Just because he's a supporting character, though, doesn't mean Hulk is being underserved. What's also unclear is if the distribution deal also extends to TV. 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 Under the licensing arrangement for Spider-Man, the Company pays the third-party studio a licensing fee based on each films box office receipts, subject to specified limits. This isn't the main reason we haven't heard an announcement on Planet Hulk or any other Hulk movie, though. 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. Since the Marvel movies, Disney has earned more money from them than Universal. Disney does not permit the use of the comic book character at any of its theme parks in the United States or Canada. Back in April, Mark Ruffalo made the somewhat startling revelation that a standalone Hulk movie may not happen anytime in the near future because Universal still owns the rights for a standalone sequel to their 2003 Hulk movie and the 2008 follow-up The Incredible Hulk. Forbes has a new report explaining the movie rights shared between the two studios, and what it means for a standalone sequel with Hulk at the center. 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). 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. New evidence posted to Reddit seems to indicate that Universals Hulk distribution agreement could end in June of 2023. No standalone Hulk film has been in the works since 2008's The Incredible Hulk, which they produced. Power was fully restored, the . Namor will make his MCU debut inBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverwhich hits theaters on November 11. { David Maisel, a former Marvel Studios executive who played a key role in getting the MCU up and going, subsequently proposed that Marvel Studios make the next Hulk film and pay Universal to distribute it, which resulted in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. 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. What To Expect From Hulk in Avengers 3 and 4, Ruffalo's contract originally ran for six movies, Why Marvel Movies Always Release A Week Later in The US, Why Obi-Wan Didnt Use Force Speed To Save Qui-Gon Jinn From Darth Maul, The New Mad Max Might Break A Decades Old Series Rule, Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania Broke The MCU's Threequel Rule. Along with a number of other Universal Studios attractions, Islands of Adventure includes a Marvel Super Hero Island. All Rights Reserved. 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. Marvel Studios has also been reported to bedeveloping aWorld War Hulkmovie following on from the events of Disney+'sShe-Hulkwith plans to shoot this year for a late 2023 or early 2024 release. Photos not available for this variation. Disney intends to regain distribution rights to the character within 15 years, according to the 15-year period. Terms Of Service | Its just not a smart move. That may not seem like a big deal, but for investors, it sure would be. And Universal is confirmed to have the right of first refusal on the distribution of any Hulk movie planned for the future. 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.) VeryAware document.write( new Date().getFullYear() ); Price: US $499.99. As part of any such package, the House of Mouse stands a chance tofinallyregain two key Marvel franchises. 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. Well, unfortunately, probably not. He once asked Tom Cruise about his supposedly fake-butt in Valkyrie (he swore it was all real). There appears to . Sony will continue to produce all Spider-Man and Spidey films until at least nine months have passed. Marvel movies are based on comic books that were first published in the 1930s. 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. Disney has the ability to use this property in a variety of ways, including making new movies, TV shows, and games. How much did Disney get for Marvel? Learn More. The Controversial Comic Book Reveal, 5 Superhero Games You Should Download Today. Like with Spider-Man, there is scope for some agreement, although the current terms don't leave much room for negotiation. Disney CEO Bob Iger assured shareholders in 2009 that Marvels acquisition would not be jeopardized. Indie-made films and has learned to love film from all walks of life. Yet, the same would've been said about the Sony and Disney partnership before it happened. If it does, that means that NBC or Peacock would have first right of refusal for a TV series with either character in the lead role. Marvel theme park rights are the exclusive rights to use Marvel intellectual property at an amusement park or other theme park setting. Similarly, with Namor, Marvel could make a TV series focused on Talokan, where the character appears but is not the protagonist. Children 40-48 inches (102-122 cm) must be accompanied by a supervising companion (14 years or older). If, or when, Universal chooses to forgo distribution, Disney will immediately pick up those distribution rights for a solo Hulk movie. However, also working against that are creative reasons as well as contractual. Ended: Feb 21, 2023. 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. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. In recent years, it has been widely speculated as to why Disney and Marvel Entertainment havent worked together on a Marvel-themed theme park. In 1994, Universal Studios obtained the rights to license the Marvel comic books theme parks. As we said at the start, Hulk isn't the most popular of the main Avengers. This was evident in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Namor being used as the villain of that film. The Many Reasons Why Superman Never Gives Up. Disneys contract with Universal likely expires in a few years, so the company will most likely build their own Marvel-themed park. Hulk Hogan Signed Universal Champion Red Wrestling Belt. In addition to Marvels Super Hero Island, Universal Studios has not provided any updates on the future of the park, but as a result of the recent closure and removal of Shrek 4-D from Universal Studios Orlando, Universal is repositioning attractions as flagship rides for Guests. 