The animated music video for Pearl Jam - Do the Evolution was co-directed by Todd McFarlane and Kevin Altieri. McFarlane, creator of the comic Spawn and producer of its HBO animated adaptation, brought the dark, visceral tone, while Altieri — a key figure behind Batman: The Animated Series — handled the narrative design and storyboards. The production was led by Epoch Ink Animation, working with a large international team of artists specialized in adult animation.
The idea originated with Eddie Vedder, who wrote the lyrics alongside Stone Gossard and wanted a video that did not feature the band, opting instead for a fully conceptual approach. Inspired by Spawn, Vedder shared visual references with McFarlane, shaping the project into an allegory of human evolution. The video was created using traditional 2D animation, with hand-drawn and hand-painted cels, reinforcing its raw, symbolic aesthetic and aligning with the social critique at the core of the song by Pearl Jam.