For hardcore comic fans, the number '616' is important.
It refers to the number of alternate universes in Marvel Comics. The comics exist in a world called Earth-616, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe exists in a world called Earth-199999. Meanwhile, the '60s 'Spider-Man' animated series exists in a world called Earth-67. There's even an alternate universe called Earth-58163 where mutants rule the world and Magneto from 'X-Men' is a global political leader and monarch.
Anyway, 'Marvel's 616' is a new documentary series from Disney+ that examines the legacy and history of Marvel Comics, how it's managed to shape popular culture, and what impact it's had on art and artists over the past few decades. Not only that, each of the eight episodes are directed by well-known filmmakers.
For example, the opening episode looks at the Japanese 'Spider-Man' series of the '70s, with the episode directed by David Gelb, who did 'Jiro: Dreams of Sushi'. Other episodes will be directed by Paul Scheer from 'How Did This Get Made?', Andrew Rossi who did 'Page One: Inside the New York Times', and many more.
The series lands on Disney+ on November 20th. Here's the first trailer.
