In terms of overall tone and style, the series is based on the original stories byStan Lee andJack Kirby. The series also uses material from all eras of the comic's run as well as other sources, such as theMarvel Cinematic Universe.[3]
Following Loki's defeat, the Avengers track down the remnants of the Masters of Evil. The team is joined byMs. Marvel and theVision as they face new enemies includingDoctor Doom,Thunderbolt Ross, and theRed Skull, as well as alien threats such as theSkrulls, theKree, andGalactus. The season alludes to a developing storyline in whichSurtur escapesMuspelheim and gathers strength to oppose the Avengers as a prelude toRagnarök.
Josh Fine and a number of other creators ofThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes were initially developing a series based on the Hulk. However, it never made it past the scripting stages, with the team instead creating a new series based on the Avengers.[10]
Marvel announced in October 2008 that itsMarvel Animation division and the outside studioFilm Roman would produce an Avengers animated TV series,The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, for planned broadcast in 2010.[11] Fifty-two episodes were confirmed as being in production.[1] The show's executive producers include Simon Philips and Eric S. Rollman.[12] Joshua Fine serves as supervising producer andChristopher Yost serves as story editor on the show.[13] A 20-part micro-series debuted on September 22, 2010, onDisney XD, focusing on each hero's backstory and the events that lead to the main series.[14] The series started airing on Marvel's sister network, Disney XD in the United States on October 20, 2010, and onTeletoon in Canada on October 22, 2010, in English and March 2011 in French.[15][16] According toJeph Loeb, season 2 would presumably begin around October 2011, same as season 1 and producer Josh Fine tweeted in April 2011 that 13 episodes were completed.[17]
At the 2011 New York Comic-Con, Loeb contradicted his earlier statement of season 2 launch in late 2011. Loeb announced at the panel at New York Comic-con that "Avengers Season 2 will be coming in early 2012 (to coincide withUltimate Spider-Man)."[18] This date would later be clarified as April 1, 2012.[2]Dong Woo Animation, Lotto Animation, and Noxxon Enterprise produced the series' animation.
According to producer Josh Fine, due to executive changes during the second season, a planned multi-season story arc involving theRed Skull was compressed into the season's second half.[24] Other ideas were to present theWinter Soldier in a more lethal, although less powerful way.[25]
Thus as it was considered that the story of Unlimited Ultron and his robotic replacement plan was introduced very soon after the Skrull invasion with a similar story, wishing that this arc had been carried over to later seasons.[26]
In an original script of "Powerless",Loki (having severe facial injuries from theMidgard Serpent's acid) was revealed to be imprisoned in a corner ofYggdrasil, andAmora the Enchantress had freed herself from Surtur's possession and was serving him with free will, as well asMs Marvel and notIron Man being one of the villains' targets to lose their powers.[27][28] In addition toOdin having a scene where he lost his eye and would be replaced byKurse, while Amora would accuse Loki of trying to betray him for wanting to use his powers for his own plans to conquer Asgard instead of contributing to Ragnarok.>[29][30]
Cristopher Yost stated that it was originally planned to adapt the "Emperor Doom" comic arc (with the appearance ofWonder Man and theScarlet Witch), which became the episode "Emperor Stark".[34][35][36] He even sold copy ot the original script for such episode.[37]
It was originally intended to make the season 2 finale a 3-part one where the Avengers would further explore Planet Hala (capital of theKree Empire) after defeating theSupreme Intelligence, having a final confrontation againstGalactus there instead of on Earth.[38][20]
At the same time, that season finale would have originally made the New Avengers episode happen after Operation Galactic Storm, replacing the causes of their formation because the Avengers were on the other side of the universe and not becauseKang took them out of time.[39]Yellowjacket and Spider-Man would have been searching forSentry[22] (who was originally supposed to have been introduced in "Assault on 42" and have an episode focused on in it).[23]
Josh Fine stated that in such finale season arc,Princess Ravonna would have awakened from her stasis inReed Richards' laboratory and would be seeking to free Kang with Solomon's Frogs, caused because The Avengers collapsed the Kree wormhole and prevented the destruction of Earth's sun, which prevented the event that destroyed the future Earth of Kang's timeline. Due to script changes by orders from above (Man of Action Studios and Jeph Loeb),[40][41] the Ravonna thread was left pending, so later, when Christopher Yost was working on the comics for the series, he decided to address it as a seed for a possible 3rd season.[42]
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes was not renewed for a third season and was succeeded by a new Avengers show calledAvengers Assemble in 2013.[43] On July 14, 2012, at the 2012 Marvel Television Presents panel atSan Diego Comic-Con,Jeph Loeb, head ofMarvel Television, said of the relationship between the two shows:
We're not in any way sayingEarth's Mightiest Heroes never happened. You will see an epic conclusion. And then you'll say, 'Oh, what's next?'[44]
The only voice actors to reprise their roles forAvengers Assemble are Fred Tatasciore and James Mathis as the Hulk and Black Panther, respectively. Additionally, Drake Bell returned to voice Spider-Man for guest appearances, while the other members of the team share their voices with their counterparts in theUltimate Spider-Man.[45][46]
Following the 10-year anniversary of the series' premiere, story editor Christopher Yost published a series of Twitter posts outlining a hypothetical third season.[47] These tweets, which Yost described as "what if" scenarios rather than officially planned content, included references to adapting major Marvel teams and storylines includingStrange Tales,[48]the West Coast Avengers,[49]the X-Men,[50]The Evolutionary War,[51] andHouse of M.[52] Following that, in a series of since-deleted Tweets, Yost also discussed what he might have included in seasons thereafter, mentioning a possible two-part fourth season including adaptations ofThe Infinity Gauntlet andActs of Vengeance, or a possible fifth season based onSecret Wars.
