Marvel to Extend More Animated Films; What Franchises Are Getting Animated Spin-Offs?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is spreading more rapidly than most people could really believe. Just a few years ago, the MCU was one movie - "Iron Man." Now, in two years Marvel will start releasing three major movies per year, plus "Agents of SHIELD," "Agent Carter" and another "Agents of SHIELD" spin-off in the works. And an entirely separate team of heroes on Netflix (which Daredevil was released on, to rave reviews).

But could Marvel add a roster of animated movies to their already massive film universe? That may be the next step. Accordig to The Movie Network, an animated MCU may be a very real possibility. They report that Cort Lane, who is Marvel's VP of Animation Development and Production, said that "I can't announce anything, but things are in the works" when asked about a potential animated MCU.

The Movie Network also adds a number of important benefits to this addition to the MCU. For one, animated films aren't bound to the same rights that live-action films are, meaning Marvel could potentially use other characters in their animated films but not their live-action ones. As well, this could be the perfect solution to a problem a lot of Marvel fans have been struggling with- that eventually, actors like Chris Evans and Robert Downey, Jr. will get too old to keep starring in action movies. At that point, they could keep voicing the animated versions of the characters for as long as they'd like.

MoviePilot also suggests that a Marvel animated universe could potentially tie into "Big Hero 6"- something that's also been rumored for quite a while, and not possible when the MCU is all live-action and "Big Hero 6" isn't.

But what movies might Marvel make in an animated spin-off? GamesRadar suggests a potential "Guardians of the Galaxy" series, while other sources suggest ideas for smaller comic book characters that might not see the light of day otherwise. Squirrel Girl, or perhaps Runaways.

While news is still scarce on the animated Marvel Universe, keep your eye out for any new developments.