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. This, therefore, means that the futures of both characters still rest on Universal. Played by Tenoch Huerta, this interpretation is a massive hit with fans, both diehards and those unfamiliar with Namor. And this is true of both in the 1960s and the 2000s. Disney CEO Bob Iger assured shareholders in 2009 that Marvels acquisition would not be jeopardized. Contact | The deal between Universal and Disney is iron clad; however, it may have a time limit. "We believe Disney may sell its 67% stake in Hulu," Citi analyst Jason Bazinet wrote in a new note . Here Universal's the only ones who win. Hulk in particular is a character that has suffered a bit because Universal owns the movie rights. Hulk And Namor Solo Movies Could Depend On Disney's Plans For Hulu From Spider-Man and the X-Men to Iron Man and Captain America, the Marvel Universe is full of super-powered heroes and villains. That's still Universal . New Rumors Indicate Hulk Solo Film Rights May Be Coming Back To Marvel The attractions at Universal Studios Florida, such as Harry Potter and Jurassic World, are already doing this. In short, Marvel signed a contract with MCA Inc., which owned the Universal Studios theme parks at the time, before Disney acquired it. Disney may sell its 67% stake in Hulu for more Marvel rights: Citi Reddit useru/vidoardesshared evidence that indicates Disney may regain the distribution rights to the Hulk in June 2023, allowing them to produce a new solo movie based on the green Avenger. Yet due to Universal Pictures releasing the prior Hulk film, they held the distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk. Disney will be able to make Marvel-based films with the deal. So, while Disney owns the rights to the characters Namor and the Hulk, Marvel's pre-existing deal with Universal locks down the distribution rights, possibly in perpetuity. An SECfiling from 2006 notes Universal Studios' agreement to distribute The Incredible Hulk under the same terms as a similar deal with Paramount: Children 40-48 inches (102-122 cm) must be accompanied by a supervising companion (14 years or older). Spider-Man is one of the Marvel Villains on hand, so dont miss out on the chance to meet him. RUMOR: Disney May Regain Theatrical Distribution Rights to Hulk Films Growing older though, Lewis had a newfound love for smaller. Disney intends to regain distribution rights to the character within 15 years, according to the 15-year period. Disney intends to regain distribution rights to the character within 15 years, according to the 15-year period. Best Little Sites is not liable for inaccuracies, errors, or omissions found herein. Obviously, that makes their usage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all the more tricky. Nope, The Batman Spinoff The Penguin Now Filming, Batman George Clooney Rumored For The Flash, Marvels Ant-Man 3 Breaks Batman vs Superman Record. Distribution Term: Paramount shall have the right to exercise its Paramount Distribution Rights with respect to each Picture for an initial period of 15 years commencing on the initial Theatrical Exhibition of such Picture (the Initial Distribution Term). This follows how Hulk has been utilized in the MCU. However, it's not like there's no Hulk in the MCU. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Disneys $71 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox in March 2019 is the largest acquisition in history. Before the days of the MCU, the characters from the many Marvel Comics were almost shared out among other Hollywood studios. Since Comcast's Universal owns the film distribution rights for Hulk and newcomer Namor, the Wall Street analyst argues, "If Hulu is sold, Disney may use this as an opportunity to secure. Doctor Doom and the Green Goblin are also on hand. It is impossible for Universal to make a standalone for the Hulk as opposed to a Marvel film because the studio owns the rights to the character. The Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios are now open, and Marvels Super Hero Island is available there. This was evident in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Namor being used as the villain of that film. 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. And both films failed to break even against their budget. The film production company is a joint venture between Disney and Marvel. The acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019 brought home several big Marvel characters such as The X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool among others. Photos not available for this variation. Now, Disney may finally be able to offer fans what they have been waiting for, perhaps explaining the silence surrounding the widely-reportedWorld War Hulkmovie. However, the two studios have had a strained relationship since then. The best course of action for Universal is to renew the contract for another 15 years and keep everything running smoothly. It's Marvel working around the restriction and. However, it is clear that Universal still holds the rights to several important Marvel characters. Yet, now that Bob Iger is back in charge of Disney, maybe he can complete his Marvel Comics collection and work out a new deal. 