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. According to evidence shared on Reddit by u/vidoardes, Disney is in a position to regain distribution rights to the Hulk in 2023. Marvel Super Hero Island is part of Universals Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Why Marvel's Namor & Hulk Film Rights Are So Complicated What's also unclear is if the distribution deal also extends to TV. No, Universal does not own any Marvel characters. The Hulk deal between Marvel and Universal is explained in-depth, with no standalone movie planned for the immediate future. 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. Own It Now on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital. So, any Hulk or Namor solo film would become the property of Universal. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. 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. I've been working in the online publishing industry for over 10 years and have a passion for creating engaging, entertaining content. Advertise, Funny Superhero (DC & Marvel) Shirts & Stickers. Universal currently holds the rights to several Marvel characters, including the Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Incredible Hulk. Photos not available for this variation. Trademark | Hulk movies are not proven at best, unpopular at worst. Disney will be able to make Marvel-based films with the deal. 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. It's Marvel working around the restriction and. Why Bob Iger Returning to Disney May Be Bad for Marvel Fans. It has over 6,000 characters and is one of the worlds most valuable comic book franchises. 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. That means more production time and higher costs with the extensive effects necessary. However, Universal does still hold the right of first refusal with . Nope, The Batman Spinoff The Penguin Now Filming, Batman George Clooney Rumored For The Flash, Marvels Ant-Man 3 Breaks Batman vs Superman Record. Yet, over time, the rights to characters came back to Marvel from studios like New Line and Paramount. Marvel can't make a Hulk standalone, but they probably wouldn't want to even if they could. Now Open - Get Details. Disneys $71 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox in March 2019 is the largest acquisition in history. A consistently evolving entertainment industry landscape where Marvel is the biggest game in town means the only certainty is that one can never say never. In 2009, the CEO of Disney acknowledged the importance of Marvels intellectual property rights when Disney purchased Marvel. How To Improve Netflix Viewing Experience, How Grand Theft Auto Became one of the Most Popular Brands Ever, Ranking Our Favourite Episodes of Extreme Home Makeover. Since The Incredible Hulk, the character has appeared in all four Avengers movies, as well as cameos in Iron Man 3, Captain Marvel, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and supporting roles in Thor: Ragnarok and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. "While Disney owns all Marvel IP, Universal has distribution rights to Hulk and Namor," the analyst wrote. And since Universal appears to have just recently lost that fight, it's not inclined to work with Disney on rights to these characters. In The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which was recently published by Abrams Books), it's noted that Universal and Marvel publicly agreed upon a new deal regarding the Hulk film rights in 2006. Indie-made films and has learned to love film from all walks of life. This is similar to how Namor can be used in the future. Universal Studios has the rights to many of these characters, and has used them in a variety of theme park attractions and live shows. 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. Marvel movies are based on comic books that were first published in the 1930s. 3 (2016). 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. There has been speculation about a Marvel-themed park at Disney in the past, but nothing has come to fruition. Home Movie News Hulk Movie Rights Still At Universal. 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. Hulk has been a member of the MCU for over a decade. Condition: New. How long until Marvel gets the full rights for Hulk? 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. 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. This is important because it made Hulk a multimedia star at a time when Marvel was cautious of the big screen. Marvel Has One Path to Regain Full Hulk, Namor Rights, Analyst Believes Disney has regained ownership of the Marvel Comics character after Universal Pictures gave up rights to him. In recent years, it has been widely speculated as to why Disney and Marvel Entertainment havent worked together on a Marvel-themed theme park. 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. All of the characters who appeared in Hulk comics during this time period are included. He works better when surrounded by a team, with the character not having to shoulder a whole movie on his own. 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. Universal seems unbending. VeryAware document.write( new Date().getFullYear() ); Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. 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. Hulk in particular is a character that has suffered a bit because Universal owns the movie rights. An SECfiling from 2006 notes Universal Studios' agreement to distribute The Incredible Hulk under the same terms as a similar deal with Paramount: The Hulk will be back in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which premieres on August 18. Disney will only own Marvels parks if it acquires the rights to them from Universal. } The Incredible Hulk was marketed differently by the studio, Marvel Studios. 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. Yet, the same would've been said about the Sony and Disney partnership before it happened. Also, given that Namor can be used as part of an ensemble, the character could make appearances in upcoming films like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars alongside the likely inclusion of Hulk in both. Geeks WorldWidepreviously reported in October 2021 thataWorld War Hulkmovie is in development with a 2022 production date, butupdates have since been scarce. According to a 2002 report, Walt Disney was in talks to purchase archrival Universal. Is Superman Gay? 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. 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. 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. There hasnt been a Hulk solo movie since 2008, which is because the film rights are tied up with Universal Pictures. 