Marvel Animation isn’t ruling out a feature film, according to Brad Winderbaum — but it needs to be the right project. Following the critical success of X-Men ’97, Marvel Animation has become one of Marvel’s most vital assets, and a newer sub-division of the larger Marvel Studios universe, starting with the acclaimed animated series, What If…?. Marvel Animation is going strong in 2025, as they will release three different shows during the year: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Eyes of Wakanda, and Marvel Zombies. While Marvel Animation is investing heavily in animated series for Disney+, they have yet to dip their toes into a feature film, but it isn’t off the table.
Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios’ Head of streaming, television, and animation, spoke to Geekcentric (via ComingSoon.net) about the potential for a Marvel Studios-produced animated film, and he had a lot to say. “We talk about it. I think it’s just about having a property that is a film,” said Winderbaum. “A film, to me, is two hours. It’s like a statement. You’re buying a ticket, you’re sitting in the theater, you’re with a crowd. It’s a giant screen that is dominating you. It’s something to say to the world. You’ve got two hours to do it versus a television show, which is a longer form. It’s more of a conversation with an audience.”
Winderbaum detailed the major difference between making a Marvel Animation television show and what would be needed for a feature film, particularly what story best fits the format of a feature film as opposed to a series. Per his chat:

“First of all, there are more people who are making it; usually, it’s a bigger ensemble. It’s more of a call-and-response, I think. If you’re lucky enough to make subsequent seasons, it certainly is. Believe me, as we’re working on ‘X-Men ’97’ season two, we’re listening to the feedback from season one. As we did with ‘…What If?’. I think it’s a huge opportunity television has. That, to me, is the thing that tells us whether or not it should be a movie. Is it something that is definitely this world, this character, this moment? Is it a story that’s going to be best told in two hours like that?”

Currently, the Marvel Studios slate is filled up with features wrapping up its Multiverse Saga. If Marvel Animation wanted to begin work on a feature film — be it part of the MCU or not — it would likely need to begin development soon if it wanted to reach theaters following the rumored MCU reboot in Avengers: Secret Wars. There are plenty of 2028 release dates that Marvel has set aside, but if there are no plans for one already in the works, it seems like James Gunn’s DC Studios will beat Marvel to the punch as the Robin-led animated film Dynamic Duo is set for theaters in June 2028.
Getting Over the Hurdle of Audience Bias Toward Animated Films

One factor to consider is the potential audience interest in animated projects. Despite animation being a rich medium that can tell stories to all audiences, the art form is still seen as primarily for children. Despite animated extensions of popular franchises like Transformers: One and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem being seen as improvements over their live-action predecessors, they still grossed less at the box office because it was harder to get older audiences to accept them as valid entertainment for all ages, not just kids. Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim outright bombed at the box office, despite the pedigree of The Lord of the Rings brand.

Related

Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ Director Reveals Scrapped Stories for Iconic Characters

Marvel put the brakes on things when it came to exploring certain fan-favorite characters.

However, if one brand could pull off a big-budget animated film that could draw in a big audience, it could be Marvel. Marvel Comics has already proven the basis for popular animated films like Big Hero 6 and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a great example of a movie that performed well at the box office even if it came in below the live-action Spider-Man movies. But the word of mouth around the film was so positive, that buzz grew over the years to where Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse saw a massive spike in its box office, and even out-grossed both Amazing Spider-Man films and Spider-Man: Homecoming at the domestic box office.
With the right project, the MCU could have a successful animated film. Given the recent success of Marvel Rivals, a Squirrel Girl movie with Milana Vayntrub or a Jeff the Land Shark movie seem like strong pitches.

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Release Date

March 20, 2024

Creator(s)

Beau DeMayo

Cast

Jennifer Hale
, Chris Potter
, Alison Sealy-Smith
, Lenore Zann
, Cal Dodd
, Catherine Disher
, Adrian Hough
, Ray Chase
, Chris Britton
, George Buza

Franchise

Seasons

1

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