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. It is not possible for Disney or Universal to use the Marvel name in their parks because they have a long-term agreement. As The Incredible Hulk was released in 2008, this would mean that Marvel could use Hulk again from 2023 onwards. 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. With the acquisition of Marvel in 2004, Disney increased its popularity even further among people who do not read comic books. In 2018, Disney generated $20.3 billion in revenue, while Universal Theme Parks generated $5.7 billion. The scrappy little movie company led by Kevin Feige could make movies, but it had no way to get them into theaters. HULK: Marvel Studios May Finally Regain The Jade Giant's Theatrical Rights From Universal In 2023 The last time the MCU's Jade Giant starred in his own movie was 2008's The Incredible Hulk,. 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. The Return Of Superman: A Show That Positively Portrays Fathers, The 1978 Superman Film And Its Iconic Sequel Superman II. They have made great strides to do so and have been very successful in that regard. The Hulk's appearances in other films and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law continue his story and make him the connective tissue for a number of these discrete stories. Iger, for example, is thought to own 500,000 Disney shares. Marvel Super Hero Island is part of Universals Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. 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. 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. Because it was the studios risky two-picture strategy, landing Iron Man was regarded as a personal sacrifice. Sony will continue to produce all Spider-Man and Spidey films until at least nine months have passed. 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. The film audience for the title didn't grow between movies, which is seen as a bad sign. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Must be 40 inches (102 cm) tall. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews, Why Marvel's Complex Namor & Hulk Rights Mean They'll Never Get Solo Movies. Hulk has had his own solo movie and appeared in several Marvel Studios films. Universal seems unbending. See original listing. RELATED:The Marvel's Release Date Pushed Back To November. They are the lowest earners in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 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. However, if Disney decided against buying out Comcast's 33% stake, then that company might choose to acquire the entire service. 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. Hulk will return in She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawwhen it premieres on August 18, exclusively on Disney+. listeners: [], In light of this, they believed Universal was phoned in on the films marketing because the studio did not invest in the film. The movie rights of Hulk have always been dynamic unlike the character rights of the other superheroes. But why? Disney will only own Marvels parks if it acquires the rights to them from Universal. 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. The rights to any film starring Hulk or Namor in a leading role are currently owned by Universal. 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 Avengers Campus will be the first Avenger theme park in the United States. Of course, the comics moved beyond this in the 1960s, but culturally that is where Hulk's been, and it's only really in Ragnarok where his autonomy is presented. The company is trying to overturn the decision of Marvel to grant Disney exclusive rights to the major Marvel Cinematic Universe characters. Another has more recently been revealed to be Namor. For those who don't know, the film rights to everyone's favorite big, green, rage monster are complicated. Since then, there have been 22 movies released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with more planned for the future. This was evident in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Namor being used as the villain of that 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. . If for some reason Universal chose to forgo distribution, then Disney would immediately pick up the distribution rights for the Hulk movie. Ive been working in the online publishing industry for over 10 years and have a passion for creating engaging, entertaining content. 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. Own It Now on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital. This situation is very similar to that of another longstanding MCU character: the Hulk. Sure, anything could happen if the deal ends, but whats most likely is they just renew the deal. KEEP READING:She-Hulk Fan Proves Tatiana Maslany Looks Just Like the MCU Superhero, Source: The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. on: function(evt, cb) { "While Disney owns all Marvel IP, Universal has distribution rights to Hulk and Namor," the analyst wrote. Home Movie News Hulk Movie Rights Still At Universal. As his antagonistic nature was established in Wakanda Forever, Namor will likely be used in this capacity again. This may come as a disappointment to many, who wish for a Namor solo film after his fantastic debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Part of this comes from a tricky balance within the character's concept; while you have a big green monster for thrills, he only exists in a gulf of our actual protagonist. (function() { Counting in marketing costs and everything else that goes along with it, a solo Hulk movie would have to break $750 million worldwide to be economically viable. 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. Disney has regained ownership of the Marvel Comics character after Universal Pictures gave up rights to him. Hulk is Jekyll and Hyde where Hyde is typically mindless. "We believe Disney may sell its 67% stake in Hulu," Citi analyst Jason Bazinet wrote in a new note . 