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. Despite a brief jaunt in Mathematics at Durham University, film writing was always his calling. Namor can be used in the same manner as the Hulk in the MCU, namely as part of an ensemble, antagonistic role, or cameo. In light of this, they believed Universal was phoned in on the films marketing because the studio did not invest in the film. Hulk will return in She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawwhen it premieres on August 18, exclusively on Disney+. On September 23, 2003, a 34-year-old woman . However, also working against that are creative reasons as well as contractual. The rights of Hulk belonged to Universal similar to Spider-Man's rights in Sony Im Joel Watson and Im a content manager at veryaware.com, an entertainment website. For those who don't know, the film rights to everyone's favorite big, green, rage monster are complicated. Disney and Marvel still hold the rights to develop movies starring the Hulk, but Universal has the first refusal opportunityto distribute the project and takes a significant chunk of the profits. In their 2018 financial report, Disney also confirms that Spider-Man is still licensed to Sony Pictures, and that the Fantastic Four and X-Men are currently with Fox Studios. That means more production time and higher costs with the extensive effects necessary. Marvel's rights are a complicated affair as the character's distribution rights belong to Universal. There are also Marvel villains such as Doctor Doom and the Green Goblin. ", The aforementioned SEC deal with Paramount notes its distribution agreement "for an initial period of 15 years commencing on the initial Theatrical Exhibition of such Picture:", "6. Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverwill introduce the Atlantean ruler, played by Tenoch Huerta, but his MCU future remains up in the air as of now. based on the reaction to the character since The Avengers, it's working. The rights to any film starring Hulk or Namor in a leading role are currently owned by Universal. (function() { Under the licensing arrangements for The Fantastic Four and X-Men, the third-party studio pays the Company a licensing fee and receives a share of the Companys merchandise revenue on these properties. Disney consolidated Fox and Warner's ownership in the Hulu joint venture in 2019. In 2009, Disney paid $4 billion for Marvel, and the agreement is a long-term one, as long as Universal keeps paying Disney. Either party may terminate the contract; however, Marvel must have a legitimate, legal reason to why the contract is void (poor upkeep, not upholding the quality of the IP, etc.) All rights reserved. Now, it could be simply the company wasn't going to give up their ability to call on the powerful clause rather than actual disagreement, but it's clear the whole situation comes down to that. Star-Lord from The Guardians of the Galaxy and Gamora from Doctor Strange are two of the Marvel characters that we know and love, and both will appear in Disneys Hollywood Studios in the near future. Privacy | He's covered a wide range of movies and TV shows - from digging out obscure MCU Easter eggs to diving deep into deeper meanings of arthouse fare - and has covered a litany of set visits, junkets and film festivals. 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. Yes, you read that right! 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! The Avengers Campus will be the first Avenger theme park in the United States. The scrappy little movie company led by Kevin Feige could make movies, but it had no way to get them into theaters. callback: cb And as the past has shown, the previous two Hulk movies came nowhere close to those numbers. A recent rumor has suggested that the solo film rights to the Hulk may be returning to Marvel Studios in 2023! The first installment of his superhero fiction book, TALES OF ADVENTURE & FANTASY, is available on Amazon in print and ebook! 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. Disney CEO Bob Iger, in describing these contracts to his staff, stated that they were business-friendly. RUMOR: Marvel Regains Hulk Rights From Universal The film was Universal Pictures' second attempt at a Hulk film after the critical and commercial disappointment of Ang Lee's 2003 film. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews, Why Marvel's Complex Namor & Hulk Rights Mean They'll Never Get Solo Movies. Marvel Studios and Sony have mutually terminated their Spider-Man franchise. Apex Legends vs Fornite which is better? Prior to the Companys acquisition of Marvel in fiscal year 2010, Marvel had licensed the rights to third-party studios to produce and distribute feature films based on certain Marvel properties including Spider-Man (licensed to Sony Pictures Entertainment), The Fantastic Four (licensed to 21CF) and X-Men (licensed to 21CF). In addition to Disney and Marvel, Universal has the first right to distribute the Hulk movies. Spider-Man remains a huge part of the MCU and Namor will appear in the upcoming film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Now with Disney about to buy Fox, all the characters have returned to the Marvel comics and are now also being used in licensing, merchandise and gaming. Disney and Marvel made Iron Man 2 with Paramount distributing the movie. However, as is known from the Hulk in the MCU since The Incredible Hulk, this is not to say Marvel Studios cannot use Hulk or Namor at all. The Many Reasons Why Superman Never Gives Up. It really all comes down to contracts. Universal's Film Rights Dictate The Future Of Namor & The Hulk The future of both the Hulk and Namor rest solely on Universal. Why Bob Iger Returning to Disney May Be Bad for Marvel Fans. Ive been working in the online publishing industry for over 10 years and have a passion for creating engaging, entertaining content. With a budget of $8.25 million, the film has the lowest budget of any Marvel film. When Disney bought Marvel, Universals contract to use Marvel characters expired, and they were forced to close the attraction. I'm Joel Watson and I'm a content manager at veryaware.com, an entertainment website. Universal has the first refusal opportunityto distribute the project, Disney may have regained the rights but have yet to be supported by anything definitive, but there are still plenty of release opportunities left in Phase 6 and beyond, Spider-Verse 2 Reportedly Includes Major MCU Phase 4 Reference, Andor Season 2 Director Just Deleted This New Set Photo After Sharing Online, Avatar 3: Disney Is Secretly Teasing Sequels New Characters, Robert Pattinsons Batman Universe Just Recast 1 Gotham Character, The Mandalorian Season 3: Episode 2's Longer Runtime Revealed In Advance, Ant-Man 3: Quantumania's Post-Credits Scenes Count Confirmed, Michael B. Jordan Shares Blunt Response to Black Superman Casting Rumors, Daredevil Actors Hit the Gym for Disney+ Reboot (Photos), Ant-Man 3 Writer Refuses to Listen to Fans Criticizing MODOK: 'They're Wrong', Ant-Man 3's Disappointing Reviews: Kang Actor Breaks Silence on Negative Reaction. 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. Despite never getting a sequel, the character has remained a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Forbes offers three reasons for Marvel and Disney not committing to a new Hulk movie. He once asked Tom Cruise about his supposedly fake-butt in Valkyrie (he swore it was all real). According to evidence shared on Reddit by u/vidoardes, Disney is in a position to regain distribution rights to the Hulk in 2023. Since 2008, Marvel Studios has also acquired the rights to Ghost Rider, Blade, Daredevil, and a slew of others. Copyright 2023 Cosmic Book News | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | About Us | Contact Us | Movies | Comics | TV | Gaming | News | Reviews | Web Stories | Search, MODOK Trends with Zack Snyder's 'Rebel Moon', The Marvel's Release Date Pushed Back To November, Justice League and DC Sold To Netflix? listeners: [], What do you think will happen regarding rights with The Hulk? The situation is more of a standoff between Disney and Universal where neither wants to give, and so Marvel are just dealing with it. While Universal agreed to share the character with the main universe in MCU, it was still not allowed for Disney and Marvel to produce any solo movie on him. The opportunity to expand on Disneys involvement in the Marvel universe is one of the most promising things to come. Guide to Universal Studios Hollywood Height Requirements So, naturally, the question becomes, will the man they call Kulk'ulk'an get a solo film? But they did not obtain the distribution rights, which Universal still has today. Post-Homecoming, anything's possible. Overseas, Hulu titles are added to the Disney+ library, but the two streaming platforms remain completely separate in the U.S. Having two of these services to contend with has become something of a financial burden, and selling its 67% share could be highly beneficial to the company. Site Map | In 2018, Disney generated $20.3 billion in revenue, while Universal Theme Parks generated $5.7 billion. Marvel Studios Was Unhappy With How Universal Marketed Incredible Hulk Apparently, the original deal for his rights stated they reverted to Marvel 15 years after the release of the latest film. Yet, over time, the rights to characters came back to Marvel from studios like New Line and Paramount. Do you think we'll eventually see solo Hulk and Namor movies? In this video, Sid reveals the possibility The Hulk & Namor Rights could go back to Marvel! Follow Sid On Social Media:Instagram: @therealdoomblazer ~ h. It would be a unique experience. Marvel won back the Hulk movie production rights in 2005, after Universal failed to put a sequel to 2003's Hulk into immediate production. In 2009, the CEO of Disney acknowledged the importance of Marvels intellectual property rights when Disney purchased Marvel. Is Superman Gay? After Ang Lee's regrettable Hulk film