Not to be confused with PlayStation Hero Projects.
Hero Project
GenreDocumentary
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Num seasons1
Num episodes20
Executive producer
Company
ChannelDisney+
First airedNovember 12, 2019
Last airedMarch 20, 2020

Marvel's Hero Project is an American documentary television series by Marvel New Media for Disney+ streamed from November 12, 2019.[1] The series was removed from Disney+ on May 26, 2023.[2]

Premise

The series follows the young heroes who are making remarkable and positive change across communities by dedicating their lives in selfless acts of bravery and kindness.[1][3] Every kid who features in the show will have their own Marvel comic.[4]

In life, it doesn't take wearing a suit of iron, carrying a mythical hammer, or swinging from spider webs to be a real hero. Sometimes the person who can make a positive difference in the world is the person who simply sees a problem and has the passion to find a creative solution.

— Marvel Entertainment[1]

Development

The series is announced as one of the two documentaries by Marvel for Disney+ on April 10, 2019.[5] The editors at Marvel Comics found some innovative ways to include these kids as superheroes and to surprise them by revealing they are immortalised in Marvel Comics.[6][7][4]

Anyone can watch this show and feel like they can go out and do something. It helps families talk about difficult issues.

— Sarah Amos

Release

The first episode of the series launched on November 12, 2019, as one of the first titles for Disney+ with a new episode on every Friday.[1] The series has 20 episodes in total.[6]

Promotion

At D23 Expo the series conducted a panel and explained about the series and revealed the release plan.[1] On October 1, 2019, the first full trailer was released by Disney+.[7] At New York Comic Con in early October, the first episode was screen by Marvel featuring Jordan Reeves, creator of Project Unicorn.[8] Later on the day an exclusive clip was released online from the first episode.

Comics

The comics will be available on Marvel Unlimited and Marvel Digital Comic Store for free, concurrent with the episodes.[7][4]

Reception

Critical reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% approval rating for the first season with an average rating of 7.90/10, based on 13 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "A heartwarming and powerful glimpse into the lives of some real-life heroes, Marvel's Hero Project finds inspiration in a new generation of innovators."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 54 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]

Dave Trumbore, writing for Collider said, "The non-fiction show reveals the remarkable, positive change 20 young, real-life heroes are making in their own communities. These inspiring, driven, and engaging kids have dedicated their lives to selfless acts of bravery and kindness, and now, Marvel celebrates them by welcoming them into Marvel's Hero Project."[11] Joel Keller of Decider found that the documentary provides inspirational stories, claiming it demonstrates how differences can become beneficial, while saying that the show empowers the audience and encourage creativity.[12] CNET's Bonnie Burton declared, "Marvel's Hero Project on Disney Plus spotlights real kids making a difference."[13] Melissa Camacho of Common Sense Media rated the documentary 5 out of 5 stars, stating: "Marvel's Hero Project is an uplifting series that profiles heroic tweens and teens who are taking leadership roles in their communities and proactively trying to making a positive difference in the world."[14] Matt Fowler for IGN rated the series 7,5 out of 10 and wrote: "Marvel's Hero Project is a well-intentioned and nicely-presented packaging of profiles featuring some uniquely inspiring young warriors willfully making the world a better place. It's not entirely suited for a 30-minute format, and you can often feel the strain, but it's never not uplifting."[15]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2020Online Film & Television Association TV AwardsBest Children's ProgramMarvel's Hero Project[16]

References

  1. ^ "D23 Expo 2019: 'Marvel's Hero Project' Heading to Disney+ On November 12". Marvel.com. Archived August 25, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Weatherbed, Jess (May 19, 2023). "Disney will remove over 50 shows from Disney Plus and Hulu this month". The Verge. Archived May 19, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "'Marvel's Hero Project': Release date, plot, and everything you need to know about the upcoming documentary on Disney +". meaww. September 10, 2019. Archived March 25, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  4. ^ "Marvel's Hero Project Trailer Released for Disney+". ComicBook.com. Archived October 1, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  5. ^ "'Marvel's Hero Project' and 'Marvel's 616' Heading to Disney+". Marvel.com. Archived November 12, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  6. ^ "Real People. Real Heroes: "Marvel's Hero Project" Series for Disney+". insidethemagic. August 24, 2019. Archived March 25, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  7. ^ "'Marvel's Hero Project' Trailer: Disney+ Spotlights Extraordinary And Inspiring Real-Life Kid Heroes". October 2019. Archived October 1, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  8. ^ "NYCC: THE MARVEL HERO PROJECT BRINGS REAL LIFE HEROES INTO THE SPOTLIGHT". Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  9. ^ "Marvel's Hero Project: Season 1 (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived November 22, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  10. ^ "Marvel's Hero Project – TV Show Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  11. ^ Trumbore, Dave (November 12, 2019). "'Marvel's Hero Project' Review: Disney+ Delivers an Endearing, Empowering Docuseries". Collider. Archived November 6, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  12. ^ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Marvel's Hero Project' On Disney+, Where Amazing Kids Become Superheroes In Their Own Comic Books". Decider. November 14, 2019. Archived May 19, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  13. ^ Burton, Bonnie. "Marvel's Hero Project on Disney Plus spotlights real kids making a difference". CNET. Archived November 6, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  14. ^ "Marvel's Hero Project – TV Review". commonsensemedia.org. November 9, 2019. Archived September 26, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  15. ^ Fowler, Matt (November 7, 2019). "Disney Plus: Marvel's Hero Project Premiere Review". IGN. Archived November 7, 2019 at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ^ "24th Annual TV Awards (2019–20) – Online Film & Television Association". Archived September 25, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 24, 2020.