Marvel Comics has announced that they've entered a partnership with Madhouse - the well-known Tokyo-based anime production studio - to develop a 12 episode anime TV series featuring Marvel's super hero characters. The first series is confirmed to feature Iron Man and Wolverine amongst other characters, and will premiere on the Animax network in early 2010.

Marvel and Madhouse have issued differing statements on the partnership. Marvel International president Simon Philips has said that Mavel intends for the super heroes to be redesigned to become "part of the fabric of [Japanese] society." Madhouse president Jungo Maruta agreed, applauding Marvel's open-mindedness, giving creators the freedom to explore the potential in this adaptation. Madhouse chief operating officer Alex Yeh, on the other hand, has said that "Although they say, 'I want Japanese anime,' it's not what they actually want. They want a hybrid between Japanese and Western animation."

These productions will also be developed into manga, while the anime will be distributed through a variety of outlets - including cellphones.