This follows how Hulk has been utilized in the MCU. RELATED: Only Two MCU Villains Have Made Hulk Bleed - and One of Them Is Dead. Marvel Studios Was Unhappy With How Universal Marketed Incredible Hulk 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. Based in London, he oversees a global news & features team based in NY, LA and beyond. Universal Studios has the rights to many of these characters, and has used them in a variety of theme park attractions and live shows. Disney CEO Bob Iger, in describing these contracts to his staff, stated that they were business-friendly. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. What this means is Universal cannot make a Hulk. From Spider-Man and the X-Men to Iron Man and Captain America, the Marvel Universe is full of super-powered heroes and villains. If, or when, Universal chooses to forgo distribution, Disney will immediately pick up those distribution rights for a solo Hulk movie. Marvel licensed the rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four characters to 20th Century Fox in the 1990s. Before the days of the MCU, the characters from the many Marvel Comics were almost shared out among other Hollywood studios. The company obtained film rights, intellectual property, and a production company in addition to Marvel movie rights. Do you think we'll eventually see solo Hulk and Namor movies? 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 Disney purchased Marvel Universal to ensure the continuation of their partnership. What makes Marvel movies so special is that they are able to appeal to a wide range of people. Despite the fact that Marvel is housed at Universal Studios, it is not a part of the park. Citi analyst Jason Bazinet explains, "While Disney owns all Marvel IP, Universal has distribution rights to Hulk and Namor. Universal Pictures distribution rights for future Hulk - ResetEra Hulk Movie Rights Still At Universal - Cosmic Book News 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. 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. The Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios are now open, and Marvels Super Hero Island is available there. 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. Throughout the day, various Spider-Man and Marvel merchandise will be available for purchase. Well, unfortunately, probably not. After Ang Lee's regrettable Hulk film in 2003, Universal agreed to let Marvel Studios make the next picture, distributing The Incredible Hulk. All of the characters who appeared in Hulk comics during this time period are included. Children 40-48 inches (102-122 cm) must be . Running from 1977 to 1982 (with three TV movies that joined David Banner with Thor and Daredevil), it reshaped how wider culture viewed the Green Goliath, popularising many essential elements (not least "don't make me angry, you won't like me when I'm angry"). Hulk Movie Reportedly Changing Hands from Universal to Disney Soon This, therefore, means that the futures of both characters still rest on Universal. (function() { Don't hold your breath. That Darn Marvel Contract - What Rights Does Universal and Disney Own It's Marvel working around the restriction and. { Universal owns distribution rights, which means they have the right of "first refusal" to any Hulk film. This makes it so that Namor can only be used in the MCU similar to how Hulk has been since 2008, something that may come as a disappointment to many. 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,. 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. Iger, for example, is thought to own 500,000 Disney shares. The Hulk will be back in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which premieres on August 18. What do you think will happen regarding rights with The Hulk? 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. 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. Geeks WorldWidepreviously reported in October 2021 thataWorld War Hulkmovie is in development with a 2022 production date, butupdates have since been scarce. Trademark | Namor will make his MCU debut inBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverwhich hits theaters on November 11. 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. 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. The film was Universal Pictures' second attempt at a Hulk film after the critical and commercial disappointment of Ang Lee's 2003 film. As his antagonistic nature was established in Wakanda Forever, Namor will likely be used in this capacity 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. Im Joel Watson and Im a content manager at veryaware.com, an entertainment website. 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. Based out of North East England, Lewis has a deep passion for all kinds of media that began at a young age. Children 40-48 inches (102-122 cm) must be accompanied by a supervising companion (14 years or older). Dragon Ball Z Characters Who Could Defeat Superman. So from all this, there's no official barrier to another MCU Hulk movie. No, Universal does not own any Marvel characters. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. In 2009, Disney paid $4 billion for Marvel, and the agreement is a long-term one, as long as Universal keeps paying Disney. 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? From the high-speed thrills of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man to the extreme ups and downs of The Incredible Hulk Coaster, theres a Marvel ride for everyone. Spider-Man remains a huge part of the MCU and Namor will appear in the upcoming film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That means more production time and higher costs with the extensive effects necessary. Its just not a smart move. The opportunity to expand on Disneys involvement in the Marvel universe is one of the most promising things to come. 