Marvel has added two directors to Marvel’s 616, described as “an anthological documentary series exploring the intersection between Marvel’s rich legacy of stories, characters and creators and the world outside your window.” The unscripted series, coming exclusively to the Disney+ streaming service in 2020, episodes will be told “through the lens of a diverse group of filmmakers,” with each documentary diving into “the rich historical, cultural and societal context that has become inseparable from stories of the Marvel Universe.” The nonfiction storytelling series will highlight a range of topics, including a close look at the cosplay community, Marvel’s relationship with hip-hop, international Marvel Comics illustrators, and a high school theater production of Marvel and Disney’s “Spotlight” program.
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Announced during the International Documentary Association showcase event and reported by Marvel.com on Friday, actors and filmmakers Gillian Jacobs and Paul Scheer will serve as directors on Marvel’s 616. Jacobs, best known for her role as Britta in fan-favorite comedy series Community, will direct the series’ first episode. She’s previously directed shorts The Queen’s Code and Shattered.
Scheer, whose acting credits include roles on The League, Veep and Disney-owned ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, previously directed episodes of Children’s Hospital and Drive Share.
Per Marvel, the Jacobs-directed first episode of 616 is viewed through “the perspective of what it means to be a woman in what’s perceived to be a male-driven industry.” Inspired by the tagline of Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel, the episode — “Higher, Further, Faster” — shines a light “on the trailblazing women of Marvel Comics and explores how they found ways to tell stories of representation and inclusion.”
David Gelb (The Lazarus Effect, Chef’s Table) and documentary filmmaker Andrew Rossi (Bronx Gothic, 7 Days Out) are also on board as directors.
Other unscripted series coming to Disney+ include Marvel’s Hero Project, a celebration of young, real-life heroes making a positive difference in the world, and Storyboards, a guest-focused documentary series headlined by Marvel’s Joe Quesada.
The complete list of Disney+ offerings include hundreds of movies and television shows, among them the 1994 Spider-Man animated series and Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe as well as multiple Marvel Studios blockbusters.
Marvel Studios, under newly elevated Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige, is now developing numerous live-action, big-budget television series planned for Phase 4.
Marvel Studios’ coming Disney+ slate includes The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, out fall 2020, WandaVision in spring 2021, Loki in spring 2021, the animated What If? in summer 2021 and Hawkeye in fall 2021. Disney+ is now available for pre-order and launches November 12 priced at $6.99 per month.
