Marvel's Animated Show Budgets Revealed
An animated series for Marvel Studios costs at least $19 million per season.
It costs a pretty penny to make an animated series. One new financial filing from Disney shows Marvel Animation has spent nearly $20 million—$19.6 million, to be exact—on one of its upcoming series. The filing was first spotted by Forbes, which points out the filing was made on behalf of 4Vibes Productions UK, a business entity owned by MVL Productions and, in turn, Marvel Studios.
It's unclear which series cost $20 million to produce, but the report points out it's only believed Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, Eyes of Wakanda, and the final season of What If...? are believe to be in active production. The report theorizes the filing is for Eyes of Wakanda, guessing that "Vibes" is short for the fictional metal vibranium.
Marvel Animation is expected to have an extended presentation at next week's D23 Expo, promoting the aforementioned series and providing first looks for many of them.
"We are thrilled for fans of all ages to join us in Anaheim next month for what will truly be the ultimate Disney fan experience," Michael Vargo, head of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club said in a statement. "This year, D23 has been reimagined to showcase even more of what they love from across the worlds of Disney. Guests will enjoy the incredible programming and show floor offerings we have in store at the Anaheim Convention Center, where our exceptional storytelling and experiences will come to life through spectacular entertainment with many of the creative masterminds behind the magic."
Though some animated shows take liberty with continuity and such, Marvel Streaming boss Brad Winderbaum has said Eyes of Wakanda will tie directly into the MCU.
"Eyes of Wakanda, more than any other show we're doing in animation, ties directly into the MCU," Winderbaum explained of the Black Panther spinoff. "This is a story about Wakandan history. It's produced by Ryan Coogler and directed by Todd Harris who is one of our longtime storyboard artists who I first met when he designed the Hulk vs. Thor fight in Ragnarok."
"It's an awesome show. The action is insane and the storytelling is fantastic. It's both about the history of Wakanda, but also expands into the greater MCU at different time periods," the executive added. "If you're a fan of the movies, I think this show is going to be a real treat."
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