Next was animation, as Maglione relates that Marvel hadn't done new animation in many years, and "nowadays you need to be on more than one type of screen to compete." Now, there are three animated series in the works: Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and X-Men. "Animation was something we really set out to do, to add to the film exposure," says Maglione. Fantastic Four is first out of the gate, headed to Cartoon Network worldwide this fall. "Last summer, Fantastic Four exceeded our expectations at the box office and in merchandise," says Maglione. "The animated series is a perfect media bridge with the July 2007 Fantastic Four 2 movie release." The series was produced by French animation company Moonscoop (which acquired Mike Young Productions). Marvel Studios sold the program in the U.S. with Moonscoop selling internationally. Come fall 2007, X-Men Wolverine will hit the TV screen, as will Iron Man in spring 2008, each via co-financing and co-production deals. "This is textbook franchise development," says Rothwell.