Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse

**GeneChing** · 06-06-2018, 09:34 AM

**GeneChing** · 11-06-2019, 07:50 AM

We didn't discuss the first film. It wasn't very martial but it was great, one of my fav Spider-man movies of all. The sequel looks very promising.

'Spider-Verse 2' producer confirms a totally wild Spider-Man for the sequel
It's the Emissary of Hell! Meet Toei's Spider-Man, the first new confirmed character for 2022's 'Spider-Verse.'

By Eric Francisco on November 5, 2019
Filed Under Marvel Movies, Marvel Universe, Monsters, Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse & Superheroes

A sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will swing into theaters in 2022. That’s a long time from now! But we already know the first new Spider-Man thanks to one of the film’s producers.

And he is the Emissary of Hell, Toei’s Spider-Man!

On Monday, Kubo and the Two Strings creator Shannon Tindle posted on Twitter a public plea to the sequel’s producers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, director Joaquim Dos Santos, and production designer Justin K. Thompson. Tindle asked to design for the film a new character, Spider-Man.

No, not Peter Parker. Tindle was referring to Takuya Yamashiro, the Japanese Spider-Man who starred in a 1970s television series produced by Toei.

“Dear @philiplord, @chrizmillr, @JDS_247 and @shinypinkbottle,” Tindle wrote on Twitter, “Now that you’ve announced Spidey 2, IF, through some miracle of miracles, Japanese Spider-Man is written into the film, I will happily design him for you.”

Phil Lord responded to Tindle’s plea some bad news, at least for him. (Good news for us!) Said Lord, “He’s already designed!”

Boom. Our first new character for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, confirmed on Twitter. And this is a big one! Because of all the Spider-Men to inhabit an alternate universe, Toei’s Spider-Man is definitely one of the strangest.

Spider-Man Toei Spider-Verse
On Twitter, 'Spider-Verse 2' producer Phil Lord confirmed a new Spider-Man for the sequel: Takuya Yamashiro, the Spider-Man of Japan!

Back in 1978, Marvel’s Stan Lee brokered a partnership with Japanese TV studio, Toei, to produce new shows based on each other’s intellectual properties. While Marvel co-produced the series Battle Fever J and nearly produced an American version of Toei’s superhero series Super Sentai — an effort that would evolve into Power Rangers — Toei in turn had access to Marvel’s characters. And what Toei created was Spider-Man, or Supaidāman.

Spider-Man, which aired for 41 episodes between 1978 and 1979, followed the adventures of 22-year-old motocross racer Takuya Yamashiro (Shinji Tōdō). Injected with the blood of a warrior from Planet Spider, Takuya inherits spider-powers, allowing him to become “Spider-Man” and take on the evil Iron Cross Army. He also had a giant robot, Leopardon.

Yes, it’s totally weird. And yes, it’s totally awesome.

While mostly unknown in the United States, Toei’s Spider-Man was a success in Japan and had the enthusiastic approval of Stan Lee. It was also creatively innovative. Toy sales of Spider-Man’s Leopardon boosted the already trendy appeal of giant robots in the Japanese consumer market. And the episodic formula for the show, in which the hero first fights monsters on the ground before raising the stakes in a giant robot battle, would be reused by Toei for its Super Sentai series, thus creating the basis for every Power Rangers episode.

And Marvel hasn’t ignored Takuya Yamashiro. In 2009, Marvel streamed episodes of Spider-Man on its website with English subtitles. In 2014, Marvel confirmed Takuya’s place in Marvel multiverse canon through an appearance in Dan Slott’s comic book crossover series Spider-Verse.

In issue #12 of The Amazing Spider-Man, during the events of Spider-Verse, Takuya comes through a portal in the cockpit seat of Leopardon. While it’s a pretty epic moment, he is quickly defeated by the villain Morlun.

Spider-Man Leopardon
In 'The Amazing Spider-Man' #14, which took place during the Spider-Man crossover 'Spider-Verse,' Takuya Yamashiro arrives piloting his signature robot, Leopardon, which confirmed Takuya's place in the Marvel multiverse.

Although the plot and story of Spider-Verse 2 is a deep secret, the inclusion of a new Spider-Man suggests an even bigger version of what audiences saw in Into the Spider-Verse. That means more Spider-heroes joining up with Miles, Peter, and Gwen (and Peter Porker?), though what evil awaits them has yet to be unmasked.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 will be released in theaters on April 8, 2022.

**GeneChing** · 01-14-2020, 09:53 AM

JAN 09 2020
Shozo Uehara, writer of Ultraman and Japanese Spider-Man, passes away
By BrianM in Television

Super Sentai fans, there is sad news coming from Japan. Legendary tokusatsu writer Shozo Uehara has passed away due to complications with liver cancer. He was 82.

Uehara is best remembered as the main writer for Ultraman and one of the original writers on Ultra Q, the series that preceded Ultraman. He was later contracted by Toei Productions and created his first Super Sentai series, Himitsu Sentai Goranger (known as Five Rangers in the West).

Shozo Uehara was born in Okinawa, Naha, an island in the far south of Japan on February 6, 1932. His family survived World War II after fleeing a Japanese occupied Taiwan in 1944. They returned home only to find it had been destroyed in air raids and drifted in the seas for two weeks before reaching the Kagoshima Prefecture. Uehara’s family would eventually return to Naha, Japan in 1946.

Uehara joined Tsuburaya Productions after graduating from Chuo University after his work was discovered by the company heads who read his writings about the war in Okinawan dramas. He would make his debut as lead writer for Ultra Q in the series’ 21st episode. From that point, he worked as lead writer for the fourth Ultraman series, The Return of Ultraman. Uehara joined Toei Productions in 1973 and created the Super Sentai series “Himitsu Sentai Goranger“, which likely served as inspiration for Saban’s Power Rangers franchise. He also led the writing team for the tokusatsu Spider-Man series (which is rumored to be featured in the second Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse film). He has also worked in several anime series including Dororon Enma-kun, Fist of the North Star, and Space Pirate Captain Harlock.

Shozo Uehara passed away January 2 and his death was made public after private services were held by his family. Uehara’s inspiration lives on in Saban’s Power Rangers franchise and Netflix’s Ultraman series.

Himitsu Sentai Goranger opening

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