Despite the MCU making strides to retrieve these rights - such as their deal with Sony to use Tom Holland's Spider-Man and the Disney acquisition of Fox for the X-Men - some of them remain complicated. Marvel can't make a Hulk standalone, but they probably wouldn't want to even if they could. This was the case with Universals film The Incredible Hulk, which was part of the MCU. Universal Namor rights : r/marvelstudios - reddit.com New evidence posted to Reddit seems to indicate that Universals Hulk distribution agreement could end in June of 2023. That's still Universal . Advertise, Funny Superhero (DC & Marvel) Shirts & Stickers. However, as Marvel Studios have not yet made any effort to do so despite Mark Ruffalo's Hulk being such an integral MCU character, it is unlikely to happen. Paramount also distributed the first Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor. Worth a mention is that the Fantastic Four and X-Men will be returning to Marvel-Disney once the Disney-Fox deal goes through which could be within the next month or two. Some people prefer action movies, while others might prefer comedies or dramas. Why Marvel Can't Make a Standalone MCU Hulk Movie Exploring The Possibility Of Superman Growing Up With Parents: What Could Have Been? The Incredible Hulk star Tim Roth is also reprising his MCU role as Emil Blonsky/Abomination for She-Hulk, having recently lent his vocals to the character for his cameo in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The answer, it seems, dates back about 13 years to the start of the Disney and Marvel Studios relationship. In 2012, Marvel and Universal reached a deal that allowed Marvel to produce a new Hulk film, but the rights to the character still remain with Universal. The Incredible Hulk barely improved on that half a decade later, making $263M in a year when Iron Man brought in $585M and The Dark Knight topped $1B (this was when hitting that mark was a major achievement). Based in London, he oversees a global news & features team based in NY, LA and beyond. The Hulk franchise even introduced the "shared universe" concept, with Thor and Daredevil showing up in those shows. When the Mouse bought Marvel, Disney and Universal went to war in the courts in order to free up not just film distribution rights but Marvel characters appearing in Universal's Orlando theme park. Similarly, with Namor, Marvel could make a TV series focused on Talokan, where the character appears but is not the protagonist. Hulk appearing as a secondary character in the MCU receives just as much attention as other main characters like Thor and Iron Man, as the solo Hulk film. The agreement has the potential to stay in effect (aka good faith) or for an indefinite period of time, unless Universal decides to close the Marvel Universe area, stops making payments for use of the property, or Marvel opts out of the contract if it believes Universal is mismanaging its rights. Disney has the option to produce and distribute any future Marvel movies that it acquires as a result of its Marvel movie rights. Spider-Man, Captain America, Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, and Rogue are just a few of the Marvel heroes and villains you can meet at the theme park. If you have never seen a Marvel movie, I highly recommend you check one out. } So if Marvel went ahead with a Hulk film on their own, they could either buy out Universal's distribution rights, make a deal with the studio that would be mutually beneficial, or just live. Daredevil (and by extension the entire Netflix Defenders franchise) exists only because Marvel wasn't able to wrangle Galactus and the Silver Surfer back from Fox, and just this summer we got Sony/Marvel co-production Spider-Man: Homecoming where the web-slinger joined the franchise while being made by a different company. This may come as a disappointment to many, who wish for a Namor solo film after his fantastic debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Those of you who are Disney fans will be perplexed as to why there are no Marvel-themed rides at Walt Disney World, particularly since Disneylands Avengers Campus is a huge hit. Owns a dog who loves watching Milo and Otis on repeat. And Marvel/Disney have recently entered an agreement to partner with Sony on a new Spider-Man reboot that will be distributed by Sony Pictures. Thiswould ultimately be a very small part of any deal, but outside of combining Disney+ and Hulu,a potential sale - the streamer is valued between$19.8 billion and $27.5 billion - has the potential to add as much $13 to stock prices. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews, Marvel Finally Explains Exactly How Its Hulk Deal with Universal Works, Only Two MCU Villains Have Made Hulk Bleed - and One of Them Is Dead, She-Hulk Fan Proves Tatiana Maslany Looks Just Like the MCU Superhero, REVIEW: Frank Miller Presents Ancient Enemies: The Djinni #1 Crafts a Compelling Origin Story, REVIEW: DC's Shazam! Do you think we'll eventually see solo Hulk and Namor movies? If, or when, Universal chooses to forgo distribution, Disney will immediately pick up those distribution rights for a solo Hulk movie. RELATED: Is the Disney+ MCU Cutting Into Marvel Studios' Box Office Performance? As we said at the start, Hulk isn't the most popular of the main Avengers. Member of the Marvel Studios brain trust Nate Moore revealed Namor's rights are, just like the Hulk's, tied up with a pre-Disney distribution deal with Universal. Disney has the opportunity to incorporate more movie-based themes into its theme parks. What this means is Universal cannot make a Hulk movie, with Disney and Marvel unable to distribute a Hulk movie if they choose to move forward and make one. The first is that 2008's The Incredible Hulk didn't perform well at the box office, with just $263 million worldwide. The best course of action for Universal is to renew the contract for another 15 years and keep everything running smoothly. While the Hulk has existed in live-action since the late 1970s, Namor only recently made his debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Must be 40 inches (102 cm) tall. A recent rumor has suggested that the solo film rights to the Hulk may be returning to Marvel Studios in 2023! Ang Lee's Hulk made $245M at the worldwide box office, a fair enough sum for the time that saw it pretty much break even, but considerably lower than X-Men 2's $407M that same summer and well below Spider-Man's $821M a year earlier. The Marvel trend is extremely profitable for Disney. Based out of North East England, Lewis has a deep passion for all kinds of media that began at a young age. Over the past few years, Marvel Studios has set out to acquire most of the rights to Marvel Comics characters. This means that the release of any Hulk/Namor solo film from the initial greenlighting of the film, to theatrical and home releases, as well as sorting out distribution revenue shares and so on falls solely on Universal's shoulders. At least that would give Namor the freedom Hulk never had. Copyright 2020 The Direct Media Group LLC. It is exciting to speculate on what an Marvel-themed park at Disney World would look like. In 2009, the CEO of Disney acknowledged the importance of Marvels intellectual property rights when Disney purchased Marvel. HULK Star Josh Lucas Has Nothing But Good Things To Say About Ang Lee's Divisive Marvel Movie While Marvel Studios is able to include The Hulk and Namor in movies, they've been restricted from. However, it's not like there's no Hulk in the MCU. This is also why the Hulk only appears in the various Marvel Studios movies as a supporting character, such as in The Avengers films or Thor: Ragnarok. It is not possible for Disney or Universal to use the Marvel name in their parks because they have a long-term agreement. The most notable example of a theme park operator holding Marvel theme park rights is Universal Parks & Resorts, which operates two theme parks with Marvel-themed attractions: Universal Studios Florida and Universals Islands of Adventure. College of the Canyons - 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, California, USA. RELATED:MODOK Trends with Zack Snyder's 'Rebel Moon'. Universal May Not Be Holding Up Marvel's Future Plans For Hulk After Published Nov 30, 2022 Marvel confirmed rights involving Hulk and Namor are still with Universal, meaning the Disney-owned characters will probably never get solo movies. Universal Studios | Movies, Theme Parks, News and Services Whether you are a die-hard comic book fan or someone who has never even picked up a comic book, there is a Marvel movie out there for you. Trademark | This is important because it made Hulk a multimedia star at a time when Marvel was cautious of the big screen. Despite a brief jaunt in Mathematics at Durham University, film writing was always his calling. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ending established that Namor was almost using Wakanda to gain his long-awaited war on the surface world, meaning he could potentially appear in an antagonistic role again in a future Black Panther film. Photos not available for this variation. Post-Homecoming, anything's possible. Dragon Ball Z Characters Who Could Defeat Superman. This situation is very similar to that of another longstanding MCU character: the Hulk. Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile. After all, Ruffalo's contract originally ran for six movies, so assuming that hasn't changed he still has one more to go (Iron Man 3 is unlikely to have counted); rounding things off with a Hulk movie would a fitting finale to the character's time in the MCU. And that's the minimum. With the current state of Hulk's distribution rights sitting up in the air, new evidence has been uncovered to suggest when Disney will reacquire the rights. In 2009, Disney paid $4 billion for Marvel, and the agreement is a long-term one, as long as Universal keeps paying Disney. Disney would distribute a Hulk movie to Marvel Studios, allowing the studio to begin production. The scrappy little movie company led by Kevin Feige could make movies, but it had no way to get them into theaters. If Marvel feels there is enough interest to justify a solo movie, they will definitely jump at the chance. These rights are typically granted by Marvel Entertainment, Inc. to theme park operators in exchange for a licensing fee and a percentage of the parks gross revenues. A password reset link will be sent to you by email. As has been known since Disney's acquisition of Marvel Studios in 2009, the distribution rights for