Since the series' cancellation, character design supervisor Thomas Perkins[53] published fan art of characters from the series in his book IF....[54] These designs have since fueled speculation regarding whether these character may have been considered for future seasons.[55]
While accepting that it would still be unlikely, Yost and Fine have discussed their renewed interest in continuing the series.[24]
On the review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.50 out of 10 based on 5 reviews.[58]
Allan Scoot ofScreen Rant stated thatThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes featured impressive animation and writing, updating the classic origins of the Avengers while faithfully introducing key members such as Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and others. He praised the series for offering a comic-accurate and entertaining portrayal of Marvel's superhero team. Scoot found the series unfortunate to be cut short after two seasons to make way forAvengers Assemble, but noted that it still provided fans with a standout take on the Avengers, complete with a memorable theme song, making it a notable entry in the genre of Avengers cartoons.[59] Will Wade ofCommon Sense Media gaveThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes a grade of 3 out of 5 stars. He found the show to be action-packed, with numerous super-powered battles resulting in significant destruction but few injuries. Wade praised the series for its engaging plotting and character development, appealing to both teens and older Marvel fans. He noted the depiction of positive messages and role models, saying that while the villains sometimes appear to gain the upper hand, the Avengers ultimately prevail, showcasing the heroes' bravery in their ongoing mission to protect the world from powerful supervillains.[60] Alex Zalben ofMTV rankedThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 1st in their "5 Best Avengers Cartoons Of All Time" list, describing it as the best animated Avengers series to date, despite being the most recent. He highlighted its faithfulness to the comics, its fun and ambitious nature, and its successful blend of large storylines and a vast array of Marvel characters. Zalben stated that the series works well for both kids and adults, and not only considered it the best Avengers cartoon, but possibly one of the best Marvel animated shows of all time.[61]
Jonathon Dornbush and Joshua Rivera ofEntertainment Weekly rankedThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 4th in their "9 Best Animated TV Series Drawn From Comics" list, stating that it gave Marvel's superhero team the proper animated treatment, showcasing many heroes and villains who had not yet appeared in films, though they anticipated all would eventually be featured. They praised the show for its well-constructed team dynamic, creating a core cast that felt both familiar and fresh, complementing the live-action Marvel properties at the time. Dornbush and Rivera noted that there was still much to appreciate in the show's 52 episodes, making it a worthwhile revisit, especially during the long waits between live-action Avengers films.[62] Trey Pasch ofMovieWeb rankedThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 2nd in their "Best Marvel Animated Projects" list, noting that, despite its two-season run, the show earned some of the highest ratings of any Marvel animated series. Pasch praised the show's unique lineup, which began with Iron Man, Giant Man, Hulk, Thor, and Wasp, with additional characters like Captain America and Black Panther joining later. He highlighted how the show adapted popular storylines, such as the "Avengers: Breakout" arc by Brian Michael Bendis in the first season, and an overarching plot involving Loki as the main villain.[63] Michael Doran ofNewsarama rankedThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 10th in their "10 Best Comic Book Animated Series Of All Time" list, praised it as one of the newest and most impactful Avengers cartoons, noting that the show made a strong impression in its first season. He highlighted the show's structure, with solo episodes that gradually led to the team coming together in a significant way. Doran described the series as possibly the purest Avengers cartoon, filled with heroes working together, over-the-top villainous threats, and big action. He also appreciated the overall sense of happiness in the show, adding that its catchy theme song was unforgettable, often lingering in viewers' minds until the next episode began.[64]
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroescomic book series, written byChristopher Yost, and artwork by Scott Wegener,Christopher Jones andPatrick Scherberger was published to accompany the series. It was a four-issue limited series.[68] An ongoing comic book series titledThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Adventures debuted in April 2012, alongside theUltimate Spider-Man Adventures series. Christopher Yost returned as the main writer, with Adam Dekraker serving as the comic's creative team, while Nuno Plati provided artwork.[69]
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