Essential Marvel Audio Dramas That You Should Listen To
When it comes to Marvel, there are lots of things that fans are well aware of. Obviously, Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies would immediately spring to mind. Add to that the TV shows, clothes and toys, and of course, video games, and that covers the main areas in which Marvel has a presence. Unfortunately, very few people seem to be talking about it, but one new area that Marvel has expanded into recently is audio dramas.
Initially launching on Stitcher in 2018, Marvel has teamed up with SiriusXM radio station for this venture. Marvel has now released six fun serialised audio drama podcasts. They are all available to listen to via the SiriusXM app and the Marvel channel on Apple Podcasts and Pandora, Stitcher Pocket Casts, and Spotify. A subscription is required for currently running shows if you want to listen to each episode as it drops, but they are then on a delayed-release for free.
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Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night
The first podcast audio drama released was Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night. Following a string of mysterious deaths in Burns, Alaska, Special Agents Sally Pierce and Tad Marshall arrive to investigate. They soon find there’s more going on than meets the eye. Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night stars Celia Keenan-Bolger and Ato Essandoh as Agents Pierce and Marshall, with Richard Armitage as Wolverine. There is also a version of this release translated into Spanish called Wolverine: La Large Noche.
Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail
Following the events of Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night, Logan (voiced by Richard Armitage) returns to New Orleans in search of redemption, only to discover that his ex-lover, Maureen is nowhere to be found in Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail. And she’s not the only one. Dozens of humans and mutants have gone missing, including the mother of a teenage boy, Marcus Baptiste. With Weapon X in close pursuit, Logan and Marcus must team up and follow a trail of clues that leads them deep into the gothic heart of the bayou.
Marvel’s Wastelanders: Star-Lord
Kicking off a new series of podcast audio dramas under the banner of Marvel’s Wastelanders was Marvel’s Wastelanders: Star-Lord. It was previously called Old Man Star-Lord but was renamed after the second series was released. Set in a post-apocalyptic future Peter Quill (voiced by Timothy Busfield) and Rocket Racoon (voiced by Chris Elliott) are both a little rounder, a little slower, and a whole lot saltier than they used to be during their glory days in the Guardians of the Galaxy. Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon crash land in the American Midwest, a barren wasteland controlled by Doctor Doom, where they must find for The Collector an ancient cosmic relic, the Black Vortex. However, they soon encounter several challenges, including Kraven the Hunter, outlaw Ghost Riders, and Emma Frost.
Marvel’s Wastelanders: Hawkeye
Second in Marvel’s Wastelanders series was Marvel’s Wastelanders: Hawkeye. The sole survivor of the Avengers, Hawkeye is now a sideshow freak, re-living the worst day of his life for paying audiences. He’s surly, but there’s still that fire in him to be a hero, to avenge his friends. When his 17-year-old daughter, Ash, shows up seeking his help avenging the death of her best friend, Hawkeye’s own efforts to avenge his lost friends are complicated. Clint Barton stars as Hawkeye and is joined by an all-star cast.
Marvel’s Wastelanders: Black Widow
Continuing the Marvel’s Wastelanders series was Marvel’s Wastelanders: Black Widow. Almost thirty years after The Day the Villains Won (aka V-Day, when most of the world’s heroes were killed by Earth’s villains after they teamed up with the plan of world domination), the mysterious Helen Black moves into a New York City apartment building owned by and monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D. Marvel brought out the big guns for this one, with Susan Sarandon doing a fantastic job as Helen Black.
Marvel’s Squirrel Girl: The Unbeatable Radio Show
The previous stories were all quite serious affairs, with a bit of humor thrown in. Marvel’s Squirrel Girl: The Unbeatable Radio Show had a very different feel. It was much more lighthearted and upbeat and did not take itself seriously whatsoever. Squirrel Girl has taken down Thanos and Doctor Doom-but now she faces something far more terrifying, living authentically. Doreen Green has recently been outed as superhero The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Hoping to unify her personas in the public eye, Squirrel Girl has created a new student radio show on ESU’s own college station. With the help of her best girl-friend, Nancy Whitehead as producer, and her best squirrel friend, Tippy-Toe, in the booth, Doreen is ready to help more people than ever with her greatest advice. When the going gets rough, she can always lean on her heroic friends: Iron Man, Spider-Man, Chipmunk Hunk, Koi Boi, and Brain Drain. Sadly this one was shorter than the previous Wolverine and Wastelanders stories clocking in at only six episodes rather than the ten that all the others had enjoyed in each season.
The Marvel’s Wastelanders story will continue in Marvel’s Wastelanders: Doom, with this new series currently in pre-production. If you haven’t come across these Marvel audio drama podcasts before, I strongly recommend that you check them out. They are an entertaining take on characters that we know and love. It will be interesting to see what stories they go for next.
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