Marvel's Hero Project (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Sensational Jordan - full transcript

At Marvel, our stories and our superheroes

are inspired by real-life heroes.

So, the editors of
some of our best-known comics

have come together
to work on a special project:

to find and tell the stories of
kids doing the extraordinary,

helping communities near and far,

and changing the world.

These are the kids who will inspire
our stories for years to come.

This small idea has grown into,
like, this humongous thing.

This arm gives me so much confidence,

'cause I made this.



And I could use what I made
to help a lot of other kids.

Jordan is already a hero.

Now, we bring her story to the world
with the surprise of a lifetime.

Making her into a Marvel superhero,
immortalized in her very own comic,

as a member of Marvel's Hero Project.

They're everyday kids...

who have accomplished the amazing.

Now, their true stories...

will reveal the heroes that live among us.

This is Marvel's Hero Project.

So, let's talk about Jordan,
an official Marvel hero.

And she is owning

the fact she's different
and finding a lot of joy in it.

She wants to make the world
more beautiful and fun and exciting.



She's embraced who she is
in a way that is very inspiring

and has taken it to another level
through her inventions

and the things she's done to turn herself
into sort of a superhero.

It's exactly the type of tech that

only someone with a distinct perspective
on the world could come up with.

- Almost like a Wakandan point of view.
- Yes!

Like the way Shuri builds things
in Wakanda

and these things other places in the world
wouldn't even think of.

- That's what Jordan does.
- That's so true.

I like the comparison
because I get the sense from Shuri

that every day there's some
new invention coming out of that lab.

Jordan is encouraging people

who are coming from
the same background as she is

and saying, "If we can include them
as designers, as engineers,

then what a different world it will be,

because now everyone is
going to be represented."

I'm just really excited that
we can share her story with everybody.

Any parent wants to see
their kid be confident.

She was like,
"I want to be a cheerleader,

I want to do this." And she did.

- Hi, Jordan!
- What's up?

It's a lot of fun, because I know
everyone who's on the team.

It's just really fun hyping up the crowd.

She learned all of the things
you have to learn and it's not easy.

And she does all that knowing...

...that there's a little more of
a spotlight on her.

You're in a big room
full of strangers there

and you're proudly being yourself.

Yeah! Yeah, Vikings! Yeah!

Go, Vikings!

I've definitely grown more confident,

but I'm still a little nervous.

I just need to get more people knowing
what limb difference is.

Heck, the fact that I have a difference
is so cool.

And I can use it for so many cool things.

I'm still working on doing so much more.

The day she was born,
Jen's the first to notice.

I said to the whole room, I'm like,
"Where's her hand?"

And the doctor stopped, and goes,
"Oh. She's fine."

And I looked at her...

...and I looked at Randy...

...and I said, "She's fine."

And he looked back at me and said,
"She's fine."

We're gonna do whatever it takes
to take care of her.

And, quite frankly, we haven't had to
do much to take care of her.

She played tee-ball,
she played basketball.

She's done everything along the way.

Good job!

I was very stubborn. I was hardheaded.

I wanted to learn everything.
I wanted to do it on my own.

When she figured out how to put on
her socks at 18 months old

and her four-year-old brother
was still asking for help,

I realized I'd been scammed.

She's been congenitally forced
to be a problem solver.

All those tiny things that I thought
she wouldn't be able to do...

Oh, she figured it out.

It's just I did have to learn things

a bit differently from everyone else.

Like I had to find my own way
to tie my shoe.

I may have one hand, but heck,
I can do the same thing as anyone else.

Good job.

Just a little different.

Hi, puppers. Oh, hello!

- Hey, babe.
- Hi, Mama.

Hi. How was the day?

It was okay.

Can I help?

A hug.

A hug? Come here.

Babe.

- I love you.
- I love you.

- Whatcha cookin'?
- Pizza!

It gets annoying when people look.

What's the look people give you?

It's definitely, like, just a quick...

But when I catch them, they're like...

If you see Jordan, you've never seen
someone with one hand,

you're gonna think, oh...

"Oh, that's gotta be hard." No.

She is a confident 13-year-old.

Who in this group talks the most?

It's good to be different.

I feel like people who are different is,
like, what makes the world unique.

And I think it's so cool.

When you have
such an obvious difference,

your first step is the double take
or the whisper.

The next level is just the assuming
that you can't do anything.

But she has the incredible perspective
that you may not have ever imagined.

I got invited to a workshop
in San Francisco

to learn how design works
and how to make things.

I went there after a lot of convincing.

There was an expectation
of the workshop.

Like, you have a difference.

How can you build onto your difference
that can be fun?

Tell me your name.

- Jordan.
- Jordan.

When I got to the workshop,

I just really enjoyed the fact
that I can make anything.

So, this pushes the bubble.

Mm-hmm.

She was like,
"Why not shoot glitter out of my arm?"

I think that was
an extraordinary moment for her.

