Watch the Marvel Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade From 1989 [Video]

The Big Picture

• The 1989 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade featuring Marvel superheroes showcased a time when live-action adaptations were a challenge but still brought beloved characters into the same space.
• Marvel licensed their characters in the 80s and 90s for profit and to introduce their target audience to other superheroes they could find in the comic books.
• The parade represents Marvel’s evolution from a struggling company to a profitable entity, with elements from their movies and TV shows becoming a reality and even inspiring creations like Rogers: The Musical.

There was a time, not too long ago, when superheroes weren’t half as popular among wider audiences as they are today. More often than not, attempts to bring beloved comic book characters into a live-action format have led to unexpected events. So, there’s no better day than Thanksgiving to look back on the1989 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that featured characters from the Marvel Universe.

Before the Multiverse became a mainstream concept, Macy’s parade was there to show us that your favorite superheroes inhabited the same space. Granted, that space was tiny and they could barely move during Melba Moore’s rendition of Bonnie Tyler’s legendary song “Holding Out For a Hero.” The performer sings her heart out all the while threatened by Magneto, Dr. Doom and Green Goblin.

But worry not! Moore is safe because The Hulk, Captain America, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Wolverine, Daredevil and a Silver Surfer – who will likely give you nightmares – are all there to protect her. Emma Frost seemingly confront Spider-Man, but she seems to have a serious problem trying to walk with her cape. The hilarious clip also shows Magneto and Daredevil face off in a fight.

Marvel’s Macy Parade Reminds Us of The Company’s Dire Past

Back in the 80s and 90s, Marvel Comics was a struggling company and had to take whatever deal they could in order to stay afloat. With a presence in the parade, they could not only make some money off their IP but also make their target audience (children) realize that there were other superheroes they could check out in the comic books. It was through these kinds of deals that the Marvel Universe ended up becoming broken apart in cinemas, with Spider-Man becoming a Sony property, and the Fantastic Four and the X-Men with 20th Century Fox. The superhero teams only became Marvel Studios canon after Disney bought the company in 2019. The Hulk remains a Universal property to this day.

Needless to say, Marvel evolved to become a gift that keeps on giving, to the point of elements introduced within their movies and TV shows becoming a profitable reality – like the studio did with Rogers: The Musical, which pokes fun at how superheroes used to be represented in the 80s and 90s. You can catch up on the present day MCU on Disney+.

Stay tuned to Collider for updates and watch the Macy’s parade below:

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