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');". Yet, the same would've been said about the Sony and Disney partnership before it happened. 2003-2023 Best Little Sites, LLC. Marvel Studios finally explains its Hulk movie deal with Universal Pictures and how it affects the character's role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 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). 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. 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. An SECfiling from 2006 notes Universal Studios' agreement to distribute The Incredible Hulk under the same terms as a similar deal with Paramount: And 2003's Hulk only made $245 million. All Rights Reserved. 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. Marvel confirmed rights involving Hulk and Namor are still with Universal, meaning the Disney-owned characters will probably never get solo movies. Like Thanos, Marvel did it themselves by starting a film production company. Namor can be used in the same manner as the Hulk in the MCU, namely as part of an ensemble, antagonistic role, or cameo. However, Universal does still hold the right of first refusal with . Sony will continue to produce all Spider-Man and Spidey films until at least nine months have passed. "While Disney owns all Marvel IP, Universal has distribution rights to Hulk and Namor," the analyst wrote. 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? The final reason given for no solo Hulk movie anytime in the near future is that it will cost a lot of money. In addition, Universal is still the owner of the rights to this character. "We believe Disney may sell its 67% stake in Hulu," Citi analyst Jason Bazinet wrote in a new note . KEEP READING: She-Hulk Fan Proves Tatiana Maslany Looks Just Like the MCU Superhero The Security and Exchange Commission filing from 2008 allows Universal to hold Hulk movie rights for 15 years, which would expire June 2023. 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. 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. These movies are full of action, adventure, comedy, and drama, and they always leave audiences wanting more. Disney intends to regain distribution rights to the character within 15 years, according to the 15-year period. Universal landed the film rights to Hulk and Namor in the early 2000s. So, while they can't do anything active with the rights, should Marvel decide to make a Hulk movie Universal must be approached first. ", 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. A new Hulk movie would have to be given over to the Green Goliath, with the story revolving around an entirely CGI 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. Well, its likely that Universal and Marvel could renew the contract like Marvel did with Sony in 2019. Disney will only own Marvels parks if it acquires the rights to them from Universal. RELATED: Is the Disney+ MCU Cutting Into Marvel Studios' Box Office Performance? Terms Of Service | 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. If for some reason Universal chose to forgo distribution, then Disney would immediately pick up the distribution rights for the Hulk movie. In 2009, the CEO of Disney acknowledged the importance of Marvels intellectual property rights when Disney purchased Marvel. Despite never getting a sequel, the character has remained a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Hollywood filmmaking will always be his most knowledgeable area, Lewis still enjoys anything in the world of filmmaking. All logos and images used on this website are registered trademarks of their respective companies. Phase three of the film series will begin with Captain America: Civil War, followed by Doctor Strange (2016) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 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. Privacy | 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. You may have also seen/heard him on the Total Geekall podcast, unaffiliated YouTube channels, BBC Radio and CBC News. 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. 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. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. At Universals Islands of Adventure, you can find a wide range of Spider-Man toys. Over the past few years, Marvel Studios has set out to acquire most of the rights to Marvel Comics characters. Besides Hulk, Namor, and Spider-Man, Disney owns the rights to almost every single character in Marvel Comics. According to Broussard, the Incredible Hulk was the clear winner when it came to placing second. 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. Disney paid $4 billion in 2009 for Marvel Entertainment, making it the largest acquisition in history. Marvel can't make a Hulk standalone, but they probably wouldn't want to even if they could. 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 Reddit User then looked at the original Paramount deal which states that the deal is only good for 15 years after each picture. Spider-Man is one of the Marvel Villains on hand, so dont miss out on the chance to meet him. Universal Pictures are co-owners of the unfriendly green giant, which is why there hasn't been a solo Hulk movie since 2008's The Incredible Hulk and there's unlikely to be one in the MCU's future. 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. Price: US $499.99.