Comic-Con@Home brought us a panel to introduce Disney+’s newest docuseries, “Marvel’s 616.” Moderator Angélique Roché was able to talk with executive producers Sarah Amos and Jason Sterman as well as directors Gillian Jacobs and Paul Scheer.
Watching A Look Inside “Marvel’s 616” on Disney+
Iron Man stories feel very different from Howard the Duck stories. Keeping those sort of vibes in mind for the “Marvel’s 616” series, Sarah Amos, one of the executive producers, said:
“When we started tackling non-fiction at Marvel, and we started looking back and wanting to tell our own stories, we wanted to make sure that we honored that same kind of tradition. So, the anthology nature of the series really made sense to us because it allowed us to really respect each story, each story teller, and let that journey be its own kind of moment. Then, the next episode is going to take you on a completely different path.”
Panel Highlights
Gillian Jacobs directed the episode titled, “Higher Further Faster.” This episode dives into the women behind and in front of the scenes of the comic book creation. Before developing her episode, Jacobs had never read a comic book before. This is like so many Marvel fans who may not have had a chance to or are overwhelmed with knowing where to begin reading the comics. Jacobs believes that casual fans will be able to connect deeply with her episode. She learned so much about the history of comics as a whole during her process.
The episode that Paul Scheer directed is about his journey to find characters in the Marvel universe that are lesser known or may have even been forgotten about. He describes these characters as the “weird uncle you only see once every four years” at a family reunion that you just have to sit down and talk with. Apparently, a character he wished he had gotten to touch on is a villain called “Hell Cow.” According to Amos, the more obscure the character was, the more passionate Scheer became! In fact, Scheer is in an issue of Ant-Man. In Astonishing Ant-Man Volume 4 written by Nick Spencer, Scheer’s character flirts with Scott Lang’s daughter!
Expect the unexpected from “Marvel’s 616”
The concept behind this series, according to Jason Sterman, is to take what viewers would expect and throw it away. The audience will not know what to expect from one episode to the next.
Amos said:
“Fandom has so many different ways to be experienced. Whether it’s cosplay, or love of a specific character, or love of the character Paul Scheer…there’s so many different ways that you can really kind of connect with Marvel.”
Everyone will connect with each episode differently. This panel was a joy to watch, and the series looks like it will be incredible. “Marvel’s 616” will be an eight-episode docuseries airing on Disney+ this fall.
For more Comic-Con@Home 2020 coverage:
‘Building a Geek Brand: Surviving a Pandemic’ Panel
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will host panels at Comic-Con@Home
10 Pro Tips for making Comic Con @Home feel like the real deal
