A new year brings a new wave in animation. Feature-length films may get the majority of the hype, but let’s not forget there are many new animated television series debuting in 2018 too. We at Rotoscopers have already previewed some of these series last year (Marvel Rising, Ninja Batman, Trollhunters, Big Hero 6: The Series, among many others), but here’s a quick look at five new animated series we haven’t touched on yet:

Deadpool The Animated Series

Yes, you read that right. In 2018 we will see an animated take on Marvel’s popular foul-mouthed hero and, no, it won’t be aimed at kids. The show will air on FXX, an offshoot of FX, which also created and produced the popular adult animated series Archer. Donald and Stephen Glover are the show’s co-creators, and Jeph Loeb (Marvel head of TV) and Jim Chory are executive producing. FX head John Landgraf stated the series will be distinctly different from the live-action Deadpool films. Perhaps this means we’ll see more of Deadpool’s comic book roots when the 10-episode series debuts.

Mega Man

Mega Man animated series have been done multiple times since the mid-1990s, but Cartoon Network and Dentsu Entertainment USA hope to reboot the franchise again sometime in 2018. This version of the Mega Man story will introduce Mega Man’s alter-ego Aki Light – a normal schoolboy robot, but with the ability to reform his skin into computer code, complete with a suit of nanocore armor and a Mega Buster arm cannon. The series will target kids aged 6 – 9, along with their parents who grew up with Capcom’s Mega Man video game series. Cartoon Network is hopeful for a 2018 release date, but one has not yet been confirmed.

Constantine

The live-action Constantine film in 2005 may not have been a big hit, but the CW is betting it can bank on the loyal fan following when it debuts an animated series on CW seed, the network’s digital viewing platform. Matt Ryan, the actor who portrayed John Constantine in the film, provides the voice-over for the animated version of the character. The series boasts some big names in the live-action superhero scene, with David S. Goyer, Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl), and Sarah Schechter (Blindspot, Riverdale, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) producing. J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League Dark, Batman vs. Robin) wrote the script and Doug Murphy (Justice League Action, Young Justice) is directing. The series will consist of ten episodes of five to six minutes each, and will air in the early part of 2018.

Gorillaz The Animated Series

An animated series about a virtual cartoon band? Oh yes. The musicians behind the band Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have proven themselves before with the cult classic Tank Girl and numerous multimedia works on the band’s website, so they have the skills to create another hit. Hewlett stated that he will direct the first and last episodes of the Gorillaz series. The characters will be portrayed in 2D, but how the rest of the show will be rendered is still up in the air. An exact release date is not confirmed, but the series will air sometime in 2018.

Persona 5

One of the most popular role-playing games of 2017, Persona 5 will get its own animated series in the new year. Crunchyroll, Atlus, and A-1 Pictures are collaborating on the series, which will feature the same voice talent as in the Japanese video games. The story revolves around a group of rebel teenagers trying to change a corrupt world dependent on slavery. The series will release in Japan in April, and will be available for streaming via services such as Crunchyroll and VRV.

Via Screenrant.

Do any of these new shows pique your interest? What animated series are you most looking forward to in 2018?

Edited by: Hannah Wilkes