Marvel’s 85th anniversary video is an emotional ride and offers (brief) first looks at Thunderbolts* and Daredevil: Born Again
Here’s hoping for a return to form.
Deadpool & Wolverine has been the box office hit that Disney and Marvel Studios were looking for, but most fans still aren’t convinced we’re back. Sure, other recent movies and shows were pretty good, but since around 2022, we’ve been stuck in a mostly mid-to-bad zone that lacks the spark of the Infinity Saga days. Well, this 85th anniversary video really tries to sell the idea things will get better soon.
Released alongside a meaty Entertainment Weekly article, the 2:40 video celebrates Marvel as a whole and its history, yet it clearly focuses on the company’s movie and TV side, which is rather wild when you think about it. People just don’t read as many comic books anymore, I guess.
The whole thing is admittedly emotional, as it doesn’t forget about the founding fathers of Marvel and its core characters, as well as the legacy that’s been built outside the screens. Things get more surprising as it transitions into the movies and TV shows and we get some bits from the Fox movies and even ABC’s Agent Carter. Of course, not every show and movie about Marvel characters gets its moment in the spotlight, but I’d personally say they’ve done a fine job of capturing why people have cared about these stories and characters for so long.
As for the first looks at Thunderbolts*, Daredevil: Born Again, Ironheart, and Captain America: Brave New World’s Red Hulk (played by Harrison Ford), they’re barely a few seconds long, but the most rabid fans will appreciate getting some HD footage of those upcoming projects after weeks of cell phone recordings and blurry photos that were uploaded to social media after the SDCC and D23 panels.
Up next from the House of M comes Agatha All Along, which is a witchy follow-up to WandaVision that might be arriving too late, but still could make for a fun Spooktober watch. In 2025, we’re getting at least Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart on Disney Plus while the theatrical output will present Captain America: Brave New World, the crossover event Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four. Surely, a few of those must be good and get us a bit excited for Avengers: Doomsday, right?