MARVEL RISING: INITIATION

Marvel Rising is a brand-new, multi-platform animated franchise with a focus on inclusivity, empowerment, and relatability for a tween audience. Unlike some of Marvel’s previous animated series where the male heroes were at the forefront, Marvel Rising will feature a new group of predominantly female Super Heroes as they come into their own and eventually form a super-powered team.

These heroes are Ghost Spider aka Gwen Stacy, a hero who finds herself on the wrong side of the law after she is framed for a crime that she did not commit; Ms. Marvel, one of Marvel’s first Muslim superheroes who has the powers to shapshift; the unapologetically happy Squirrel Girl, who not only has super strength but the ability to communicate with squirrels; Quake, a hero who generates powerful waves of vibrations which can produce effects resembling those of earthquakes; Patriot, teen activist who idolizes Sam Wilson; and America Chavez, Marvel’s first Latin-American LGBTQ character.

The new franchise is expected to introduce characters that will help empower its young female viewers, and you can get a sample of that in the new “Who Is Quake” featurette featuring Chloe Bennett, the very same actress who portrays the character on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

In the featurette, Bennett says that the difference between the animated show and the live-action one is that the animated form is a young gun who is feisty. But the actress is most excited about the prospect of seeing so many unique female heroes in one franchise.

Here’s the official logline

Powered teens Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Quake, Patriot, America Chavez, and Inferno join forces as an unlikely, but formidable crew of aspiring heroes. When a threat no one could have expected bears down on the Marvel Universe, this ragtag, untrained band of teens have no choice but to rise together and prove to the world that sometimes the difference between a “hero” and “misfit” is just in the name.

Marvel Rising’s voice talents include Milana Vayntrub as Squirrel Girl, Kathreen Khavari as Ms. Marvel, Kamil McFadden as Patriot, Tyler Posey as Inferno, BooBoo Stewart as Exile, Cierra Ramirez as America Chavez, Kim Raver as Captain Marvel, Ming-Na Wen as Hala, and Dee Bradley Baker as Tippy Toe & Lockjaw.

You can watch Marvel Rising: Initiation, a series of (6) 3-4 minute animated shorts, now on Marvel HQ’s official YouTube channel. And don’t forget, Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors is an animated film that will premiere on Disney Channel this Fall.