in 2003, Universal agreed to let Marvel Studios make the next picture, distributing The Incredible Hulk. acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, Laal Singh Chaddha (2022): The Disastrous Adaptation of Tom Hanks Forrest Gump, Spidey And His Amazing Friends Season Premier at Battery Park, Ryan Cooglers Thank You Letter To Fans Is Making Me Emotional All Over Again. Like the Incredible Hulk, Universal Studios owns the rights to the character Namor and entered into a special arrangement with Disney for the character to feature in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Marvel Super Hero Island, a massive Marvel-themed attraction at Universal Orlando, is one of the many attractions in the park. Citi Thinks Disney Could Trade Hulu for Hulk - thewrap.com Terms Of Service | In addition to Sony still having the film rights to Spider-Man-related characters, Universal Pictures continues to hold the distribution rights to solo movies about The Hulk and Namor the. Marvel Studios and Universal Pictures have had a long and complicated relationship. Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort, and Universal Studios Japan all have amazing Marvel rides that are sure to thrill and excite any fan of the superhero franchise. Sure, anything could happen if the deal ends, but whats most likely is they just renew the deal. 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. From Wikipedia: 'In 2012, Marvel Entertainment CCO Joe Quesada believed Namor's rights had reverted to Marvel, but Feige said in August 2013 this was not so. Since the Marvel movies, Disney has earned more money from them than Universal. Shocking Facts About Casino Real Story, Homemade Smoothie Recipes You Need to Try This Season, Lupita Nyongo is headed to A Quiet Place, Elevate Your Movie Nights with These Affordable Home Theater Upgrades. To say Marvel Studios is unlikely to work with Universal to distribute a solo MCU film might be stating the obvious. The film would go on to gross $134 million in the United States and $264 million worldwide, bringing its total to $134 million. Although his comics have never really sold well - the original run was canceled after only six issues, with the character only surviving thanks to his Avengers association - Hulk is one Marvel's biggest icons, thanks in no small part to the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno The Incredible Hulk TV series. In recent years, Marvel has been trying to get the rights to its characters back from Universal, but has had little success. A film starring Hulk was first floated in 1990, with Universal having bought the movie rights. This was the case with Universals film The Incredible Hulk, which was part of the MCU. Along with a number of other Universal Studios attractions, Islands of Adventure includes a Marvel Super Hero Island. Analyst says Comcast looking to sell Hulk/Namor movie rights back to Ended: Feb 21, 2023. Although Marvel has the rights to Hulk back, it is unable to release a standalone Hulk movie thanks to . Although these characters are no longer featured at Universal Orlando Resort, they remain a major part of the Marvel universe, and they will be a big hit with fans of the movies and television shows. Marvel Studios finally explains its Hulk movie deal with Universal Pictures and how it affects the character's role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney once again confirms they distribute all the Marvel-produced films except for The Incredible Hulk, which is distributed by Universal Pictures. 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. 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. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017, Black Panther 2018), Avengers: Infinity War (Fall 2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (Fall 2018), Captain Marvel (2019), and Avengers: Marvel rides are some of the most popular rides at theme parks around the world. Marvel Entertainments acquisition by Universal is a significant acquisition for the company because it enters a highly competitive market for comic books and movies. 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. Besides Hulk, Namor, and Spider-Man, Disney owns the rights to almost every single character in Marvel Comics. It is exciting to speculate on what an Marvel-themed park at Disney World would look like. Well, unfortunately, probably not. Apparently Disney Could Get The Full Rights To Marvel Characters Hulk It is also noted that if Marvel and Disney really wanted to make a new Hulk movie, they would buy the distribution rights from Universal, or cut some sort of new deal with Universal, or just release it through Universal as they have done with other studios in the past. 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. 