First Disney+ trailer for Marvel's 'Behind the Mask' doc turns the page on superhero backstories

Comic book characters are nothing without their backstories. That's the case being made in the trailer for Marvel's Behind the Mask, a Disney+ documentary that shines a spotlight on the human and relatable alter egos of beloved superheroes.

Right off the bat, Marvel EVP and Creative Director Joe Quesada recounts a story from his early days of working at the publisher. "I asked Stan Lee, 'How do you create the perfect Marvel character?' He said, 'Imagine Spider-Man. It's just a red and blue suit jumping off a building. But...tell me who he is, tell me what his problems are, and now, when he flies off that building, we're in that suit.'"

Premiering on Disney's subscription streaming service next week, Behind the Mask was directed by Michael Jacobs and takes a deep dive into such heroes as Peter Parker, Black Panther, Miles Morales, Ms. Marvel, Luke Cage, the X-Men, Captain Marvel, and more. The roster of interviewees include: Christopher Priest, Larry Hama, Nicole Georges, Ivan Velez Jr., Kelly Sue DeConnick, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and Neal Kirby. Even a rabbi, Simcha Weinstein (Chair of Religious Affairs at Pratt Institute and author of Up, Up and Oy Vey), was consulted for the project, so you just know it's as kosher as they come.

Watch the trailer below:

Chris Gary and Ryan Simon produced the feature for Tarmac Creative and Strike Anywhere, while Quesada, Shane Rahmani, Stephen Wacker, John Cerilli, Harry Go, and Sarah Amos executive produced on behalf of Marvel.

Marvel's Behind the Mask swings onto Disney+ next Friday, Feb. 12.