Now that Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. has come to an end after its seven-season run and with the status of Black Widow's November release still uncertain, Marvel fans might have to wait a while before they get any new MCU content.
However, for those who can't get enough of Marvel's roster of heroes and just happen to also love anime, here are six Marvel anime series that you should watch to get your superhero fix.
Iron Man
In 2010 Marvel teamed up with anime studio MADHOUSE to create anime that reimagined Marvel heroes for a Japanese audience. This project, dubbed Marvel Anime, was made up of four seasons of 12 episodes, with each season focused on a different hero. The first season of Marvel Anime starred Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Tony visits Japan to showcase his new project, Iron Man Dio. Tony says that this fleet of autonomous Iron Man armors could replace him once he retires. However, the Japanese public is skeptical of Stark and his plans. And, when Iron Man Dio gets hijacked by a shadowy group called the Zodiac, Tony has to try and stop his creation and clear his name. One of the most interesting things about this series is how it portrays Tony as a fish out of water. His struggle to endear himself to the Japanese people and his failure to adapt to Japanese life adds a new twist to the classic character.
Wolverine
The second show from the Marvel and MADHOUSE collaboration, Wolverine was the first time the popular character received his own solo TV series.
In the series, Wolverine falls into despair when his girlfriend Mariko Yashida goes missing. A year later, Wolverine learns that Mariko was kidnapped by her father Shingen Yashida and that he plans to force Mariko to marry another man. Fueled by rage, Wolverine heads to Japan to take down both Shingen and his crime syndicate. Wolverine received a major redesign for this series making him look very different from his comic and film counterparts. However, if you can look past this, you are rewarded with some wonderfully intense fight scenes that take full advantage of Wolverine's healing factor.
X-Men
The third entry in the Marvel and MADHOUSE collaboration. X-Men featured a team comprised of Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Armor, Beast and Professor X, and set after Jean Grey sacrifices herself to prevent Dark Phoenix from spreading destruction around the world. Professor X reassembles the X-Men and sends them to Japan so that they can investigate reports that the U-Men are abducting mutants and harvesting their organs so that they can be used to create an army of supersoldiers.
One of the highlights of this series is Cyclops' characterization. His struggle to deal with the loss of Jean Grey is both nuanced and moving. It is also great to see the U-Men in a starring role. In the comics, they're usually comic relief characters, but this series fleshes them out and turns them into very formidable antagonists.
Blade
The final entry in the MADHOUSE and Marvel collaboration, Blade was a stylish take on Marvel's often overlooked half-vampire. The show follows Blade as he heads to Japan to confront Deacon Frost, the vampire who attacked his pregnant mother and made Blade into a half-vampire. On this journey, Blade has to contend with Frost's underground society of vampires called Existence.
Much like the Wolverine series, Blade is an action-packed tale of vengeance. The fluid animation helps to show off Blade's combat prowess and the series is packed full of gloriously choreographed fight scenes. Though, for many fans, the true highlight is getting a series focused on Blade, period. While he is a very popular character, he rarely gets the spotlight to himself.
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher
In 2014, Marvel and MADHOUSE studio teamed up once again to create the straight-to-DVD movie, Avengers Confidential.
While trying to kill a black market weapons dealer, Punisher ends up getting captured by Black Widow, who is also trying to track down the dealer. S.H.I.E.L.D. gives Punisher the chance to earn his freedom by helping Black Widow take down the terrorist group known as Leviathan. The film takes cues from both the MCU and the Ultimate Marvel universe while not belonging to either continuity. However, it is the odd-couple pairing of Punisher and Black Widow that makes this film stand out.
Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers
Produced by Toei Animation and Walt Disney Japan, 2014's Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers presents a rather unique spin on the traditional Marvel format.
Iron Man creates the DISK, a piece of technology that can digitally store villains. However, during a demonstration of the technology, Loki traps all of the heroes in DISKs. Three children acquire some of the DISKs, giving them the ability to summon the captured Avengers for a limited time. And, with the remaining un-captured Avengers in tow. The kids set out to retrieve the rest of the DISKs before they fall into evil hands. While the series is aimed at younger viewers, it is worth watching just because of how unique its premise is. Combining Marvel heroes with Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and a touch of Ultraman seems weird on paper, but it leads to a very enjoyable show.
Marvel Future Avengers
Making its debut on Disney+ this year, Marvel Future Avengers is the spiritual successor to Disk Wars. It follows the adventures of a group of young children who were genetically modified and raised by Hydra. Despite being brought up to think that The Avengers are the bad guys, the kids quickly learn the truth and turn on Hydra. They then join The Avengers and fight for justice.
The series is beautifully animated and features a staggering number of Marvel characters. Outside of the main cast, Deadpool, Kamala Khan, Kid Kaiju and even the Inhumans appear during the show's two seasons.