Every Marvel Release in 1978
1978 brought 6 Marvel movies and shows, years before the MCU existed, adding up to about 59h 51m. The full list is below, in release order.
Every release this year came from outside the MCU: The Incredible Hulk: Season 1, The Amazing Spider-Man (1977 TV series), Japanese Spider-Man, Dr. Strange (1978), The New Fantastic Four (1978), The Incredible Hulk: Season 2.
| Release date | Title | Type | Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 10, 1978 | The Incredible Hulk: Season 1 Not MCU | Series | 10 hours |
| April 5, 1978 | The Amazing Spider-Man (1977 TV series) Not MCU | Series | 13 eps |
| May 17, 1978 | Japanese Spider-Man Not MCU | Series | 16h 40m |
| September 6, 1978 | Dr. Strange (1978) Not MCU | Film | 1h 34m |
| September 9, 1978 | The New Fantastic Four (1978) Not MCU | Series | 13 eps |
| September 22, 1978 | The Incredible Hulk: Season 2 Not MCU | Series | 16h 40m |
Marvel in 1978
By 1978, CBS was running both of its Marvel shows as weekly series. The Incredible Hulk premiered in March, and The Amazing Spider-Man followed on April 5. The network also tried a third hero: Dr. Strange, a TV film written and directed by Philip DeGuere with Peter Hooten as a psychiatrist turned Sorcerer Supreme, aired on September 6. Its ratings were very low, and no series followed.
The more surprising Spider-Man of 1978 was in Japan. Toei's live-action series premiered on May 17 and gave its hero a giant robot called Leopardon. That idea carried over into Toei's Super Sentai franchise, and the show's Takuya Yamashiro later turned up in the 2014 Spider-Verse comics event, long before multiversal Spider-Men were a film idea.
FAQ
Was there a Doctor Strange movie before Benedict Cumberbatch?
Yes. CBS aired Dr. Strange, a TV film starring Peter Hooten, on September 6, 1978. It was meant as a pilot, but no series was made.
What is the Japanese Spider-Man show?
It is a 1978-79 Toei series that gave Spider-Man a giant robot named Leopardon. It ran 41 episodes on Tokyo Channel 12.
How many Marvel movies and shows came out in 1978?
There were 6, about 59h 51m of viewing in all.
What was the first Marvel release of 1978?
The Incredible Hulk: Season 1, released March 10, 1978.
What was the last Marvel release of 1978?
The Incredible Hulk: Season 2, released September 22, 1978.