certain Marvel characters have rested with Universal Pictures. Universal currently holds the rights to several Marvel characters, including the Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Incredible Hulk. That may not seem like a big deal, but for investors, it sure would be. As Mark Ruffalo, who took over playing Bruce Banner/Hulk from Edward Norton after The Incredible Hulk, explained in 2017, Marvel Studios President/Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige "pulled me aside before [Thor: Ragnarok], and said, If you were gonna do a if we were going to do a standalone Hulk movie, what would it be?" After Ruffalo told Feige what he had in mind, his ideas were integrated into not only Ragnarokbut also Infinity War and Endgame. Before the days of the MCU, the characters from the many Marvel Comics were almost shared out among other Hollywood studios. These parks feature rides of the highest quality, in addition to Marvel movies long history with them. After Ang Lee's regrettable Hulk film in 2003, Universal agreed to let Marvel Studios make the next picture, distributing The Incredible Hulk. Is the Disney+ MCU Cutting Into Marvel Studios' Box Office Performance? However, Marvel could attempt to regain the rights to the characters for Phase 5 and beyond. Neither of the films got great attention either; The Incredible Hulk is one of the worst reviewed of the entire MCU and is often forgotten when it comes to full-franchise assessment. This is why Marvel Studios are unlikely to release a solo film for either character anytime soon, as they would not have full control over the distribution of their own film. The Company distributes all Marvel-produced films with the exception of The Incredible Hulk, which is distributed by Universal Pictures. Marvel and Sony Strike a Deal in 1998 to License the Film Rights to Spider-Man and 900 Related Characters Back when superheroes were still in their infancy, Sony and Marvel struck a deal to license the film rights to Spider-Man and 900 related characters. For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today onTwitter,Facebook, andInstagram. There hasn't been a Hulk solo movie since 2008, which is because the film rights are tied up with Universal Pictures. Regarding the Marvel Studios Spider-Man films, Disney pays Sony a licensing fee to use the character (Civil War, Homecoming, Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Far From Home) based on how each film performs at the box office. Ended: Feb 21, 2023. 2003-2023 Best Little Sites, LLC. While The Incredible Hulk did perform well on the home video market, it wasn't enough to cover marketing costs. so what's up with hulk rights? : r/marvelstudios - Reddit That Darn Marvel Contract - What Rights Does Universal and Disney Own Disney has acquired the intellectual property rights to the characters, stories, and settings from Marvels comics. Thor: Ragnarok is the MCU's way of getting around making a proper Hulk movie, but why actually can't Marvel make a standalone for Bruce Banner? They do own the distribution rights for Incredible Hulk (2008), currently, but not necessarily to Hulk as a franchise. This complicated legal issue has since led the MCU to limit Hulk to supporting roles and omit solo projects altogether. In 1994, Universal Studios obtained the rights to license the Marvel comic books theme parks. RELATED: Why Were the Hulk's Pants Always Purple? Screen Rant's Managing Editor, Alex Leadbeater has been covering film online since 2012 and been a permanent fixture of SR since 2016. The Complicated Relationship Between Marvel And Universal / All Rights Reserved, Write for Us Movies, Entertainment, Comics, The Complicated Relationship Between Marvel And Universal, https://veryimgs.veryaware.com/1661323847200.jpg, https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a5aed50578738cfe85dcdca1b09bd179?s=96&d=mm&r=g. Universal Studios Hollywood Height Requirements - 40 Inches or Taller. It's Marvel working around the restriction and. Hulk Hogan Signed Universal Champion Red Wrestling Belt. From Spider-Man and the X-Men to Iron Man and Captain America, the Marvel Universe is full of super-powered heroes and villains. A recent report from The Wrap revealed that Universal still holds the rights to both Hulk and Namor, placing limitations on their use in the MCU. Why Marvel Can't Make a Standalone MCU Hulk Movie, it's been proven that supposed leaks suggesting development were false, Why Marvel Put Planet Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel wasn't able to wrangle Galactus and the Silver Surfer back from Fox, Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno The Incredible Hulk TV series, first refusal on distributing any Hulk films. Along with a number of other Universal Studios attractions, Islands of Adventure includes a Marvel Super Hero Island. However, even under the Mouse House, Universal still has that "first refusal" clause. And Universal is confirmed to have the right of first refusal on the distribution of any Hulk movie planned for the future. You can visit Forbes for an even more in-depth account of what is going on with this Marvel title. Marvel Studios' Phase 4 and 5 slates may be filled to the brim for now, but there are still plenty of release opportunities left in Phase 6 and beyond. They have made great strides to do so and have been very successful in that regard. Namor's introduction in the film has been widely regarded as one of the best aspects of Wakanda Forever, with many placing Namor among the best MCU villains, given the character's understandable motivations. To say Marvel Studios is unlikely to work with Universal to distribute a solo MCU film might be stating the obvious. No, Universal does not own any Marvel characters. This is because Universal's option only relates to explicit Hulk films and, as Bruce Banner is clearly part of an ensemble in these cases, they have no say in them. Right now, we're still years away from that happening. Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger have all been acquired by Marvel Studios from Paramount. The film production company is a joint venture between Disney and Marvel. Fans of Marvel Comics' history know that the effort to get its characters on TV and into the movies was decades in the making and pioneered by Stan Lee. There is another rumor of Marvel Studios developing a World War Hulk movie following events from She Hulk. These are not included under Universals Hulk rights. In addition to Universal Orlandos ownership of Marvel characters in theme parks for a few decades now in an agreement that appears to be indefinite, the company reportedly has a deal in place with The Simpsons that will expire in 2028. In an interview covered by The Wrap, a Wall Street analyst for Citi, Jason Bazinet, predicted that terms agreed to in Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox and its assets in 2019 could lead to the return of the rights for two wayward Marvel superheroes: Hulk and Namor. RELATED: Only Two MCU Villains Have Made Hulk Bleed - and One of Them Is Dead. Namors MCU introduction led to many calling for a solo film for the antihero, yet the character's rights are owned by Universal, similar to the Hulk. But Hulk is, shockingly, even more complex than that. Thanks to the late co-creator of the Marvel Universe, cartoons and live-action series that featured Hulk, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange hit TV. The Hulk deal between Marvel and Universal is explained in-depth, with no standalone movie planned for the immediate future. Universal Pictures has the rights to produce and distribute a Hulk movie under a deal it struck with Marvel. Marvel regained cinematic rights to the character in 2005 after Universal failed to make a follow-up to Ang Lee's Hulk movie. This was typically Paramount, who released every film except Hulk up until The Avengers, by which point Disney had bought Marvel and set about distributing themselves. The company obtained film rights, intellectual property, and a production company in addition to Marvel movie rights. Marvel Super Hero Island is part of Universals Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. At Universals Islands of Adventure, you can find a wide range of Spider-Man toys. Back then, Marvel Entertainment were an independent company and so the Studios operated as just production, working with outside distributors. What makes Marvel movies so special is that they are able to appeal to a wide range of people. (function() { For those who don't know, the film rights to everyone's favorite big, green, rage monster are complicated. Iger, for example, is thought to own 500,000 Disney shares. For the Fantastic Four and X-Men, Fox pays Disney a licensing fee and receives a share of Disneys merchandise revenue on these properties. Incidents at Universal parks - Wikipedia According to Broussard, the Incredible Hulk was the clear winner when it came to placing second. Big changes have been taking place behind the scenes at Disney ever since Bob Iger returned as CEO, with one popular theory being that the company will sell its 67% stake in Hulu. The first installment of his superhero fiction book, TALES OF ADVENTURE & FANTASY, is available on Amazon in print and ebook! Condition: New. Another has more recently been revealed to be Namor. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Evidence Shows Hulk's Movie Rights Could Return To Marvel In 2023 The Marvel Cinematic Universe's relationship with the Incredible Hulk has been relatively awkward since the film was released in 2008. Since 2008, Marvel Studios has also acquired the rights to Ghost Rider, Blade, Daredevil, and a slew of others. A movie many fans hope is Planet Hulk. { Hulk Movie Rights Explained, Solo Movie Still Years Away, 10 Movies That Were Rated R for Basically No Reason, 10 Greatest Classic Movies of All Time, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes, 15 Critically Panned Movies that Somehow Got Sequels. 7 Fantastic Animes You Need to be Watching Right Now. Fans shouldn't take the newly-uncovered details of the agreement between Disney and Universal as a certainty the House of Mouse is about to reacquire the distribution rights to Hulk and Namor. All rights not expressly granted to Paramount, including without limitation, the following rights: merchandising, soundtrack, videogame, publishing (other than free excerpts for marketing purposes), music publishing, production of derivative works and other audio-visual works based on the Marvel Characters and/or Marvel Titles, including without