Marvel and DC Animes - Western Superheroes

Marvel and DC comics are successful all over the world. Almost everything related to them gets a lot of attention in the media and is often very profitable. We can see that clearly in the huge success and impact of Avengers: Endgame. Long before that, Marvel had already built a strong reputation through its animated series and movies.

But have you ever wondered what characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, or Spider-Man would look like as anime characters? What many people do not know is that Marvel has already partnered with Japanese studios, and from those partnerships came a few anime series that may not be widely known, but are definitely worth a look for fans.

There is something called Marvel Anime, which consists of four anime series produced in collaboration between Marvel and the legendary studio Madhouse. DC also had a few anime productions from the same studio.

Let's take a look at some anime based on Marvel characters, and then move on to a few examples from DC Comics.

Animes based on Marvel characters

Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers (2014)

This anime was developed by the famous studio Toei Animation and directed by Toshiaki Komura. It premiered in 2014 on Disney XD Japan and TV Tokyo and has a total of 51 episodes.

In short, Stark Industries creates a new technology called DISK, which allows criminals to be scanned and trapped inside small devices. Loki learns about it, steals the technology, and uses it to free supervillains from prison. Together, these villains defeat the Avengers and imprison them in the DISKs.

But a group of children appears and temporarily frees the heroes from the DISKs. During the fight against the villains, the DISKs are scattered all over the world, trapping various heroes and villains. The Avengers then team up with the children and set out to recover every lost DISK.

Marvel Future Avengers (2017)

The Madhouse studios, in partnership with Marvel, released Marvel Future Avengers in July 2017. The anime was written by Ryuu King, known for Dragon Ball Super. The character design was done by Takahiro Umehara, who worked on Claymore and Beyblade.

The anime tells the story of Makoto, a young boy who gains powers in a genetic experiment. With those powers, Makoto and other young people with abilities join the Avengers.

These young people are treated as apprentices, but they are trained by Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Wasp to become the Avengers of the future. The anime has 26 episodes.

X-Men: Anime (2011)

This one was also produced in collaboration between Marvel and the Japanese studio Madhouse. The story begins with Jean Grey becoming the Dark Phoenix on Earth. In order to save the Earth, she sacrifices herself for the greater good. Her death causes the X-Men team to split up.

Some time later, Professor Xavier discovers that mutants in Japan are suffering from a problem called David Haller Syndrome. A new mutant also appears in Japan, named Hisako.

However, she cannot control her powers. That leads the X-Men team to reunite. They then investigate the mutants responsible for Jean's death.

They also face a group that steals and transplants mutant organs to build an army. The anime has 12 episodes and is considered one of the better Marvel adaptations in anime form.

Iron Man (2010)

This 12-episode anime is another partnership between Madhouse and Marvel. The premise is simple. Tony Stark goes to Japan to produce and present a new armor called Iron Man Dio.

The armor was meant to replace Stark himself when he retired. But something goes wrong, and the suit goes out of control and becomes a threat. Tony and a few allies join forces to stop the danger posed by Iron Man Dio.

In 2013, the film Iron Man: Rise of Technovore was released as a continuation of the anime.

Wolverine (2011)

Logan's girlfriend Mariko Yashida is kidnapped and taken to Tokyo. The mastermind behind the kidnapping is Mariko's own father, who controls the crime world in Japan. He intended to marry her off to a man named Hideki Kurohagi. Logan then sets out on a rescue mission.

Along with the fight against Mariko's father and the man chosen for her, other enemies appear to stand in his way. This anime was also produced by Madhouse and is based on a story by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. It has 12 episodes.

Blade

Eric Brooks is a Daywalker and vampire hunter. In this anime, Blade travels to Japan on a mission where he confronts Deacon Frost, the vampire who killed his mother. He also fights against Existence, a mysterious vampire organization.

He is helped by Makoto, a vampire hunter who first pursued him to avenge her dead father. Logan also makes a small appearance.

Animes based on DC characters

There are only a few DC anime productions made by Japanese studios. Among them are two Batman anime titles: Batman: Gotham Knight and Batman Ninja. There are also older Japanese anime series such as Golden Batman and Galactic Wonder Princess.

• DC Super Heroes vs Taka no Tsume Dan Promotion Eizou
• DC Super Heroes vs Taka no Tsume Dan

Did you know any of these? Which Marvel character would you like to see as an anime?