Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series)

Ultimate Spider-Man is an American animated television series based on the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, published by Marvel Comics, including some elements of Marvel's Ultimate line of books. The series is written by Brian Michael Bendis (who also writes the comic book series Ultimate Spider-Man), Paul Dini, and Man of Action (a group consisting of Steven T. Seagle, Joe Kelly, Joe Casey, and Duncan Rouleau). It was first announced to air on Disney XD in early 2012, and debuted alongside The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes's second season as part of the Marvel Universe programming block on April 1, 2012.

Production
Brian Michael Bendis and Paul Dini serve as writers and producers on the show. Man of Action (a group consisting of Steven T. Seagle, Joe Kelly, Joe Casey, and Duncan Rouleau), the creators of the animated series Ben 10 and Generator Rex, serve as supervising producers on the show. Twenty-six episodes were ordered for the first season. According to Paul Dini, the series features a "redefined" Peter Parker, and a combination of frequent guest stars partially based on Bendis' comics, and original material, such as the origins of some heroes and villains. Actor J. K. Simmons reprises his role as J. Jonah Jameson from Sam Raimi's live-action Spider-Man film trilogy for the series. Notable voice actors include Adrian Pasdar as Iron Man (returning to the role after previously having voiced him in Madhouse's and Marvel's Iron Man anime), and Kevin Michael Richardson, who voices Robbie Robertson and Bulldozer.

The series depicts Spider-Man becoming the newest member of S.H.I.E.L.D. under the leadership of Nick Fury, on a team with four other teenage superheroes. Villains such as Living Laser, Venom and Doctor Doom were seen in a trailer shown at the 2011 San Diego Comic Con.

Ultimate Spider-Man premiered on April 1, 2012 on Disney XD in the United States, while the pilot episode was released on Xbox Live and PlayStation Store on April 2, 2012. In the UK and Ireland the show premiered on Disney UK and Ireland on May 31, 2013. It premiered in Canada on June 22, 2012, on Teletoon.

Disney XD and Marvel officially announced Season Three on July 20, 2013 at San Diego Comic Con. Season Three will include Spider-Man joining the Avengers (consisting of the line-up from Marvel's Avengers Assemble) and introducing characters such as Cloak and Dagger, Amadeus Cho, Ka-Zar and Agent Venom.

Promotions and tie-ins
Launch parties for the series were held in New York City and Los Angeles on March 31, 2012, the day before the series' broadcast television debut. On hand at the New York City party at Midtown Comics Downtown in Manhattan were Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada, writer/producer Joe Kelly and Chris Eliopoulos, who wrote the first issue of the tie-in comic book, while the Los Angeles party at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood was attended by Marvel Head of Television Jeph Loeb, Duncan Rouleau, Steven T. Seagle, voice actors Clark Gregg and Misty Lee, and Creative Consultant Paul Dini, who wrote the series pilot.

A comic book series that ties in with the show called Ultimate Spider-Man Adventures debuted on April 25, 2012. Ultimate Spider-Man Adventures is an ongoing series and is being released alongside The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Adventures. The comics was written by Dan Slott and Ty Templeton, while Nuno Plati provided artwork.

Synopsis
As the series begins, Peter Parker has been Spider-Man for one year. He has saved lives and fought supervillains, but he is still in the process of learning how to be a superhero. Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. offers Peter the chance to train to be a real superhero and become "The Ultimate Spider-Man". However, Peter will first have to learn how to work with a team of four fellow teenage superheroes: Nova, White Tiger, Iron Fist, and Power Man.

In Season Two, following the fight with the Green Goblin which resulted in the destruction of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Spider-Man's team ends up staying at Peter Parker's house. This season feature the first appearances in this series of Lizard, Electro, Rhino, Kraven the Hunter, Hawkeye, the Sinister Six, and Iron Patriot.

Main cast

 * Drake Bell – Peter Parker / Spider-Man
 * Ogie Banks – Luke Cage / Power Man
 * Greg Cipes – Danny Rand / Iron Fist
 * Clark Gregg – Phil Coulson
 * Tom Kenny – Dr. Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus, Bentley Whittman / Wizard, David Cannon / Whirlwind, Dr. Curt Connors (first few episodes), Aries Zodiac Soldier
 * Matt Lanter – Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson, Venom, Ulysses Klaw / Klaw
 * Misty Lee – May Reilly-Parker, Salem's Witch
 * Caitlyn Taylor Love – Ava Ayala / White Tiger
 * Chi McBride – Nick Fury, Eiliot Franklin / Thunderball, Taurus Zodiac Soldier
 * Logan Miller – Sam Alexander / Nova
 * J. K. Simmons – J. Jonah Jameson
 * Tara Strong – Mary Jane Watson, Thundra, Sandy
 * Steven Weber – Norman Osborn / Green Goblin / Goblin-Venom / Iron Patriot, Peter Petruski / Trapster