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. "We believe Disney may sell its 67% stake in Hulu," Citi analyst Jason Bazinet wrote in a new note . . Despite the success of the Phase 4 and 5 releases, there are still plenty of opportunities for Marvel Studios to release movies in Phase 6 and beyond. The World-Famous Studio Tour. "While Disney owns all Marvel IP, Universal has distribution rights to Hulk and Namor," the analyst wrote. Next: Groot's MCU Future Can Explain Vin Diesel's Exciting Hulk Fight Tease. Many have been desperate to see a sequel toThe Incredible Hulkwith Mark Ruffalo for over a decade, andShe-Hulkhas so far been the closest Marvel has been able to offer due to legal agreements. 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. Trademark | Marvel Studios finally explains its Hulk movie deal with Universal Pictures and how it affects the character's role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These deals with Sony and Universal are beneficial for Marvel but it stands to reason they would rather have all their characters under the same roof. Disney CEO Bob Iger, in describing these contracts to his staff, stated that they were business-friendly. Disney paid $4 billion in 2009 for Marvel Entertainment, making it the largest acquisition in history. Universal Studios has the rights to many of these characters, and has used them in a variety of theme park attractions and live shows. These parks feature rides of the highest quality, in addition to Marvel movies long history with them. Disney has acquired the intellectual property rights to the characters, stories, and settings from Marvels comics. 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. Community Guidelines | Marvel's rights are a complicated affair as the character's distribution rights belong to Universal. During their stay, attendees can attend superhero training sessions with Iron Man and Black Widow. 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). All of that makes a Hulk movie a tricky prospect. There has been speculation about a Marvel-themed park at Disney in the past, but nothing has come to fruition. Unlike other Marvel characters in the MCU, such as Iron Man, Captain America, or Thor, Namor and Hulk are not solely owned by Marvel Studios. RELATED: Why Were the Hulk's Pants Always Purple? At the same time, Universal retains "the right of first refusal to distribute any future solo Hulk movies," which accounts for the lack of a second Hulk solo movie in the MCU. In short, Marvel signed a contract with MCA Inc., which owned the Universal Studios theme parks at the time, before Disney acquired it. So from all this, there's no official barrier to another MCU Hulk movie. Obviously, that makes their usage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all the more tricky. Will a solo movie happen anytime soon? This is similar to how Namor can be used in the future. Both Namor and the Incredible Hulk are characters Disney owns the rights to use in stories, films or television. Home | Related: Black Panther 2 Repeats An Infinity War Trick To Make Namor More Powerful. Disney will be able to make Marvel-based films with the deal. She-Hulk will premiere on Disney+ in 2022. This may come as a shock to new age readers but no, Marvel Studios does not actually have the movie rights to The Hulk. 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. 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. 3 (2016). In addition, Universal is still the owner of the rights to this character. Avengers simulator rides are permitted in certain legal zones in other countries. If Marvel feels there is enough interest to justify a solo movie, they will definitely jump at the chance. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews, Why Marvel's Complex Namor & Hulk Rights Mean They'll Never Get Solo Movies. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. However, it is clear that Universal still holds the rights to several important Marvel characters. Universal currently holds the rights to several Marvel characters, including the Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Incredible Hulk. College of the Canyons - 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, California, USA. This could fall on the relationship between the two studios not being as close as Sony and Marvel, or more simply be that Kevin Feige is in no rush to make a Hulk solo film. The report notes that Sony and Fox have to pay to create and distribute the movies, while Disney still retains the merchandise rights. 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. But if Disney can partner with Sony for Spider-Man and buy 20th Century Fox outright for the Fantastic Four and the mutants, why can't it and Universal get their acts together? Universal had been working with Marvel on a number of projects, including a theme park attraction based on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride at Islands of Adventure. Right now, we're still years away from that happening. Ruffalo explained the situation in a new interview with Collider: "As far as a Hulk movie, a standalone Hulk movie, Marvel doesn't really have the rights to that yet. Hulk movies are not proven at best, unpopular at worst. 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. Universal Orlando Resort. Yet due to Universal Pictures releasing the prior Hulk film, they held the distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk. There may be a more antagonistic side to this as well. In 2018, Disney generated $20.3 billion in revenue, while Universal Theme Parks generated $5.7 billion. Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile. RELATED:The Marvel's Release Date Pushed Back To November. Some people prefer action movies, while others might prefer comedies or dramas. This situation is very similar to that of another longstanding MCU character: the Hulk. While something vaguely similar happened with Spider-Man, there was a much clearer balance of rewards to either side. Over the past few years, Marvel Studios has set out to acquire most of the rights to Marvel Comics characters. Why Bob Iger Returning to Disney May Be Bad for Marvel Fans. The Hulk might be coming home as rumors are spreading that claim Marvel now completely owns the rights to the big, green and angry hero, which could potentially lead to a new series of standalone films for the Hulk. Advertise, Funny Superhero (DC & Marvel) Shirts & Stickers. This deal was completed earlier this year between NBC Universal and The Blackstone Group, which owns 50% of Universal Orlando. 