Reimagining beloved IP for younger audiences is nothing new for Disney Branded Television. With Disney Jr. under its helm, series such as Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends, Disney Jr.’s Ariel, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ have connected these viewers with iconic franchises and characters hailed by their parents’ generations and beyond.
Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends, Disney Jr.’s latest incarnation of age-appropriate IP, is a conduit for this brand synergy, with characters like Iron Man, Ultron, and Black Panther coming to life for kids (and some as kids themselves). As youngsters, the dynamic trio — Iron Man, Ironheart, and Iron Hulk — join forces to save the day, fight baddies, and make friends while promoting values of play, problem-solving, teamwork, and imagination.
“It’s such a beautiful show — the animation is such eye candy — but you’re watching these kids work together as a team when faced with challenges and gain from each other’s differences,” said actor Tony Hale, who voices Ultron in the series. “What a great lesson for kids to learn early on.”
These sentiments aside, Hale loves playing the bad guy, whom he portrays with animated flare and a high-pitched cackle that verges on maniacally playful. “Ultron is so fun and kind of a callback to old classic villains — a little twisting of the mustache and a bit of a foil,” he said.
Iconic characters like Ultron can bridge generations, nodding to the past while creating something new for kids; while others, like newcomer Dottie Doubleday, create possibility and open doors for young viewers. ESPN sportscaster and analyst Jessica Mendoza guest stars as the voice of Dottie Doubleday, the friendly owner of Dottie Doubleday’s Batting Cages, where the heroic trio practice hitting balls.
Beyond bringing the enthusiasm and upbeat vocal projection inherent to announcers, Mendoza hopes to instill inspiration and change through a character like Dottie Doubleday. “It can’t be overlooked how important it is having a female character who is an owner involved in a sports space that has oftentimes generationally been for men and boys, empowering these young superhero characters,” said Mendoza.
She hopes her character and the show will inspire a love of sport and play, much like the initiative behind the global, multiplatform “Disney Jr. Let’s Play!” campaign designed to inspire preschoolers to experience the joy of play through Disney Jr.’s beloved characters and stories, including those in Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends. Disney Jr. also collaborated with ESPN and national nonprofit Every Kid Sports on the “Take Back Sports” initiative, offering sports grants to families with preschoolers who are facing financial hardship.
Play and sports are key themes throughout the show, depicting the joy and necessity to go outside and share these activities with others while also instilling important life skills in kids. “When you’re in preschool, you’re learning how to handle things when they don’t go your way, or you strike out,” said Mendoza. Through the adventures and challenges the three superheroes face, they create a safe space to model to young audiences the power of problem-solving and learning from mistakes with curiosity, humility and camaraderie — all while having fun with “totally awesome” friends.
“The Iron Man world is larger than life, which is great, but when kids see characters their age empowered and facing challenges, it doesn’t feel so far from them,” said Hale. Reimagining franchises like Iron Man for younger audiences is an entryway into these worlds and the lessons that can be learned from them.
“At Disney Jr., we know our stories are often a preschooler’s first introduction to the adventure and magic of Disney, and we take that responsibility to heart,” said Alyssa Sapire, head of Disney Jr., Original Programming and Strategy. “Our goal is to spark imagination, inspire joy, and create lasting connections that grow into a lifelong love for Disney.”
Disney Jr. not only connects kids to these characters from a young age but builds generational glue in families that fuels connection through fandom. This is true in Mendoza’s family, whose husband is a big Marvel comic collector.
“He knows these characters like they’re family members and grew up watching the cartoons and reading comic books,” she said. Now, her kids are experiencing the Marvel universe and get to watch their mom be a part it.
“Let’s be real: I cover Major League Baseball and college football, which they love, but when you enter the space of Marvel and Disney, it’s like a whole other level of ‘mom’s cool,'” said Mendoza. “I’m able to be on a screen with all of these characters they’re so familiar with. That’s been fun for me.”
From connecting families through timeless IP, instilling life skills, and inspiring kids to play and work together, Disney Jr. has created a uniquely synergistic space from which younger generations can thrive and grow. Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends further expands this world, brought to life by talent like Hale and Mendoza, who understand the lasting impact these characters will have on the young adults of tomorrow.
Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends premieres Monday, August 11, on Disney Jr., at 8:30 a.m. ET/PT and later on Disney Channel, with the first 10 episodes available Tuesday, August 12, on Disney+. Also debuting in October is the 22-minute special Marvel’s Spidey and Iron Man: Avengers Team Up! — and in 2027, Marvel’s Avengers: Mightiest Friends, the first-ever preschool Avengers series.