Marvel and Disney XD have released a trailer for Marvel Rising: Initiation, a new series of animated shorts. You can check it out above!
Videos by ComicBook.com
The special will center on Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider (Dove Cameron), who is accidentally framed for her friend’s murder. She is soon tracked down by a roster of heroes like Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Kathleen Khavari), Doreen Green/Squirrel Girl (Milana Vayntrub), Rayshaun Lucas/Patriot (Kamil McFadden), and Daisy Johnson/Quake (Chloe Bennet).
The shorts will mark the first major television unveiling for Marvel Rising, after the series’ comic counterpart made waves earlier this year. The franchise will also culminate in a feature-length Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors film, which is set to debut later this year.
“It came out of a desire to be able to tell stories about characters that we think are the next great heroes of the Marvel Universe,” Marvel Director of Content Sana Amanat explained late last year. “I think it’s incredibly important that we tell young women and young girls that they have this incredible power within themselves, and that they have heroes out there [who] … they can look up to, especially in these times.”
“To have this brown girl who’s a Muslim, who’s a superhero, who doesn’t fall under these stereotypes … [and] is just a good, decent human being who wants to bring that out in other people โ I feel really fortunate to be able to portray her,” Khavari added.
“[I] feel like a lot women will feel represented and impassioned by this badass young woman who wants to make the world a better place,” Vayntrub said. She’s especially happy that the character isn’t simply “for the male gaze. And it’s not about, ‘Will my crush like me after this?’ There’s more dimension to [Squirrel Girl] than being a babe.”
It sounds like fans will get a chance to learn more about Marvel Rising very soon, as the franchise will have a panel at this week’s San Diego Comic-Con. Bennet, Vayntrub, Khavari, McFadden, writer Mairghread Scott, will be among the panel’s guests.
Will you be tuning in to Marvel Rising: Initiation? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Marvel Rising: Initiation will debut on August 13th on Disney XD.