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. If, or when, Universal chooses to forgo distribution, Disney will immediately pick up those distribution rights for a solo Hulk movie. You can see the excerpt from the SEC filings below: 6. 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. The Hulk Surely Marvel owns The Hulk! However, it is clear that Universal still holds the rights to several important Marvel characters. While Marvel Studios have the rights to use Hulk and Namor in their films to whatever extent they please, releasing a solo film is more complicated due to Universal owning distribution rights. Disney has acquired the intellectual property rights to the characters, stories, and settings from Marvels comics. These movies are full of action, adventure, comedy, and drama, and they always leave audiences wanting more. It requires going against an ingrained idea and barreling into something more psychological than the MCU structure allows. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Throughout the day, various Spider-Man and Marvel merchandise will be available for purchase. To say Marvel Studios is unlikely to work with Universal to distribute a solo MCU film might be stating the obvious. There may be a more antagonistic side to this as well. Learn More. Never, Universal Studios permanently owns the distribution rights to any film in which Hulk portrays himself as the main character, as well as his related friends in his universe. Father, veteran, and storyteller. Could this change? This took a very meandering route to Ang Lee's Hulk in 2003, a film whose mixed reaction led to a muted sequel development period that ultimately saw the rights revert to Marvel in 2006, just as the studio was setting up the MCU. 2003-2023 Best Little Sites, LLC. 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. However, there is one type of movie that seems to be universally enjoyed by people of all ages and from all walks of life, and that is the Marvel movie. Copyright 2020 The Direct Media Group LLC. In recent years, it has been widely speculated as to why Disney and Marvel Entertainment havent worked together on a Marvel-themed theme park. So what does this mean for The Hulk and his future in the MCU? Although Marvel has the rights to Hulk back, it is unable to release a standalone Hulk movie thanks to . 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. 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. Namor will make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which will be released in theaters on November 11. 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. 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. In 1994, Universal Studios obtained the rights to license the Marvel comic books theme parks. The Controversial Comic Book Reveal, 5 Superhero Games You Should Download Today. It's the reason there is only one stand-alone Hulk film. A password reset link will be sent to you by email. Since 2008, Marvel Studios has also acquired the rights to Ghost Rider, Blade, Daredevil, and a slew of others. 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. How His Situation Compares To Hulk, Black Panther 2 Repeats An Infinity War Trick To Make Namor More Powerful, Marvel Was Right To Scrap Black Panthers Original Namor Credits Scene, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk being such an integral MCU, Marvel Studios could make a solo Hulk movie, Groot's MCU Future Can Explain Vin Diesel's Exciting Hulk Fight Tease. Don't hold your breath. The attractions at Universal Studios Florida, such as Harry Potter and Jurassic World, are already doing this. Avengers Campus is named after the city of Tokyo (the location of Avengers Theme Park). The Security and Exchange Commission filing from 2008 allows Universal to hold Hulk movie rights for 15 years, which would expire June 2023. and not used in merchandise, licensing or video games because Fox owned the characters. } With a budget of $8.25 million, the film has the lowest budget of any Marvel film. 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. VeryAware document.write( new Date().getFullYear() ); Namor can be used in the same manner as the Hulk in the MCU, namely as part of an ensemble, antagonistic role, or cameo. 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 Yet due to Universal Pictures releasing the prior Hulk film, they held the distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk. Which Studios Own the Rights to Marvel's Characters? Nope, The Batman Spinoff The Penguin Now Filming, Batman George Clooney Rumored For The Flash, Marvels Ant-Man 3 Breaks Batman vs Superman Record. And since Universal appears to have just recently lost that fight, it's not inclined to work with Disney on rights to these characters. 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? New evidence posted to Reddit seems to indicate that Universals Hulk distribution agreement could end in June of 2023. Children 40-48 inches (102-122 cm) must be accompanied by a supervising companion (14 years or older). Well, unfortunately, probably not. College of the Canyons - 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, California, USA. 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. While The Incredible Hulk did perform well on the home video market, it wasn't enough to cover marketing costs. In this video, Sid reveals the possibility The Hulk & Namor Rights could go back to Marvel! Follow Sid On Social Media:Instagram: @therealdoomblazer ~ h. Universal Studios has the rights to many of these characters, and has used them in a variety of theme park attractions and live shows. 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.