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Marvel’s hoping Thor and Loki can convince you to run a 5K in a new running app

Marvel’s hoping Thor and Loki can convince you to run a 5K in a new running app

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Marvel Move comes this summer and is a collaboration with the company behind Zombies, Run!

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Promo image of Marvel Move featuring various characters like the X-Men, the Hulk, and Thor.
Marvel Move arrives later this summer and features immersive, audio-based training plans for runners.
Image: Six to Start, Marvel

Superhero-themed fitness plans and classes have been on the internet for ages, but this summer, Zombies, Run! creator Six to Start is collaborating with Marvel to launch a new fitness app featuring your favorite comic book superheroes. The forthcoming app, dubbed Marvel Move, will feature a series of immersive audio-based running plans starring popular characters ranging from Thor and his mischievous brother Loki to the X-Men. The app will cost $74.99 per year, though you can get a two-year subscription for $99 for a limited time.

The pitch ought to sound familiar if you’ve ever tried the Zombies, Run! app, which is a mix between a running app and a podcast drama set in the Zombocalypse where you star as the main character. Marvel Move essentially follows a similar formula.

Screencap of what the Thor Storyline in Marvel Move app looks like
The Thor storyline was crafted with beginners in mind and spans eight weeks ending in a virtual 5K race.
Image: Six to Start, Marvel

“In most of the stories we’re doing, you aren’t a superhero. You aren’t inhabiting Quicksilver or becoming Tony Stark,” says Six to Start CEO and co-founder Adrian Hon. “We had to come up with ways where you, a normal person, can participate and be meaningful in these stories. The way we’ve done it in Marvel Move is you’re someone who is in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Depending on which storyline you choose, you’ll encounter heroes like the Hulk, Scarlet Witch, and Doctor Strange, who drag you along on their escapades. Each workout is a “chapter” within the story, and you can choose to do them outdoors, on a treadmill, or in a wheelchair. And while running is the main focus, you can also choose to walk or jog, customize the length of the workouts, as well as enable “thrilling chases.” (Basically, bits where you’ll be encouraged to pick up the pace with a story-based reason.)

At launch, there’ll be five specific storylines to choose from:

  • Thor & Loki: Asgard 5K Training
  • X-Men: Age of ORCHIS, written by X-Men comics writer Tini Howard
  • The Hulk: Hulkville
  • Daredevil: Terminal Degree
  • Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch: In Dreams

The storylines, according to Hon, all vary in length. For example, the Thor storyline is a 24-25 episode saga where you’ll be able to run a 5K at the end. The challenge is incorporating natural, story-based reasons why you might be running a 30-second interval followed by a 15-second walk. And while there aren’t specific difficulty levels for any of the storylines, Hon says the Thor storyline was crafted with beginners in mind.

“Usually, the story will explicitly have you need to run a specific distance. It’ll be like, ‘Oh, the Helicarrier is stranded 10 kilometers away, and you need to run 10 kilometers to make it there.’ And we’ll have a story play out as you’re getting closer, and people will be reading out your distance as you go,” says Hon.

Screencap of Marvel Move app stats
You’ll also be able to view your stats within the app.
Image: Six to Start, Marvel

And while comic books (and MCU movies) are notorious for complicated, interweaving storylines, Hon says Marvel Move’s storylines will stand on their own, meaning you won’t have to complete them in any specific order to understand or enjoy the plot. That was a conscious choice, not only to help users jump right in but make life easier for Marvel Move’s writers, as the goal is to continuously release storylines and new episodes going forward. As for what sort of cadence users can expect, Hon declined to give specifics but said that the goal is to build a good library, regularly adding a few episodes across the different storylines.

Given the ongoing nature of Marvel Move, it’s not a huge surprise that it’ll come with a subscription. It’ll cost $74.99 per year, but Six to Start says if you sign up before launch, you can join Marvel Move Founders Club for $99. That includes a two-year subscription to Marvel Move, a free trial for Marvel Unlimited, a free month of Zombies, Run!, and invitations to private Q&A live streams. Comparatively, Zombies, Run! currently costs $5.99 per month or $39.99 annually.

Marvel Move will launch in the upcoming ZRX app this summer and is open for presale signups starting today.