She saw how cool it was that
people appreciated her creativity.

This is my design area.

So, when I shot this it was, like,

more of a poof instead of, like,
a spray like I wanted it to.

Push in the circle thing.

Her hope was to keep working
on that concept.

She was partnered with a design partner.

And every Friday after school
they would work on their new ideas.

9.34.

From the beginning it was clear

that Jordan took this whole thing
very seriously.

And that's been the constant
through and through.

I think by me growing up

having to figure out things
in a different way than everyone else,

uh, has given me the design-thinking
and maker-like thoughts.

People who are disabled
have the ability to problem-solve.

She is greeting me with ideas before we
can even really say hello to one another.

Jordan, what are we about to do?

Shoot him.

You're gonna shoot Sam?

We eventually
got to the point of deciding

compressed air was the way to go
to push the glitter out.

- Whoa.
- Whoa!

The next one is this one.

I decided
since I named it Project Unicorn,

might as well make it into a unicorn horn.

I wore this on the Rachael Ray Show

when I was pitching it
to the Shark Tank cast.

Oh, that's amazing!

I think this broke down.

Why don't we just design this part?

I was still working on refining it,

and refining it, and refining it.

I sent Jordan
the final glitter arm in the mail...

and I think
the first thing Jordan said was,

"Can I wear this to school?"

I love it.

I made this and...

I have, like, this unique idea.

People with two hands can't
shoot glitter out of their arm.

Might as well take your difference
and make something really cool...

that shows the joy of differences.

Whoa!

It went viral.

She realized this fun idea

was a moment of showing that
disability is an opportunity.

Use your differences for good,

because your differences are amazing

and you never know what amazing things
you can do with them.

It was a moment where
we saw so much happiness and joy

at a scale that
we could have never imagined,

even though that was really
just the beginning.

The time I got shot with glitter was when
you did the photo shoot in the garage.

And I was like...
"I got shot with glitter!"

I think the fact that I'm different...

I feel like I have the ability
to teach people.

I want to show my friends.

- They're so cool. I wish...
- I can't fit my hand in there.

I was gonna say, they're so cool.
I wish I could wear them.

When she saw all this interest
in what she was doing,

she decided,
"It shouldn't just be about me."

She and I made a pact that
we would help others who are different,

because she was so worried about what's
gonna happen to people who are different.

We have two days to come up
with ideas and make some cool stuff.

So I was thinking, 'cause it gets
really hot inside of a prosthetic arm.

I decided to work with my mom
to make workshops

to let people who are disabled
build off of their disability.

What we're interested in
is reframing disability.

Like, how can you take something that
other people perceive as a disadvantage

and make it something special
and wonderful?

I love Jordan!

It was really cool to have someone else
to talk about

what it means to be a person
with one arm in this world.

Having something that's custom
for what you need

and what you want in your life.

And it shoots from here.

This is a cool thing.

This is for people who don't have
fingers on one of their hands.

It allows them to play video games
or do computer software.

She wants to help kids see that
their differences gives them perspective,

and identify design flaws or opportunities

that you can't see
if you have a typical body.

People who are disabled,
they're being ignored,

definitely, in the design community.

Like paper towel dispensers in bathrooms
that say, "Use two hands."

I can't do that.

We need more people who are different
in the design community

so that we, like, have people
who are designing things

that have the second thought of, "Oh,
I should make sure it works for everyone."

Accessibility.

I watched her become an advocate.

You can look at the statistics.

Most adults with disabilities
do not have a full-time job.

Oh, my God, that might actually work.

She wants to really build an army of kids
who understand design thinking

and build these career pathways.

I wanna change the world.

Create something that I think
is good for me,

and then other people
can do it for themselves

and it will just keep going on and on.

You ready? Watch it!

- There it goes!
- Whoa!

A curator of the Museum of Science
and Industry in Chicago reached out

and asked if Jordan would be interested
in being a featured creator...

as part of the wearables exhibit.

It's just crazy that
this small idea has grown into, like,

this humongous thing.

I'm just glad that I've gotten
the opportunity to be seen as a creator.

I feel like it's just starting to sink in,

like, that this is
actually making an impact.

"My name is Jordan Reeves.

I'm an inventor, activist, and designer.

I realized my physical difference
and my creation

started a new kind of conversation.

My work helped them learn that
it can be really cool to be different."

Oh, my gosh!

Hey, I have something like you.

Ready? Do a high five.

Double high five.

We've got everyone. This is awesome!

- Hey!
- Let's see a nice smile.

That was awesome.

There you go.

It is an amazing world of people
who are disabled and it's so cool.

I've seen her go from
mentee to mentor.

Aw. So cute.

We just came here to be with Jordan.

Because she was different like me.

You're not, like,
just the same as everybody else,

because same is boring.

I don't think there really is
a normal person.

I think we're all different.

And we should all celebrate us
for being us.

