It's been four decades since Steve Jobs bought Lucasfilm's Computer Graphics Division and incorporated it as an independent company, giving birth to Pixar. The studio, now owned by Disney, has shaped the direction of animation in the 40 years since, winning 11 Oscars for Best Animated Feature along the way (For insights into its success, see the Pixar storytelling rules).
From Toy Story to Hoppers, Pixar has largely stuck to its 3D CGI approach to animation over that time, although it seems upcoming Gatto will break from that. Given that change of style, it's interesting to wonder what classic Pixar characters would look like in a 2D art style, and now Disney's giving us a taste in the form of Marvel's tribue to Pixar on its 40th anniversary.
The comic publisher is adapting some of the animation studio's most iconic characters in a series of reinterpretations of classic Marvel covers, just as Toy Story 5 hits cinemas (see the fuss over the Taylor Swift Toy Story 5 Easter eggs).
Marvel is celebrating Pixar's 40th anniversary by turning the covers of some of its best-known comics from over the decades into nostalgic tributes. Cover art ranging from 1962's Amazing Fantasy to 2016's Hawkeye will be revisited and reimagined featuring Pixar characters from Toy Story, The Incredibles, Inside Out, A Bug's Life and more.
The fun lies in the crossovers: The Incredibles pay homage to Fantastic Four, WALL-E mimics an Iron Man pose and Brave becomes Hawkeye.
Here are the covers revealed so far along with their respective inspirations. Further covers yet to be revealed will see characters from Toy Story 5, Up and Ratatouille take the place of Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Incredible Hulk, respectively.
Alas, the tribute is restricted to collectible covers, not a narrative crossover. We won't see Woody or Buzz Lightyear fighting alongside the Avengers, but we do get to see Pixar characters reinterpreting classic images from the Marvel universe, combining two of Disney's most beloved brands.
The first issue in the series will be Fantastic Four #13 with a cover by David Baldeón to be released by Marvel on 1 July.