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 Hulk. RELATED: Only Two MCU Villains Have Made Hulk Bleed - and One of Them Is Dead. The attractions at Universal Studios Florida, such as Harry Potter and Jurassic World, are already doing this. 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. 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. Because it was the studios risky two-picture strategy, landing Iron Man was regarded as a personal sacrifice. The Marvel trend is extremely profitable for Disney. The best course of action for Universal is to renew the contract for another 15 years and keep everything running smoothly. Will a solo movie happen anytime soon? 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. Since the opening of Universals Islands of Adventure in 2001, fans of Marvel have found familiar characters there. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. 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. 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. Under the licensing arrangements, the third-party studios incur the costs to produce and distribute the films, and the Company retains the merchandise licensing rights. For the Fantastic Four and X-Men, Fox pays Disney a licensing fee and receives a share of Disneys merchandise revenue on these properties. The Incredible Hulk Coaster. Prior to Disney acquiring Marvel, they had a distribution agreement with Paramount for Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Disney would distribute a Hulk movie to Marvel Studios, allowing the studio to begin production. This, therefore, means that the futures of both characters still rest on Universal. This contract has the potential to be extended every four years by Universal. 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. 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! He once asked Tom Cruise about his supposedly fake-butt in Valkyrie (he swore it was all real). window.mc4wp.listeners.push( The rights of Hulk belonged to Universal similar to Spider-Man's rights in Sony Played by Tenoch Huerta, this interpretation is a massive hit with fans, both diehards and those unfamiliar with Namor. Disney intends to regain distribution rights to the character within 15 years, according to the 15-year period. However, if Disney decided against buying out Comcast's 33% stake, then that company might choose to acquire the entire service. How much did Disney get for Marvel? Well, unfortunately, probably not. It requires going against an ingrained idea and barreling into something more psychological than the MCU structure allows. 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. Marvel confirmed rights involving Hulk and Namor are still with Universal, meaning the Disney-owned characters will probably never get solo movies. 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. Along with a number of other Universal Studios attractions, Islands of Adventure includes a Marvel Super Hero Island. Im Joel Watson and Im a content manager at veryaware.com, an entertainment website. Disney intends to regain distribution rights to the character within 15 years, according to the 15-year period. The opportunity to expand on Disneys involvement in the Marvel universe is one of the most promising things to come. Obviously, that makes their usage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all the more tricky. And as part of that negotiation process, Comcast -- relegating to a non-controlling shareholder with a 33% ownership stake -- gained the right, starting in 2024, to demand that Disney buy it out at a minimum Hulu valuation of $27.5 billion. Disney Might Trade Hulu to Comcast for Hulk, Citi Analyst Says The Complicated Relationship Between Marvel And Universal In 2009, Disney spent $4 billion on Marvel comics. In March 2008, a short teaser trailer for The Incredible Hulk was released. The first installment of his superhero fiction book, TALES OF ADVENTURE & FANTASY, is available on Amazon in print and ebook! Both Namor and the Incredible Hulk are characters Disney owns the rights to use in stories, films or television. During their stay, attendees can attend superhero training sessions with Iron Man and Black Widow. 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. If you have never seen a Marvel movie, I highly recommend you check one out. But they did not obtain the distribution rights, which Universal still has today. Disney CEO Bob Iger, in describing these contracts to his staff, stated that they were business-friendly. 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. It is exciting to speculate on what an Marvel-themed park at Disney World would look like. The ensembles allow the character to show his strengths, and not focus on the weaknesses that would come out in a movie devoted solely to Hulk. In 1994, Universal Studios obtained the rights to license the Marvel comic books theme parks. So what does this mean for The Hulk and his future in the MCU? Disney has the option to produce and distribute any future Marvel movies that it acquires as a result of its Marvel movie rights. 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,. Here Universal's the only ones who win. So from all this, there's no official barrier to another MCU Hulk movie. 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. Over the past few years, Marvel Studios has set out to acquire most of the rights to Marvel Comics characters. Universal currently owns distribution rights to any movie starring Hulk or Namor in the leading role, meaning they receive a significant share of the profits. With Marvel producer Nate Moore recently revealing that both still belong to Universal, it is unclear whether these rumors held any merit. Captain America: Civil War takes place six decades before the Marvel Cinematic Universe debuted. So, naturally, the question becomes, will the man they call Kulk'ulk'an get a solo film? That is exactly why Mark Ruffalo does not have a solo project of his own despite his character being so darn popular among even the most casual of moviegoers. Universal Namor rights : r/marvelstudios - reddit.com Citi Thinks Disney Could Trade Hulu for Hulk - thewrap.com The relationship between Marvel and Universal is complicated, to say the least. Superheroes & Villains Marvel Studios Still Doesn't Own The Movie Rights To If Hulu is sold, Disney may use this as an opportunity to secure these distribution rights.". Citi analyst Jason Bazinet explains, "While Disney owns all Marvel IP, Universal has distribution rights to Hulk and Namor. Many fans have been wondering if this is true, and what is going on with the rights between Universal and Marvel. "As such, if Disney makes a Hulk or Namor film, Comcast can distribute the film on . so what's up with hulk rights? : r/marvelstudios - Reddit Superman & Lois: The Third Seasons Villains Revealed! Spider-Man is one of the Marvel Villains on hand, so dont miss out on the chance to meet him.