Word Balloon Comics Podcast 2014: The Year Marvel Pivoted — Axel Alonso Breaks It Down
Nov 16, 2025
41:56
2014 was a turning point for Marvel — and Axel Alonso was right in the middle of it.
In this archival conversation, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso sits down with me to break down exactly where the House of Ideas stood in 2014: the big swings, the new voices, the editorial gambles, and the seismic moves that were reshaping the entire line. We get into:
If you love behind-the-scenes talk about how big superhero universes actually get made, this one is essential listening.
In this archival conversation, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso sits down with me to break down exactly where the House of Ideas stood in 2014: the big swings, the new voices, the editorial gambles, and the seismic moves that were reshaping the entire line. We get into:
- The rise of the “All-New Marvel NOW!” era
- How Marvel was recruiting and developing its next wave of writers and artists
- The push toward diverse character spotlights like Kamala Khan, Miles Morales, and a newly elevated Carol Danvers
- The build-up toward Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers mega-architecture and the early tremors leading to Secret Wars (2015)
- How editorial was navigating movies, TV, digital comics, and a rapidly changing readership
- The state of the X-Men and what Alonso could — and couldn’t — say about their future
- The balance between legacy characters and new heroes
- Marvel's strategy for creator-owned-adjacent projects and keeping top talent in the fold
If you love behind-the-scenes talk about how big superhero universes actually get made, this one is essential listening.