What they own is the "right of first refusal" for distribution of Hulk movies. The outlet added a comment from Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore who revealed the character had to be "borrowed" for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, just like the Hulk has been. The deal between Universal and Disney is iron clad; however, it may have a time limit. Privacy | New evidence posted to Reddit seems to indicate that Universals Hulk distribution agreement could end in June of 2023. But with Comcast's NBCUniversal controlling the two superheroes' distribution rights, Bazinet suggested a deal could be in the offing. 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. 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. The Avengers Campus will be the first Avenger theme park in the United States. 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. Disney has the option to produce and distribute any future Marvel movies that it acquires as a result of its Marvel movie rights. Despite Disneys purchase of Marvel Entertainment, the studio continued to produce Marvel films. That's still Universal . 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). 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. 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. But they did not obtain the distribution rights, which Universal still has today. In March 2008, a short teaser trailer for The Incredible Hulk was released. 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. As his antagonistic nature was established in Wakanda Forever, Namor will likely be used in this capacity again. Why Marvel Can't Make a Standalone MCU Hulk Movie, it's been proven that supposed leaks suggesting development were false, Why Marvel Put Planet Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel wasn't able to wrangle Galactus and the Silver Surfer back from Fox, Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno The Incredible Hulk TV series, first refusal on distributing any Hulk films. 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. Because it was the studios risky two-picture strategy, landing Iron Man was regarded as a personal sacrifice. RELATED:MODOK Trends with Zack Snyder's 'Rebel Moon'. Terms Of Service | Also, after She-Hulk introduced Skaar, Hulk's son, and began planting seeds of a Hulk story many have longed to see, it is no secret that solo films for both characters would be welcome in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios and Universal Pictures have had a long and complicated relationship. Namor's introduction in the film has been widely regarded as one of the best aspects of Wakanda Forever, with many placing Namor among the best MCU villains, given the character's understandable motivations. Thiswould ultimately be a very small part of any deal, but outside of combining Disney+ and Hulu,a potential sale - the streamer is valued between$19.8 billion and $27.5 billion - has the potential to add as much $13 to stock prices. This follows how Hulk has been utilized in the MCU. Both Planet Hulk and the long rumored World War Hulk would be incredibly expensive to pull off on the big screen the right way. They do own the distribution rights for Incredible Hulk (2008), currently, but not necessarily to Hulk as a franchise. 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. About | 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. Obviously, that makes their usage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all the more tricky. Growing up in the English countryside on a mixture of Star Wars, The Simpsons and Aardman, Alex is a lifelong movie obsessive. In 2009, Disney paid $4 billion for Marvel, and the agreement is a long-term one, as long as Universal keeps paying Disney. Advertise, Funny Superhero (DC & Marvel) Shirts & Stickers. This was evident in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Namor being used as the villain of that film. 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. This is important because it made Hulk a multimedia star at a time when Marvel was cautious of the big screen. RELATED: Why Bob Iger Returning to Disney May Be Bad for Marvel Fans. 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. Marvel Super Hero Island is part of Universals Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. As has been known since Disney's acquisition of Marvel Studios in 2009, the distribution rights for certain Marvel characters have rested with Universal Pictures. The Incredible Hulk was marketed differently by the studio, Marvel Studios. In 2009, Disney spent $4 billion on Marvel comics. 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. Both Namor and the Incredible Hulk are characters Disney owns the rights to use in stories, films or television. The relationship between Marvel and Universal is complicated, to say the least. A movie many fans hope is Planet Hulk. Disney does not permit the use of the comic book character at any of its theme parks in the United States or Canada. 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. 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. At Universals Islands of Adventure, you can find a wide range of Spider-Man toys. 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. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( It is exciting to speculate on what an Marvel-themed park at Disney World would look like. Marvel licensed the rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four characters to 20th Century Fox in the 1990s. So what does this mean for The Hulk and his future in the MCU? Transformers: The Ride-3D: Must be 40 inches (102 cm) tall. { The problem isn't really story, but practical: Marvel can't make a Hulk solo film.It's been a staggering nine years since The Incredible Hulk and despite talk of a direct follow-up or tangential solo outing for Bruce Banner and his enraged alter ego, none have come to pass; it's been proven that supposed leaks suggesting development were false and Marvel Studios has repeatedly said it's off the cards, with Thor: Ragnarok even delivering on long-desired standalone outing Planet Hulk. Namor the Sub-Mariner was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Phase 4's culminating film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, despite the character's rights being owned by Universal Pictures. callback: cb Its known that Marvel Chairman Ike Perlmutter had the Fox-Marvel characters killed off in the comics (Fantastic Four, Wolverine, etc.) The attractions will be located in Paris as part of Disneys park expansion, which will include the construction of its own Avengers Campus, where guests can meet and greet Marvel characters and enjoy on-theme restaurants such as the Pym Test Kitchen and the Ant-Man and The Wasp-themed Why did Disney sell Marvels rights to Marvel? 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 that's the minimum. In recent years, it has been widely speculated as to why Disney and Marvel Entertainment havent worked together on a Marvel-themed theme park. Best Little Sites is not liable for inaccuracies, errors, or omissions found herein. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Must be 40 inches (102 cm) tall. I would love to see another stand-alone Hulk film, but it just doesnt seem likely. However, Universal does still hold the right of first refusal with . 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. A film starring Hulk was first floated in 1990, with Universal having bought the movie rights. Sure, anything could happen if the deal ends, but whats most likely is they just renew the deal. 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. In this video, Sid reveals the possibility The Hulk & Namor Rights could go back to Marvel! Follow Sid On Social Media:Instagram: @therealdoomblazer ~ h. 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. 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. Disney has exclusive rights to Marvel theme parks through a deal between the two companies. 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. This situation is very similar to that of another longstanding MCU character: the Hulk. Marvel can't make a Hulk standalone, but they probably wouldn't want to even if they could. Universal Owns Namor's Rights, Too? 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.