Marvel's Iron Man and his Awesome Friends, Iron Man's first animated preschool series, premieres this Monday on Disney Jr. and Disney+. The show follows the adventures (and misadventures) of best friends and super geniuses—Tony Stark, Riri Williams and Amadeus Cho—as they work together to solve problems both big and small and protect their city.
Disney has found huge success with Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends, so the franchise's expansion with a series revolving around three Armoured Avengers is undeniably exciting...and a great jumping-on point for younger fans eager to explore the Marvel Universe!
Earlier this week, we spoke with executive producer Sean Coyle (Puppy Dog Pals) over email about the launch of Marvel's Iron Man and his Awesome Friends.
During our conversation, we learned how the team approached this take on Tony, Riri, and Amadeus, some of the surprises on the way, and the characters and locations the series will visit (including a fun new take on Ultron and a trip to Wakanda). Sean also tells us about the debut of Gamma, an adorable pooch that's bound to become an instant favourite.
You can read our full interview with Sean about Marvel's Iron Man and his Awesome Friends below.
When it came to choosing the leads for Iron Man and His Awesome Friends, what led you to Tony, Riri, and Amadeus?
We knew we wanted the show to center around three kid-geniuses. Also, we wanted characters that offered very unique, distinct points of view on the world as so much of the show involves different personalities and perspectives coming together for a common good.
This series is aimed at a much different audience from some of the movies and TV shows, but how important were those in inspiring your approach to these characters?
The (fun) challenge was taking the best parts of each character and seeing what translated for young audiences. For example, we know Iron Man is a complicated character. But deep down, he's a super genius who wants to make the world a better place. Same for Riri and Amadeus--super geniuses who want to make their world a better place. That was kind of where it all started and has, from the jump, been the underlying theme of the show - - do what you can to make your world totally awesome.
Many parents will watch this show with their kids, and plenty of fans are likely going to check it out, too. Was it fun to include the types of references and Easter Eggs that they'll immediately pick up on?
Oh yeah! There will be Easter Eggs. The people making the show are just as big of fans as the ones watching. That said, as much as we would love to litter every frame with Marvel references, we have to remember that our audience has little familiarity with these characters. And as fun as Easter Eggs are for the adults, our challenge is to make sure that we can create kid-relatable context for those moments to happen.
There's a trip to Wakanda early in the season, but what can you tell us about the guest stars and other familiar locations we'll see in the show?
For now, all I can say is that we will see kid versions of T'Challa/Black Panther, Aña Corazón/Iron Spider, and Sam Wilson/Captain America. I wish so much I could share more secrets but let me say this, in addition to Wakanda, we will visit another popular Marvel location and feature even more popular Marvel guest stars later on.
Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends has been a hit; how soon do you think we could see Iron Man and company cross paths with Spider-Man?
Our awesome supervising director, Mike Dowding, coined the phrase that we all use: "Spidey Swung so that Iron Man could fly!" Without the success of that wonderful show, we probably wouldn't be talking about this wonderful show. That said, as much as the two series have their own very unique vibe and style, there's enough common ground to where we leave ourselves open for our characters appearing over there or their characters appearing over here. I hope it happens.
Given the animation style and how iconic these characters are, what was the process of finding the right designs for Tony, Riri, and Amadeus' suits like?
This was an awesome collaboration with the Marvel and Disney Jr. teams, where we got to reference dozens of iterations of various suits, we figured out the perfect balance of what was true to the character and friendly for our young audiences. And if you peek at the Hall of Armor in the IQ (Iron Quarters) you'll get peeks of some cool Iron Suit variants.
I loved seeing Ultron in the show; what did you enjoy most about putting a new spin on that iconic villain?
This was perhaps the biggest gamble and biggest reward. Ultron as we know him is a rather frightening looking villain. Since we didn't want our target viewership pooping their pants, we had to figure out how to make that design work to the point where he would still identifiable as Ultron, but wouldn't give anyone nightmares. We feel we landed in a great place. And Tony Hale's spectacular performance elevates the character to such wonderful heights. The end result is a villain you are both, happy to see, and happy to see get his comeuppance at the end of the episode.
This show's cast is terrific, but how excited were you to have John Stamos on board as Howard Stark?
Two words: Have mercy! (had to say it!) The guy is a living legend in our business and just a really awesome person. He slipped into the "cool dad" role of Howard Stark with such ease. We are so fortunate to have him be a part of it all.
What does it mean to you to know that, for many young people out there, Iron Man and His Awesome Friends will be the first time they experience the Marvel Universe?
It truly is an honor. On behalf of myself, executive producer Harrison Wilcox, co-executive producer and story editor James Eason-Garcia, our awesome writing staff, our amazing animation team and entire crew---it really is an honor and a blessing to be even a small part of the Marvel lore. Having our show be the entry point for an entire generation of new fans was not something we took lightly, but we are all so proud of what this show has become. We hope audiences have as much fun watching it as we had making it!
Finally, Gamma is such a fun addition to the series - where did the inspiration for that adorable pooch come from?
For a kid's show, it felt like a no brainer. I love dogs. Our crew loves dogs. Everyone loves dogs! And that adorable pup in an Iron Suit?!?! C'mon now!!!
Marvel's Iron Man and his Awesome Friends will be available August 11 on Disney Jr. and Disney+ next day.