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. Marvel Finally Explains Exactly How Its Hulk Deal with Universal - CBR I guarantee you will not be disappointed. These movies are full of action, adventure, comedy, and drama, and they always leave audiences wanting more. Universal and Marvel reached an agreement in 2008 for the former to distributeThe Incredible Hulkwhich starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner before he was recast with Mark Ruffalo forThe Avengers. Those who own physical media copies of those early Marvel films will know both Paramount and Universal distributed those films. Fury of the Gods Special: Shazamily Matters, 10 Marvel Movies That Were Set Up To Fail, 10 Sci-Fi Films That Bombed At The Box Office But Became Cult Classics, Quantumania's MODOK Actor Defends His Ant-Man Role After Fan Backlash. Universal Still Owns Movie Rights For The Hulk, Says Mark Ruffalo MCU: New Evidence Reveals When Hulk Movie Rights Could Return to Disney The future of both the Hulk and Namor rest solely on Universal. However, it was not until the release of the first Iron Man movie in 2008 that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was truly born. 27 Unearthed legal documents may suggest that Disney and Marvel Studios will regain theatrical distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk and other Hulk films in June 2023. The most likely answer is that Universal is the exclusive licensee of the Marvel brand. Is the Disney+ MCU Cutting Into Marvel Studios' Box Office Performance? Father, veteran, and storyteller. This category includes She Hulk as well. The studio wants to keep him as a 'special event' character, which raises the profile of an ensemble movie like these two mentioned, or Captain America: Civil War, where Bruce Banner is rumored to appear next. Although, Disney may need to be quick to get started on a Hulk-centric project as Mark Ruffalo may well be looking to move on from the role soon after over ten years as Bruce Banner. Advertise, Funny Superhero (DC & Marvel) Shirts & Stickers. Incidents at Universal parks - Wikipedia This is similar to how Namor can be used in the future. Based out of North East England, Lewis has a deep passion for all kinds of media that began at a young age. Since Hulk came out in June of 2008 this means that the agreement could end in June of 2023. 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. Mark Ruffalo has now played Bruce Banner in four movies (counting his cameo in Iron Man 3), yet none have been a full-on Hulk standalone - and that doesn't look like it'll change in future. Both Planet Hulk and the long rumored World War Hulk would be incredibly expensive to pull off on the big screen the right way. . While something vaguely similar happened with Spider-Man, there was a much clearer balance of rewards to either side. I find it hard to believe Universal would let the contract lapse and then just hold on to the Hulk rights. It's well known that characters' movie rights have a big influence on the Marvel films made. 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. Hulk Movie Rights Still At Universal - Cosmic Book News That Darn Marvel Contract - What Rights Does Universal and Disney Own The Marvel brand is not permitted by Disney to be used in the licensing of Marvel content to U.S. theme parks. Following Disneys acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios and Marvel Television were formed. While few details are on-the-record, the relationship between Universal and Disney is frosty at best. Universal owns distribution rights, which means they have the right of "first refusal" to any Hulk film. Universal Owns Namor's Rights, Too? Related: Black Panther 2 Repeats An Infinity War Trick To Make Namor More Powerful. You can see the excerpt from the SEC filings below: 6. The Hulk franchise even introduced the "shared universe" concept, with Thor and Daredevil showing up in those shows. RUMOR: Hulk Movie Rights Could Be Returning to Disney in June 2023 A film starring Hulk was first floated in 1990, with Universal having bought the movie rights. The second reason is that Hulk has proven to be quite popular in Marvel's The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. This is why the one truly successful outing for Hulk is the TV series, which by its nature focused on Banner's conflict and internal drama - things that are great for episodic TV but not really a big blockbuster movie. No, Universal does not own any Marvel characters. Geeks WorldWidepreviously reported in October 2021 thataWorld War Hulkmovie is in development with a 2022 production date, butupdates have since been scarce. Marvel has been trying to get the rights to these characters back for years, but has had little success. By Matt McGloin / Saturday, January 12, 2019 - 2:04AM. 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. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and of course - Netflix and chill! RELATED: Why Bob Iger Returning to Disney May Be Bad for Marvel Fans. Both Namor and the Incredible Hulk are characters Disney owns the rights to use in stories, films or television. Indie-made films and has learned to love film from all walks of life. Despite being one of the founding Avengers, the Hulk has had an arguably small role to play in the MCU as the only member of the team not to lead a solo project since Phase 1.