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? Disneys $71 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox in March 2019 is the largest acquisition in history. In 2021, Lewis graduated from university with a Film and TV Studies degree, earning First Class Honours. Despite a brief jaunt in Mathematics at Durham University, film writing was always his calling. You can visit Forbes for an even more in-depth account of what is going on with this Marvel title. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Must be 40 inches (102 cm) tall. 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 on the reaction to the character since The Avengers, it's working. So what does this mean for The Hulk and his future in the MCU? This also ensured that Marvel Studios could use Hulk in "future multicharacter films," beginning with The Avengers in 2012 and continuing on to Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). 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. But they did not obtain the distribution rights, which Universal still has today. With a budget of $8.25 million, the film has the lowest budget of any Marvel film. The Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios are now open, and Marvels Super Hero Island is available there. In 2009, the CEO of Disney acknowledged the importance of Marvels intellectual property rights when Disney purchased Marvel. Neither Disney nor Universals theme parks have a single ride that can be used by both. 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. 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. Apex Legends vs Fornite which is better? Marvel Studios and Sony have mutually terminated their Spider-Man franchise. 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. And both films failed to break even against their budget. At this time, it's believed that Marvel and Disney don't want to invest between $150-200 million in a solo superhero movie that isn't going to make a very large return like their other recent releases. AsThe Incredible Hulkhit theaters in June 2008, the 15-year period indicates Disney will regain distribution rights to the character in June 2023, at which point Marvel Studios would be able to begin production on a Hulk movie that Disney themselves would distribute. 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. It has over 6,000 characters and is one of the worlds most valuable comic book franchises. The situation is that they didnt have much of an incentive to do somatically. Its known that Marvel Chairman Ike Perlmutter had the Fox-Marvel characters killed off in the comics (Fantastic Four, Wolverine, etc.) The last we heard on the matter came from Mark Ruffalo, who pointed the finger squarely at Universal not playing nice with Marvel. 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 Fabelmans. 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. Since then, there have been 22 movies released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with more planned for the future. / 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. Some of the content presented on our sites has been provided by fans, other unofficial websites or online news sources, and is the sole responsibility of the source from which it was obtained. But Hulk is, shockingly, even more complex than that. 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. However, a stipulation with Hulk's rights allows Marvel to use the Hulk in its movies, albeit only in team-ups. The future of both the Hulk and Namor rest solely on Universal. Owns a dog who loves watching Milo and Otis on repeat. Since 2008, Marvel Studios has also acquired the rights to Ghost Rider, Blade, Daredevil, and a slew of others. } The movie rights of Hulk have always been dynamic unlike the character rights of the other superheroes. The Incredible Hulk Coaster. Disney has regained ownership of the Marvel Comics character after Universal Pictures gave up rights to him. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. However, the two studios have had a strained relationship since then. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and of course Netflix and chill! 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 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. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and of course - Netflix and chill! It requires going against an ingrained idea and barreling into something more psychological than the MCU structure allows. It is true that Universal still holds the distribution rights to any future Hulk movies, but the character rights and licenses firmly belong to Marvel after Universal didn't act on a. and not used in merchandise, licensing or video games because Fox owned the characters. Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverwill introduce the Atlantean ruler, played by Tenoch Huerta, but his MCU future remains up in the air as of now. While Disney and Marvel hold rights to develop movies starring The Hulk, Universal and Marvel reached an agreement in June 2008 to distribute The Incredible Hulk.. I've been working in the online publishing industry for over 10 years and have a passion for creating engaging, entertaining content. 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 second reason is that Hulk has proven to be quite popular in Marvel's The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Another has more recently been revealed to be Namor. Throughout the day, various Spider-Man and Marvel merchandise will be available for purchase. As is evident with Marvel Studios' deal with Sony, there are ways the two studios could come together and work out a mutually beneficial deal for Marvel Studios to release solo films for the characters. 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. The deal between Universal and Disney is iron clad; however, it may have a time limit. Besides Hulk, Namor, and Spider-Man, Disney owns the rights to almost every single character in Marvel Comics. A new Hulk movie would have to be given over to the Green Goliath, with the story revolving around an entirely CGI Hulk. Now Open - Get Details. Marvel won back the Hulk movie production rights in 2005, after Universal failed to put a sequel to 2003's Hulk into immediate production. A password reset link will be sent to you by email. 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. 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. 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. So, while they can't do anything active with the rights, should Marvel decide to make a Hulk movie Universal must be approached first.