SuperMansion is an American stop-motion animated comedy television series created by Matthew Senreich and Zeb Wells. The series stars Bryan Cranston, Heidi Gardner, Tucker Gilmore, Keegan-Michael Key, Tom Root, Yvette Nicole Brown, Zeb Wells, and Jillian Bell. The series premiered on Crackle on October 8, 2015. On April 20, 2016, the series was renewed for a second season that was released on February 16, 2017. The series had its television premiere on January 1, 2017 on Adult Swim.
The League of Freedom is a superhero group that is led by the aging superhero Titanium Rex. From their base called SuperMansion in the fictional Storm City, Titanium Rex and his fellow superheroes Black Saturn, American Ranger, Robobot/Jewbot, Cooch, and Brad struggle to keep the team relevant even if it involves fighting an assortment of supervillains that the League of Freedom fights.
League of Freedom
Titanium Rex (voiced by Bryan Cranston) - The aged leader of the League of Freedom and main character. Mirroring Superman and his Golden Age counterpart, he is a superpowered man who wears a cape and happens to be the "last of his kind" which were simply humans who lived underground in the Hollow Earth location of Subtopia. Active since the late 1930s, his leadership stems from his super strength, flight, adaptability, and great wisdom. However, Titanium Rex's old age hinders him in many ways (i.e. back pain, bladder issues, erectile dysfunction) and many people have pressured him to retire. He has affairs with multiple women leading to consequences that affect the plot. Titanium Rex's right hand is naturally composed of titanium and it can fire devastating plasma beams. In "The Gurman Files," it is revealed that Titanium Rex once used the alter ego of photographer Mel Gurman back in the 1970s until he faked that identity's death in a fire. Since then, Titanium Rex tries to resist working a camera.
Black Saturn (voiced by Tucker Gilmore) - A brooding black and purple clad vigilante spoofing Batman. He has a wide array of gadgets, and large chakram-shaped boomerangs are his weapon of choice (though they are never referred to as such and the word 'ring' is used). Unlike Batman, Black Saturn's wealthy parents Cliff and Jancy Wheeler are still alive and despise him for his immaturity, over-dependence, and refusal to get an actual job. He easily gets jealous and throws tantrums much like a teenager. In "The Gurman Files," it is revealed that Black Saturn gets his fighting skills from his mother. Also in that episode, his real name was revealed to be C.J. Wheeler.
American Ranger (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) - An exceedingly patriotic superhero (analogous to Captain America) who served in the original League along with Titanium Rex and Omega Ted. American Ranger was placed in a time tunnel after serving in World War II. 70 years later, he rejoins the League of Freedom after being defrosted by a garbageman. Unlike his wife and Titanium Rex, American Ranger hasn't aged due to his preservation. A running gag is that American Ranger has a "stuck in a 1940s" mindset. He is unable to grasp the concept of a black President.
Robobot (voiced by Zeb Wells) - An introspective and soft-spoken robot man who is the brains of the group. He renames himself Jewbot after discovering his creator was Jewish and after befriending a rabbi who gives him a hat. Jewbot later goes back to using the Robobot name in the episode "I Don't Even Have to Use My J.K." confessing that he has given up on Judaism.
Brad (voiced by Tom Root) - An unreliable, colossal pink man with blue hair who is a spoof of Hulk. His strength and large stature come from a pink super serum, and he is powered up by cocaine and heroin. Despite his heroic nature, Brad makes illicit drug deals over the phone. By the end of season one, Brad sacrifices his life to stop the mainframe that would launch nuclear missiles all over Earth.
Cooch (voiced by Heidi Gardner) - An anthropomorphic female cat with a southern accent who is a spoof of Tigra. Crude, filthy, promiscuous, and very distractible, Cooch however proves useful when the need arises. She has an on again, off again relationship with Brad. Cooch was once an ordinary house cat until she was used by an unidentified supervillain to test an evolutionary ray gun which resulted in her humanoid form and intelligence.
Zenith (voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown) - An original member of the League of Freedom. She left the League of Freedom to host a popular television talk show called "A Talk in the Clouds" under her real name Portia Jones. Years later, she was convinced by Titanium Rex to rejoin the League of Feeedom to take the place of Brad who was killed during a heroic act of saving the world. Upon Portia becoming the god-like Zenith, she can fly and wields a staff that shoots beams in battle.
Villains
Lex Lightning (voiced by Jillian Bell) - A beautiful young woman who is Titanium Rex's illegitimate daughter (spoofing Supergirl). She visits the League of Freedom to catch up with her father and become a member of the League of Freedom, but is denied multiple times. Although Titanium Rex wants nothing to do with her at first, he later accepts responsibility and becomes a parent to her. It is revealed in the season finale that her mother was Frau Mantis, Titanium Rex's sworn enemy with whom he had a fling. As a result of Lex being half mantis, she has the ability to transform her body physically and biologically from a female to a male and vice versa.
Dr. Devizo (voiced by Chris Pine) - A mad scientist who is former member of the League of Freedom. Dr. Devizo became incensed with anger after learning that Titanium Rex was sleeping with his wife and vowed vengeance against the league and the world.
Groaner (voiced by Zeb Wells) - A clown with a rainbow Afro and a skull for a head. After being imprisoned by the League of Freedom for dangerous pranks, Groaner later assists the heroes with dirty work. He has an intense rivalry with Black Saturn (spoofing the Joker's intense rivalry with Batman).
Supporting characters
Sgt. Agony (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) - A military grade accountant similar to Nick Fury who tries everything in his power to end the League of Freedom. By the end of Season One, it is revealed that Sgt. Agony liked Brad and mourned his death.
Ringler (voiced by Breckin Meyer) - He is the sidekick of Black Saturn and his true identity is Courtney, the dimwitted boyfriend of Portia Jones.
Production
SuperMansion began life as a quarter-hour pilot for Adult Swim, under the original name Übermansion where, along with a bunch of other pilots (including King Star King and Mr. Pickles, both of which were eventually greenlit), competed into which pilot would be turn into Adult Swim's next series. The pilot won and aired (along with the pilots to King Star King and Mr. Pickles) on August 25th, 2013. For whatever reason, the series moved to Crackle instead with the name change from Übermmansion to SuperMansion.
On April 14, 2015, Sony announced that the stop-motion animated series was being developed by Crackle, which Bryan Cranston would voice and executive produce with his Moon Shot Entertainment. Thirteen episodes were being produced, and also starring Seth Green, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jillian Bell. Matthew Senreich and Zeb Wells wrote and would executive produce the series, while other executive producers would be Green, John Harvatine IV, Eric Towner, and James Degus, while Stoopid Buddy Stoodios would produce. The first trailer was released on July 9, 2015, and the other cast included Senreich, Wells, Heidi Gardner, Tom Root, Tucker Gilmore, and some other guest stars.
For the shows 2nd season, Arby's signed a product placement deal with the series as part of a broader deal with Crackle.
