At launch, the big draw for people to subscribe to Disney+ was the service’s massive library of content that largely consists of classic animated features, feel-good family movies, live-action comedies from the Disney Channel, and a huge selection of nostalgic animated shows from the 1990s. The latter mostly consists of superhero properties, Disney originals, and Saturday morning classics from ABC Kids.
If you miss the classic animated TV shows you grew up with that got you hooked into Marvel superheroes and made you feel seen through characters that were going through the motions of school, then this is definitely the place for you. Read below to find out some of the best animated shows from the 1990s that are streaming on Disney+!
X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
X-Men: The Animated Series premiered in 1992 on the Fox Kids Network and ushered in an entire era of TV shows based on Marvel superheroes in the 1990s. Featuring Wolverine, Cyclops, Rogue, Storm, Gambit, Beast, Jean Grey, Jubilee, and Professor X (among other characters), this animated X-Men project was on television for 5 seasons and paved the way for the popularity of these characters before they hit the big screen.
In the age of the Internet, X-Men: The Animated Series has also become a meme factory. Even if you’ve never seen this show in your life, it feels pretty impossible to imagine that you’ve never come across a GIF containing a scene from this X-Men series.
DOUG
Created by Jim Jinkins, Doug premiered in 1991 and ran for seven seasons until 1999. The first four seasons of Doug aired on Nickelodeon, while the last three seasons became part of ABC’s Saturday morning lineup of animated shows. Essentially, the show follows 11-year-old Doug Funnie dealing with relatable and age-appropriate obstacles that most kids of that age face.
Besides the title character, Doug also became famous for its wide array of incredibly popular characters, including Skeeter (his best friend), Patti (his best friend and love interest), Roger (his bully), Porkchop (his dog), and Judy (his sister). In many ways, Doug is still a very entertaining watch and a nostalgic ride for anyone who was a kid in the 1990s.
SPIDER-MAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
With the success of X-Men: The Animated Series, the Fox Kids Network gave the greenlight for another popular Marvel superhero to get his own show: Spider-Man. In 1994, Spider-Man: The Animated Series premiered on the channel and quickly became just as popular as its X-Men counterpart. The animated Spider-Man show also aired for 5 seasons on TV, coming to an end in January of 1998.
Over the course of 5 seasons, Spider-Man: The Animated Series mostly focused on Peter Parker, Mary Jane, Black Cat, Kingpin, Aunt May, Venom, and Green Goblin. However, we also got to see a bunch of other Marvel characters on the show, including the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange.
All in all, this TV show is a feast for any Marvel fan out there!
RECESS
Recess was created by Paul Germain (who co-created Rugrats) and Joe Ansolabehere (who co-produced the first season of Hey Arnold!). Throughout 6 seasons that aired between 1997 and 2001, Recess told the stories of six kids in elementary school: T.J., Spinelli, Vince, Mikey, Gretchen, and Gus.
The most surprising thing about watching Recess on Disney+ is that it has actually aged very well for an animated TV show from the 1990s. While there is the obvious absence of smartphones and adjacent technologies that had not been invented at the time, many of the stories told on Recess would still resonate with most kids in elementary school nowadays.
FANTASTIC FOUR: THE ANIMATED SERIES
Fantastic Four: The Animated Series also premiered in 1994 on the Fox Kids Network. This means that the show debuted alongside Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and was also greenlit due to the ongoing success of X-Men: The Animated Series.
Despite the fact that this animated Fantastic Four show had a shorter life (only 2 seasons) than the other Marvel properties on TV at the time, this series is still very much worth the watch. What’s more, the team behind Fantastic Four: The Animated Series certainly had a third season already plotted out, which means that the creative process was certainly intact on this project.
Besides Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing, the series features Doctor Doom, Silver Surfer, Galactus, Black Panther, among others.
TIMON & PUMBAA
Following the massive success of 1994’s The Lion King, Disney came out with the animated series Timon & Pumbaa. This show, which aired both on CBS and on the Disney Channel, followed the title characters on adventures that took place after the events of the original film (with the occasional flashbacks, of course).
Throughout 3 seasons that aired between 1995 and 1999, we got to know characters that were in the lives of Timon and Pumbaa and had nothing to do with Pride Rock. We also got to see more of Simba, Zazu, and Rafiki, who were recurring characters on Timon & Pumbaa. All in all, this is a fun little TV show to watch again and again on Disney+.
SILVER SURFER
In the 1990s, Fantastic Four: The Animated Series failed to match the success that the X-Men and Spider-Man TV shows had achieved. However, Marvel tried again with Silver Surfer: The Animated Series, a project that was fully dedicated to the character of Silver Surfer.
Overall, Silver Surfer: The Animated Series ran for one season of 13 episodes. However, according to showrunner Larry Brody, the series’ cancelation happened due to legal differences between Marvel and Saban Entertainment, not necessarily because there was no interest in a second season.
If you’re on Disney+ and want to get your fix of the Silver Surfer, this show is highly recommended!
DARKWING DUCK
With so many successful superhero TV shows airing in the 1990s, you wouldn’t think that a non-Marvel, non-DC character no one had ever heard of would be so successful, right? Except, Darkwing Duck was a major hit for Disney, and it remains one of the most well-remembered animated series of that decade.
All in all, the Darkwing Duck character has aged very well with mainstream audiences and is still beloved by fans of the original DuckTales era. With that said, the 1990s Darkwing Duck series is a must-watch on Disney+!
THE INCREDIBLE HULK
One of the last frontiers for Marvel TV shows in the 1990s was The Incredible Hulk, which featured a Green Hulk, a Grey Hulk, and She-Hulk, as well as General Thunderbolt Ross, Betty Ross, Abomination, Gargoyle, among other characters.
This animated The Incredible Hulk aired for 2 seasons between 1996 and 1997. A fun fact is that the Hulk (in its green form) was voiced by Lou Ferrigno, who played the live-action Hulk on his TV show from the late 1970s and early 1980s.
It comes without saying that every Marvel character should binge on The Incredible Hulk on Disney+ and get ready for the streaming service’s upcoming live-action She-Hulk television series.
GARGOYLES
The Gargoyles series may not have been as popular as other animated shows on this list, but it certainly made a huge impact on kids raised in the 1990s and has its own legion of fans.
Taking place in modern-day New York City, Gargoyles followed the stories of reawakened medieval gargoyles who served as protectors of the night. The series aired for 3 seasons between 1994 and 1997, and it is definitely a fun watch for Disney+ subscribers of all ages.