Iron Man and his awesome friends are suiting up against some awesome villains. Marvel previously announced Disney Jr’s Iron Man and His Awesome Friends, the first animated Iron Man series for preschoolers, from Spidey and His Amazing Friends producers Marvel Studios Animation and Atomic Cartoons. The titular trio of Iron Friends — Tony Stark/the invincible Iron Man (voiced by Mason Blomberg), Riri Williams/Ironheart (Kapri Ladd), and Amadeus Cho/Iron Hulk (Aidyn Ahn) — will armor up against three kid-friendly versions of Earth’s mightiest villains.
Tony Hale (Toy Story 4, Harley Quinn, Arrested Development) voices Avengers archvillain Ultron, described as a “comically nefarious android” rather than the murderous machine who was built by Hank Pym, turned against his creator, and tried to destroy his teammates on the Avengers.
Saturday Night Live alum Vanessa Bayer (Alice’s Wonderland Bakery, I Love That For You) will play a gender-swapped Swarm, the buzz-worthy lord of the killer bees who battled the Los Angeles-based Champions before becoming a recurring foe of Spider-Man, and Talon Warburton (Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate, DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders) is playing Carl “Crusher” Creel, a.k.a. Absorbing Man, whose ability to absorb the physical properties of anything he touches has made him a major foe who can go toe-to-toe with Thor, the Hulk, the Sentry, and the Avengers.
“It’s really fun playing a villain because it gives me permission to yell at people and get paid for it,” Hale said in a statement. “Yes, please.” Bayer said “it’s an honor” to join the Marvel Universe as Swarm: “Often, I get typecast as a nice person, so it was really fun to get to play a villain.” Added Warburton, a “huge Marvel fan” since he was a kid who is excited to share the series with his son, “Now I just have to figure out how to explain to him that his daddy is a bad guy.”
Per the logline, “Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends follows the adventures (and misadventures) of best friends and super geniuses — Tony Stark/Iron Man, Riri Williams/Ironheart, and Amadeus Cho/Iron Hulk — as they work together to solve problems both big and small and protect their city. In order to help them save the day, the Iron Friends each have their own Iron Suits that allow them to fly and give them enhanced super-strength.”
“Iron Man is the character that launched Marvel Studios and will always be especially beloved here as the hero that made the MCU possible,” said Brad Winderbaum, head of Streaming, Television and Animation at Marvel Studios, when announcing Iron Man and His Awesome Friends. “That’s why we’re so excited to partner with the incredible team at Disney Branded Television and bring Iron Man to a new audience. Together we are building a series that introduces the most brilliant scientists and inventors in the Marvel Universe as they share in fun armored adventures.”
Added Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, “We’re thrilled to introduce Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends to preschoolers on Disney Jr. and Disney+, expanding their connection to the iconic Marvel universe. Partnering with Brad and the Marvel Studios team on this series allows us to bring the incredible legacy of Iron Man to a whole new generation, sparking young imaginations with characters that embody courage, teamwork, and creativity.”
Iron Man and his Awesome Friends marks the first Iron Man animated series since 2009’s Iron Man: Armored Adventures ended its two-season, 52-episode run in 2012. The new show premieres this summer on Disney Jr. and Disney+.
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