Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man series concludes its first season Sunday Oct. 28 by introducing one of the hero's best-known villains of all-time: The Green Goblin.
In advance of the finale, Marvel's head of television Jeph Loeb talked about Ultimate Spider-Man and the company's upcoming plans.
The Disney XD cartoon is based on the newer Ultimate version of the classic character, which reboots him back to his early high school days.
The comic version, first introduced in 2000, was an instant hit.
The animated version draws on that DNA but spins it in new direction, primarily by making Spider-Man a SHIELD agent in training and joining him with four other young heroes: Nova, Power Man, Iron Fist and White Tiger.
Now the show is introducing the Green Goblin, the villainous alter ego of Norman Osborn, the father of Peter Parker's best friend Harry.
Parker is of course Spider-Man.
Loeb points out that several different versions of Green Goblin have existed over the years but this one is based on the version in the Ultimate comics universe.
Unlike the original Goblin, who Loeb says was "basically a guy in a Halloween mask," Osborne literally transform into a goblin in this version.
Loeb is very pleased about the first season, calling ahigh-school age Spidey a "return to his roots" and the high school setting perfect for XD's audience.
He sees this as the universal Spider-Man: the extraordinary hero who is also an ordinary kid with everyday problems.
The Marvel boss is also pleased at how the show has mixed in the heroes trademark banter and humor, in particular by sometimes breaking the fourth wall.
He credits the writing team for helping realize this vision, including Brian Michael Bendis, who created the original comics version of Ultimate Spider-Man, Paul Dini and the Man of Action collective, featuring Steven T. Seagle, Joe Kelly, Joe Casey and Duncan Rouleau)
Loeb is also looking forward to Marvel's upcoming animation projects, which include Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and Avengers Ultimate. He says both shows hopes to grab some of the epic grandeur found in the Avengers movie.
Also on tap is the direct-to-DVD CG illustrated Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United, which not only pairs two of the movie's favoriteheroes but taps into the mix humor and adventure that made The Avengers such a smash.
But about the proposed live-action SHIELD TV show that everyone is buzzing about, Loeb is tight lipped.
Even though it was revealed that Clark Gregg would return as Agent Colson (who appeared killed in the movie) and Ming Na had been cast as a SHIELD agent, he won't offer up more details.
He jokes that he's afraid what SHIELD, a spy organization, will do to him if they catch him leaking.