Additional cast

 * Diedrich Bader – Sergei Kravinoff / Kraven the Hunter
 * Dee Bradley Baker – Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard, Flint Marko / Sandman, Carnage
 * Troy Baker – Loki Laufeyson / Loki, Clint Barton / Hawkeye
 * Christopher Daniel Barnes – Max Dillon / Electro
 * Dante Basco – Scorpion of K'un-L'un
 * Eric Bauza – Michael Tan / Swarm, Arcade
 * Jeff Bennett – mayor of Boston, Slam Adams
 * Steven Blum – James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine, Beetle (one episode only), Dr. Leonard Samson / Doc Samson
 * Dave Boat – Ben Grimm / Thing, Leo Zodiac Soldier #1
 * Kimberly Brooks - Amanda Cage
 * Clancy Brown – Tony Masters / Taskmaster
 * Corey Burton - Dracula
 * Cam Clarke – Brian Calusky / Piledriver, Griffin Gogol / Captain Ultra
 * Jack Coleman – Dr. Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange
 * Chris Cox – Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Steve Rogers / Captain America (one episode only)
 * Terry Crews - Eric Brooks / Blade
 * Grey DeLisle – Tana Nile
 * John DiMaggio – Dirk Garthwaite / Wrecker, Maxwell Markham / Grizzly
 * Michael Clarke Duncan – Groot
 * Oded Fehr - N'Kantu, the Living Mummy
 * Will Friedle – Wade Wilson / Deadpool
 * Nika Futterman – Gamora
 * Greg Grunberg – Ben Parker
 * Mark Hamill – Nightmare, Shao Lao
 * Maurice LaMarche – Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom, Plymouth Rocker, Charles the Butler
 * Phil LaMarr – J.A.R.V.I.S., Walter Cage
 * Stan Lee – Stan the Janitor
 * Peter Lurie – Victor Creed / Sabretooth
 * Ross Lynch - Werewolf by Night
 * Jason Marsden – Ollie Osnick / Steel Spider
 * James Marsters – Korvac
 * Max Mittelman – Rhino
 * Phil Morris – Max Fury / Scorpio, Leo Zodiac Soldier #2
 * Nolan North – John Jameson / Man-Wolf
 * Adrian Pasdar – Tony Stark / Iron Man
 * Rob Paulsen – Georges Batroc / Batroc the Leaper
 * Kevin Michael Richardson – Robbie Robertson, Cain Marko / Juggernaut, Awesome Android, Howard the Duck, Mac Porter of Damage Control, Henry Camp / Bulldozer, Frankenstein's Monster
 * Daryl Sabara – Alex O'Hirn
 * Dwight Schultz – Mesmero
 * Roger Craig Smith – Steve Rogers / Captain America
 * David Sobolov – Arthur Douglas / Drax the Destroyer
 * Keith Szarabajka – Arthur Parks / Living Laser
 * George Takei – Elder Monk of K'un-L'un
 * Fred Tatasciore – Bruce Banner / Hulk, Phalanx
 * Billy West – Rocket Raccoon
 * Travis Willingham – Thor Odinson / Thor, Skurge / Executioner

Crew

 * Brian Michael Bendis – Writer, Producer, Creative Producer
 * Dana Booton – Supervising Producer
 * Dan Buckley – Executive Producer
 * Joe Casey – Writer, Supervising Producer
 * Paul Dini – Writer, Producer, Creative Consultant
 * Alan Fine – Executive Producer
 * Henry Gilroy - Supervising Producer
 * Joe Kelly – Writer, Supervising Producer
 * Cort Lane – Co-Executive Producer, Supervising Producer
 * Stan Lee – Co-Executive Producer
 * Jeph Loeb – Executive Producer
 * Leanne Moreau - Line Producer
 * Joe Quesada - Executive Producer
 * Eric Radomski – Co-Executive Producer
 * Duncan Rouleau – Writer, Supervising Producer
 * Steven T. Seagle – Writer, Supervising Producer
 * Eugene Son - Story Editor
 * Alex Soto - Supervising Director
 * Collette Sunderman – Casting and Voice Director
 * Harrison Wilcox - Associate Producer

Reception
Critical and fan reception of the series pilot was mixed. Brian Lowry of Variety criticized the series, suggesting that the source material was "strained through the juvenile, rapid-fire-joke filter of Family Guy", and called the show a "high-profile misfire" that didn't "bode well for Marvel's efforts to straddle the line of catering to kids without dumbing down venerable properties that plenty of adults know and love." Eric Goldman of IGN gave the pilot an "Okay" rating of 6 out of 10, stating that while some of the humor was enjoyable, and that the show's target audience of children would love it, "this Spider-Man just doesn't feel like Spider-Man" and that it felt "off, mannered and forced." Goodman also felt that the animation was unimpressive, and that the breaking of the Fourth wall was a more familiar signature trait of Deadpool's than of Spider-Man's. He summed up the show as "a missed opportunity for something that truly hit[s] home with Spider-Man fans of all ages."

David Sims of The A.V. Club gave the pilot a "C" ranking, writing that the first episode "feels rather lame and perfunctory, with wackiness dialed up to 11 in an effort to distract from how fundamentally bland it is." Sim subsequently gave a "C+" to the episode "Doomed" and a "B+" to the episode "Back in Black." Oliver Sava, also of the A.V. Club, gave the episode "Venom" a "B", stating that the title of the show should be changed to Synergy Spider-Man, because it goes beyond movie and Ultimate continuity to create an entry point for young viewers into the main line of Marvel titles. Sava subsequently gave the episode "Field Trip" an "A-".

Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the show a 4 out of 5 stars, noting the abundance of action and humor afforded by the series' premise, and opining that the lessons that Parker learns about growth and responsibility under the guidance of his mentor and friends would make lasting impressions on young viewers.

Broadcast
The show airs worldwide on Disney XD. It premiered on June 22, 2012 in Canada, on July 1, 2012 in South Africa, and on May 31, 2012 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The show will air in Australia on the new channel Disney XD from 10 April 2014.