SDCC '11: Description Of Ultimate Spider-Man Footage

Loeb ran a sizzle reel, including what looked to be fully rendered footage, shots from the Ultimate comics and behind-the-scenes interviews with the talent charged with creating the show (including Stan Lee). This is a very playful, funny Spidey, one who fights Doctor Doom while talking to MJ on the phone (in a split screen shot, we see her cutting vegetables in the kitchen and him dodging Doom's attacks while he's trying to get off the phone). As he swings through Times Square, with a villain in hot pursuit, Spidey momentarily turns into a spider-toaster after the baddie says, "You're toast!"

Stylistic flourishes like that will separate the show from past Spider-Man cartoons. Expect the character to break the fourth wall at times, as when he says to a bad guy "Costumes don't sew themselves" and we quickly cut to Peter at home, sewing his costume. He turns and looks at the camera and says, "What?"

Other glimpses included Spidey riding a motorcycle in a subway tunnel while a tentacled robot chases him, a battle with Venom, Spidey reflecting on Uncle Ben's birthday, Steven Weber voicing Norman Osborn, J.K. Simmons voicing J. Jonah Jameson, and more.

In the reel, Loeb said that this is actually the first time that Marvel is making its own Spider-Man cartoon. We can expect a lot of forced perspective, suggesting the character is thrusting at you, and a prime example is the classic web-shooting "thwip" which was right in our faces at one point in the clip. The backgrounds will change in mid-shot and look highly stylized at times, and Spidey also appears to exhibit more facial expressions through his mask here (such as "closing his" eyes). The show will have lots of guest stars too -- Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Nick Fury (who is mentoring this young Spidey to become the "ultimate Spider-Man," and is voiced by Chi McBride) and, of course, Stan Lee. He'll have a recurring role as "Stan the janitor" at Peter's school.

And speaking of school, Clark Gregg is returning to his role as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Agent Coulson, who will be doing double duty as the high school principal!

Much of the trailer featured the same footage seen in the sizzle reel. Jameson can be seen on a giant screen in Times Square, saying "you're welcome" to New York for exposing Spidey as a threat. Spidey intros himself to the viewer in a voiceover, as the Doom, Venom, toaster and some other bits flash on screen. "Dr. Doom, I presume," he winks. "Heh, rhyme."