She's got a big heart,

and she wants everybody to feel empowered.

- Aw!
- Yay!

She got 100.

I'm gonna make something like Jordan's,

but just where I can shoot glitter
out of my fingers.

So, it can, like, shoot, shoot, shoot.

Since I saw Jordan's videos,
I think I can make it.

My mom and me made it together,
and they're glow in the dark owls.

She's really comfortable
in her own skin.

She's been able to tell her story.

It is a story that hopefully

will encourage more kids
to think about their own potential.

Days like today make me incredibly proud.

What an inspiration Jordan is

to all these kids
in the limb different community.

She empowers them.

In her comic, I think we all wanted
to focus on the fact that...

as she is, the way she was born,
she's a hero.

You get her as a cheerleader on the field.

And you've got her reaching out
to someone else with a limb difference.

You get her as a designer in the lab.

That's what's gonna resonate with her,
I think.

Her whole thing is about design
and that her power is inventing.

I think she's gonna love the fact
she has a lab.

- I think that's her fantasy right there.
- That's her superpower too.

You know, her inventiveness,
her creativity.

All that. And that's one of the things
I love about this.

And it's all the while
without her glitter blaster on there.

It's the person inside
that makes her a hero.

That's why she's so, so great.

The one place we wanted to make sure
we did see the glitter cannon,

- was on the cover.
- Mm.

And our cover artist, Natasha,
did such a great job.

- We got the glitter cannon. It's purple.
- Right.

- Favorite color.
- The unicorns! Great!

I can't wait till she sees
what we all made for her.

Yeah. She's gonna be extra surprised
because not only does she get

- the great comic book and all the...
- Yeah.

Her father and her brother
are also traveling to Cambridge.

- Usually she just travels with her mom.
- That's great!

Yeah. So, seeing them I think is
gonna get her super surprised.

She's gonna love it.

None of this
would be possible if it wasn't for

Jordan coming up
with the idea for Project Unicorn...

and encouraging us
to bring these workshops to other kids

so they could create
these life-changing projects.

I think I'm gonna have Jen come up.

What?

Oh, my God.

"Dear Jordan,

in this venue,

surrounded by excited and inspired kids
who have been brought together

because of your work and passion...

your friends at Marvel
have something amazing to tell you.

You have dedicated yourself to helping
people navigate how difficult it can be

when you're unlike everyone else.

Your devotion to making the world
a more inclusive place inspires us.

You stand out
because you are making a difference.

And that is what makes you unique.

And that's what makes you a superhero.

Jordan, because you strive to change
the global conversation

around people with disabilities,

we believe that you represent
everything Marvel stands for."

Oh, my God. Hi.

Hi.

"So, there's a box in front of you,
Jordan.

And as you open it, you will join
an elite team of kids like you.

The next generation of heroes
whose differences fill us with awe.

Welcome to the Marvel Hero Project.

Go ahead and take out that jacket.

It was made just for you."

Oh, that's sick.

Whoa!

"Just like the classic X-Men uniforms,

this jacket will serve as an unmistakable
symbol of your membership

in the elite Marvel Hero Project."

Oh, my God.

"To show you
how much you've inspired all of us,

we are making a Tony Stark sized donation
in your honor

- to an organization...
- Aw.

...that supports kids
with limb differences

in the amount of $10,000."

Oh!

"Jordan...

your amazing energy
has led to this moment.

And as Marvel's newest hero,

the terrific talents
in the mighty Marvel Bullpen

wanted to make sure your story lived on.

We've worked overtime to create

this instantly historical
collector's item classic,

starring you,

and celebrating the differences of others.

Go check it out."

Oh, that's sick. I know what it is.

"We hope that in these pages

you see yourself
in the same way we see you,

as a true superhero."

That's sick!

Uh-huh.

Whoa!

That's sick.

"We couldn't be prouder to have you
as part of the Marvel Hero Project.

Your friends at Marvel."

I thought I was gonna cry.

I'm so happy that her work
has more opportunity

for people to know about it and share it.

- Oh! There's words.
- There's words.

- Oh, that's sick.
- Look, I have a little...

Okay, that's really cool!
That's so cool.

Also, the mannequin doesn't have an arm
which I think is very funny.

Oh! I just noticed that.

The fact that, like, that's me,
and I'm in this comic book.

Like, that's just really cool.

It's kind of surreal
seeing your own family member

in the same style that you see,
like, Spider-Man, Iron Man,

Captain America, Captain Marvel.

It's really cool.

My sister is a superhero.

She already was but,
like, now we have proof.

Hi, Jordan. I'm reading your comic.

- You have a comic.
- Is that okay?

Yeah.

It's cool when somebody else
other than me

realizes that she is a good human
and doing great things.

Go to Halloween and I'm like,
"Who are you?" I'm like, "Myself."

"I'm myself."

People see what
I'm tryna change in the world.

It's just really cool to know that.