by Clay Jeter
- “Lost and Found” Directed by Paul Scheer
- “Suit Up!” Directed by Andrew Rossi
- “Unboxed” Directed by Sarah Ramos
- “The Marvel Method” Directed by Bryan Oakes
- “Marvel Spotlight” Directed by Alison Brie
We expect episodes to roll out weekly, as with the majority of Disney Plus originals.
- How to watch the Marvel movies in order
- What we know about Black Widow
- What we know about Marvel's Eternals
Why is it worth watching if you like the movies?
If you think about the causal web of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, pretty much everything goes back to the comics. The iconography, the stories and the fandom all existed for decades before they became the biggest deal in modern cinema.
Episode 4 of Marvel's 616 features an interview with Reginald Hudlin, a producer and screenwriter who created a high-profile revival of Black Panther back in 2005, along with artist John Romita Jr. Hudlin isn't the only key voice who shaped the modern Black Panther character – writer Christopher Priest's earlier run was extremely important – but all of these creators arguably got Marvel a few steps closer to making 2018's Black Panther movie.
Here's a snippet of that interview:
