Original synthesis to sit alongside the encyclopedia article below. Not part of Wikipedia; verify facts on Wikipedia when precision matters.
Marvel Studios is an American film, television and animation production studio, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, specializing in superhero-themed content based on Marvel Comics characters. It created the globally successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which has become the highest-grossing film franchise in history.
Key moments
December 7, 1993Founded as Marvel Films
August 7, 1996Renamed to Marvel Studios
2008Released *Iron Man*, launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe
2015Integrated directly into The Walt Disney Studios
2020sExpanded MCU content to Disney+ series and special presentations
Competitive landscape for Marvel Studios:
DC Studios: Main rival with DC Extended Universe/DC Universe, backed by Warner Bros. Discovery, focuses on interconnected superhero films and series
Universal Pictures: Distributes Hulk solo films and has its own classic monster franchise, competes in IP-based blockbuster space
Sony Pictures Pictures: Holds Spider-Man film rights, co-produces MCU Spider-Man films while also developing its own Spider-Verse projects
Warner Bros. Pictures: Releases non-DC superhero and franchise films, competes for summer/holiday box office slots
Paramount Pictures: Previously distributed early MCU films, now releases other major franchise titles
Largest market share in superhero film genre via MCU's cumulative box office dominance
Unique advantage of full control over its interconnected cinematic and television universe post-2015 integration
Faces growing competition from streaming-first superhero content from platforms like Amazon MGM and Max
Marvel Studios stands as one of the most influential and valuable brands in the global entertainment industry, built on a foundation of iconic comic book intellectual property and the unprecedented success of its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, the brand leverages extensive cross-company synergy across film, television, streaming, theme parks, and consumer products, transforming decades-old comic book characters into a global cultural institution. Its pioneering approach to shared universe storytelling has redefined modern blockbuster entertainment, setting a benchmark for franchise development that competitors have attempted to replicate for years.
The brand benefits from extraordinary audience loyalty, driven by years of consistent narrative continuity that encourages long-term investment in its storylines and characters. Unlike many competing franchise labels that have struggled with inconsistent quality or fractured creative direction, Marvel Studios has maintained a strong track record of commercial success, even as it expands beyond film into original streaming content and other formats. This consistent performance has turned the Marvel Studios name into a marker of commercial viability that attracts top talent and draws guaranteed opening weekend audiences globally.
Marvel Studios holds a unique position in popular culture, with its characters and storylines becoming core reference points in mainstream media across the world. This cultural footprint creates a self-sustaining ecosystem of fan engagement, from organic social media content to fan conventions, that supports ongoing growth and reduces the brand's marketing costs for major releases. Its position within Disney's broader portfolio ensures it has the resources to continue expanding its IP into new markets and content categories for the foreseeable future.
Brand leadership
Score: 92/100
Marvel Studios leads the global superhero blockbuster market, with its MCU holding the record as the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. It consistently sets industry trends for interconnected shared universe storytelling, and its release slate often shapes box office scheduling and competitive strategies for rival major studios.
Audience interaction
Score: 90/100
The brand maintains extremely high levels of active two-way engagement with fans across social media, fan conventions, and online community platforms. Fans create fan theories, original content, and share organic reactions to new releases, generating massive earned media that reduces reliance on paid promotional spending for major projects.
Growth momentum
Score: 85/100
Though already a massive global brand, Marvel Studios continues to expand into new content formats and underpenetrated markets, including animated television, streaming specials, and localized regional marketing initiatives. The ongoing expansion of its multiverse storyline opens up new opportunities for character introductions and cross-over projects, sustaining ongoing audience interest and revenue growth.
Brand stability
Score: 88/100
Backed by the full financial, distribution, and marketing resources of parent company The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Studios enjoys exceptional operational and financial stability. It locks in multi-year slates of planned projects well in advance, and consistent audience demand buffers it against typical industry volatility for big-budget blockbuster content.
Brand age
Score: 78/100
Marvel Studios traces its formal origins back to 1993 (originally founded as Marvel Films), and has operated as a major Hollywood production label for more than 30 years, with over 15 years of high-profile blockbuster output following the launch of the MCU in 2008. While it has built significant brand equity over decades, it remains a younger major studio brand compared to legacy Hollywood entertainment labels that have existed for more than a century.
Industry profile
Score: 94/100
Marvel Studios is one of the most widely recognized and high-profile brands in the global entertainment industry. Its success has fundamentally reshaped how major studios approach franchise development, shared universe storytelling, and cross-platform IP monetization, making it a common benchmark for industry performance and strategy.
Global brand reach
Score: 91/100
Marvel Studios content is distributed theatrically and via streaming to audiences in over 100 countries worldwide, with its characters holding widespread recognition across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. International box office typically accounts for a majority of total revenue for its major releases, and the brand adapts its marketing strategy to resonate with regional audience preferences.
AI-powered analysis can support structured reasoning around brand value for Marvel Studios, drawing on public performance data and industry trends to contextualize the brand's market position. Any indicative value figures generated through this analytical framework are illustrative only, and do not represent formally audited brand value assessments. For an officially audited and verified brand valuation for Marvel Studios, contact the World Brand Lab.
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television series produced by the studio, based on characters that appear in Marvel Comics publications.The studio was founded on December 7, 1993, by Avi Arad as part of Marvel Entertainment Group and has been led by producer Kevin Feige, who has served as its president since 2007.The studio originally licensed the film rights for several Marvel characters before beginning to produce its own films in 2004, and has since regained many of those rights.The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Studios' parent company, Marvel Entertainment, in 2009.Marvel Studios was transferred in 2015 to the Walt Disney Studios, which has been a part of the Disney Entertainment division since 2023.Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has distributed most of the studio's films since The Avengers (2012).
Since 2008, Marvel Studios has released 37 films within the MCU, from Iron Man (2008) to The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) and 17 television series
since 2021, from
WandaVision
(2021) to
Wonder Man
(2026–present).
The studio also operates the smaller Marvel Studios Animation division, which developed the television series What If...? (2021–2024) as the first animated property produced solely by the studio.
These films and television series all share continuity with each other, along with five short films called Marvel One-Shots produced by the studio that were released from 2011 to 2014 and two television specials called Special Presentations released in 2021 and 2022.
From 2013 until 2020, Marvel Television released 12 television series, which also acknowledge the MCU continuity.
These were produced before that company was folded into Marvel Studios in December 2019 and became a production label.
Since 2024, Marvel Studios has used "Marvel Television" and "Marvel Animation" banners to release its television and animated projects, respectively.
Eleven of Marvel Studios' films are among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time.These include: The Avengers, Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024); Avengers: Endgame was the highest-grossing film of all time from July 2019 until March 2021.In addition to the MCU, Marvel Studios has also been involved with the production of other Marvel-based film franchises that have grossed over $1 billion at the box office, including the X-Men and Spider-Man multi-film franchises, as well as eight direct-to-video short films with Marvel Animation called Marvel Animated Features that were released from 2006 until 2011.
Background
Marvel Comics's predecessor Timely Comics, which operated from 1939 until 1950, licensed out the use of its character Captain America to Republic Pictures for a 1944 film serial only for the free advertising, but Timely failed to provide any drawing of Captain America with his shield or any further background. Republic created a whole new background for the character, who was portrayed as using a gun. From the late 1970s through the early 1990s, Marvel Comics Group and Marvel Entertainment Group (MEG) sold options to studios to produce films based on Marvel Comics characters.One of Marvel's superheroes, Spider-Man, was optioned in the late 1970s, and rights reverted to Marvel without a film being produced within the allocated time frame.From 1986 to 1996, most of Marvel's major characters were optioned, including the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Daredevil, the Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Iron Man.Marvel's first big-screen adaptation of one of its properties was the 1986 film Howard the Duck, which was a box-office bomb.MEG was purchased by New World Entertainment in November 1986 and moved to produce films based on the Marvel characters.It released The Punisher (1989) before MEG was sold to Ronald Perelman's Andrews Group.Two other films were produced: Captain America (1990) released in the United Kingdom on screens and direct to video in the United States, and The Fantastic Four (1994), not intended for release.
History
Marvel Films (1993–1996)
After MEG acquired ToyBiz in 1993, Avi Arad of ToyBiz was named president and chief executive officer (CEO) of both the Marvel Films division and New World Family Filmworks, a New World Entertainment subsidiary. New World was MEG's former parent corporation and later a fellow subsidiary of the Andrews Group. Marvel Productions became New World Animation by 1993 as Marvel would start up Marvel Films, including .> Marvel Films Animation shared Tom Tataranowicz with New World Animation as head of development and production.New World Animation (The Incredible Hulk), Saban (X-Men: The Animated Series) and Marvel Films Animation (Spider-Man: The Animated Series) each produced a Marvel series for television for the 1996–1997 season.By the end of 1993, Arad and 20th Century Fox struck a deal to make a film based on the X-Men.In August 1996, New World Animation and Marvel Films Animation were sold along with the rest of New World by the Andrews Group to News Corporation and the Fox Entertainment Group.As part of the deal, Marvel licensed the rights to Captain America, Daredevil, and Silver Surfer to be on the Fox Kids Network and produced by Saban.New World Animation continued producing a second season of The Incredible Hulk for UPN.
Formation of Marvel Studios and licensing films (1996–2004)
On August 7, 1996, Marvel Studios was created by Marvel. Filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to raise money to finance the new corporation, Marvel, Isaac Perlmutter's Zib, Inc., and Avi Arad sold ToyBiz stocks. ToyBiz filed an offering of 7.5 million shares with a closing price of $20.125 at the time, making the offering worth approximately $150 million. ToyBiz sought to sell 1 million shares. Jerry Calabrese, the president of Marvel Entertainment Group, and Avi Arad, head of Marvel Films and a director of ToyBiz, were assigned tandem control of Marvel Studios.Under Calabrese and Arad, Marvel sought to control pre-production by commissioning scripts, hiring directors, and casting characters, providing the package to a major studio partner for filming and distribution. Arad said of the goal for control, "When you get into business with a big studio, they are developing a hundred or 500 projects; you get totally lost. That isn't working for us. We're just not going to do it anymore. Period." Marvel Studios arranged a seven-year development deal with 20th Century Fox to cover markets in the United States and internationally.
In December 1996, Marvel Entertainment Group underwent a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan, including Marvel Studios as part of its strategic investment.By 1997, Marvel Studios was actively pursuing various film productions based on Marvel characters, including the eventual films X-Men (2000), Daredevil (2003), Elektra (2005), and Fantastic Four (2005).Unproduced projects included Prince Namor, based on the character Namor and to be directed by Philip Kaufman, and Mort the Dead Teenager
Transition to film production (2004–2009)
Maisel was hired in 2004 as president and chief operating officer of Marvel Studios as he had a plan for the studio to self-finance its films. Marvel entered into a non-recourse debt structure with Merrill Lynch that was collateralized by certain film rights to a total of ten characters from Marvel's vast vault. Marvel received $525 million to make a maximum of ten films based on the company's properties over eight years, according to the parameters of the original deal. Those characters were Ant-Man, the Avengers, Black Panther, Captain America, Cloak & Dagger, Doctor Strange, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Power Pack, and Shang-Chi.Ambac insured the films would succeed or they would pay the interest payment on the debt and get the film rights as collateral. Initially, Marvel Studios was in talks with Universal Pictures as a possible distributor, because Universal owned the film rights to both the Hulk and Namor during that time. Negotiations dragged on, so the studio began talks with Paramount Pictures. In the second quarter of 2005, Merrill attempted to back out of full financing of each film, demanding that Marvel finance one-third of the budget. Marvel took back rights in five foreign territories from Paramount for pre-sell to meet that demand. In September 2005, Marvel announced the Merrill Lynch financing deal with Paramount was on as marketer and distributor. Marvel Studios' parent company Marvel Enterprises, Inc. then changed its name to Marvel Entertainment, Inc.
Disney conglomerate subsidiary (since 2009)
Acquisition by Disney and immediate changes (2009–2015)
On August 31, 2009, the Walt Disney Company announced that it had reached a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. The deal was completed on December 31, with Marvel Entertainment becoming a subsidiary of Disney. Both Marvel and Disney stated that the merger would not affect any pre-existing deals with other film studios for the time being, although Disney said they would distribute future Marvel projects with its own studio once the deals expired. Maisel stepped down from the studio following the sale to Disney. In April 2010, rumors circulated that Marvel was looking to create $20–40 million films based on properties such as Doctor Strange, Ka-Zar, Luke Cage, Dazzler, and Power Pack. Feige responded by saying, while budgets are generally never discussed early in development, Marvel was considering films for all characters mentioned in the rumor, except Dazzler, whose rights were at Fox.
In June 2010, Marvel Entertainment set up a television division within Marvel Studios called Marvel Television to be headed up by Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President, under which Marvel Animation would be operated.In October, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Acquisition by Disney and immediate changes (2009–2015)
On August 31, 2009, the Walt Disney Company announced that it had reached a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. The deal was completed on December 31, with Marvel Entertainment becoming a subsidiary of Disney. Both Marvel and Disney stated that the merger would not affect any pre-existing deals with other film studios for the time being, although Disney said they would distribute future Marvel projects with its own studio once the deals expired. Maisel stepped down from the studio following the sale to Disney. In April 2010, rumors circulated that Marvel was looking to create $20–40 million films based on properties such as Doctor Strange, Ka-Zar, Luke Cage, Dazzler, and Power Pack. Feige responded by saying, while budgets are generally never discussed early in development, Marvel was considering films for all characters mentioned in the rumor, except Dazzler, whose rights were at Fox.
In June 2010, Marvel Entertainment set up a television division within Marvel Studios called Marvel Television to be headed up by Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President, under which Marvel Animation would be operated.In October, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures acquired the distribution rights for The Avengers (2012) and Iron Man 3 (2013) from Paramount Pictures with Paramount's logo and billing remaining on those films. In August 2011, at Disney's behest, the studio dismissed most of its marketing department, including EVP of Worldwide Marketing Dana Precious, VP of Worldwide Marketing Jeffrey Stewart, and Manager of Worldwide Marketing Jodi Miller.
Walt Disney Studios subsidiary and expansion to television and animation (since 2015)
In August 2015, Marvel Studios was placed into Walt Disney Studios, with Feige reporting directly to Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan F. Horn instead of Marvel Entertainment CEO Isaac Perlmutter. Marvel Television and subsidiary Marvel Animation were left under Marvel Entertainment and Perlmutter's control. As of April 2017, Marvel Studios was housed on the second floor of the Frank G. Wells Building at the Disney studio lot.Fast Company ranked Marvel Studios number eleven on its 2018 World's Most Innovative Companies list.
In September 2018, it was reported that Marvel Studios was developing several limited series for the streaming service Disney+, to be centered on "second tier" characters from the MCU films who had not and were unlikely to star in their own films.Characters being considered for series included Loki and Scarlet Witch, with the actors who portrayed the characters in the films expected to reprise their roles for the limited series. Each series was expected to be six to eight episodes, with a "hefty [budget] rivaling those of a major studio production". The series would be produced by Marvel Studios rather than Marvel Television, with Feige taking a "hands-on role" in each series' development. In October 2019, Feige was given the title of chief creative officer (CCO), Marvel, and would oversee the creative direction of Marvel Television and Marvel Animation (formally known as Marvel Family Entertainment), with both being returned to being under the Marvel Studios banner. Two months later, Marvel Television was folded into Marvel Studios, with Marvel Studios overseeing development of all the Marvel Television series in production at the time of its closing.
Character rights
Marvel had licensed out the film rights to many of its characters to other studios in the 1990s, starting with the X-Men.and included, among others, Man-Thing, Deathlok, and Prime.Marvel Studios has since regained many of those rights, including Black Panther from Columbia Pictures and Artisan Entertainment and Iron Man from New Line Cinema in 2005; Thor from Columbia and Black Widow from Lionsgate Films in 2006; Iron Fist and Doctor Strange by 2009; Blade from New Line and Daredevil from 20th Century Fox and New Regency in 2012; and Ghost Rider and Luke Cage from Columbia and the Punisher from Lionsgate in 2013.
In 2016, 20th Century Fox was able to change the powers of Negasonic Teenage Warhead for Deadpool (2016) by giving Marvel Studios the rights to Ego the Living Planet, who first appears in the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).On December 14, 2017, Disney agreed to purchase 20th Century Fox's owner 21st Century Fox, after it spun off some of its businesses as Fox Corporation, with Disney regaining the rights to the Fantastic Four and X-Men characters, and Deadpool; the deal was completed on March 20, 2019.Constantin Film had originally licensed the film rights of the Fantastic Four in 1986.
Several other characters have had more complex situations regarding their rights:
Hulk: The film rights to the Hulk reverted to Marvel Studios from Universal Pictures in 2006, after the latter failed to enter production on a sequel to director Ang Lee's film Hulk (2003). Universal, however, for letting the rights revert to Marvel before they even expired, retained the right of first refusal to distribute future standalone Hulk films. In March 2023, Citigroupfinancial analyst Jason Bazinet felt Disney may try to include the distribution rights to the Hulk and Namor in any potential sale of the streaming service Hulu to Comcast, the owner of Universal Pictures through NBCUniversal. In June 2023, the distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk (2008) reverted to Marvel and Disney.
Spider-Man: In February 2015, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that Spider-Man would appear in the MCU, with the character appearing in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Sony releasing Spider-Man: Homecoming, produced by Feige and Amy Pascal, in July 2017. As part of the deal, Sony Pictures would continue to finance, distribute, own, and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films. In June 2015, Feige clarified that the initial Sony deal did not allow Spider-Man to appear in any of the
Corporate structure
Units
LLC – film slate subsidiary
Marvel Studios Animation – a "mini-studio" formed in June 2021 to oversee the development of Marvel Studios' animated series part of the "Marvel Animation" banner
, Inc. (2005–present) – subsidiary involved in the publishing of music related to its productions. The company was incorporated on September 9, 2005, and announced as a label for releasing music related to Marvel's film and television productions in 2009. Marvel Music has released albums in conjunction with Disney's Hollywood Records.
Marvel Television (2019–present) – a unit label used for Marvel television series
Marvel Animation, Inc. (June 2004; 2008–2015; 2019–present) – subsidiary charged with oversight of Marvel's animation productions outside the MCU
Key people
Marvel Studios is led by its president and frequent producer Kevin Feige and co-president. The "", otherwise known as "The Parliament", is the creative decision-making committee at Marvel Studios and a "brain trust" of long-time executives who help to elevate each other's projects where possible. Members of the Parliament include executives of production and development and, the head of visual development and character design , vice president of production and development , and the head of streaming, television, and animation , who was formerly a vice president of production and development.
Meinerding oversaw the studio's, an in-house group of artists who work on a film from its start to provide a consistent look for the studio. In addition to Meinerding, the group included artist and illustrator Andy Park. By April 2026, the majority of the Visual Development group had been laid off, with former full-time employees transitioning to contractors for projects moving forward.
Several studio executives serve as lead producers on films and television series in the studios' group, working on each project from their inception through their release as managers alongside other executives. Some of these executives include comic book writer Sana Amanat,, Grant Curtis, , and television executive.Chapek joined the studio in 2011 but initially left in September 2020 to launch his own production company that had Marvel as a client, before he was rehired in June 2023 after his father Bob Chapek was terminated as Disney's CEO. Gay and Palmer previously worked under Feige as his executive coordinator and production assistant, respectively, before joining the executive group.
Other executives at Marvel Studios include the vice presidents of physical production and, property master , frequent executive producer Charles Newirth, vice president of visual effects and stereo , and , the vice president of animation.Additionally, Sarah Halley Finn has served as a frequent casting director for several MCU films and television series, while Eric Pearson became one of the studio's "go-to" writers.He started in Marvel Studios' writers program and worked on a number of their earlier feature films and One-Shot short films, before writing the screenplays for Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Multiple executives have worked at Marvel Studios and subsequently left the studio. Avi Arad was the founder of Marvel Studios and its former chairman and CEO.Victoria Alonso joined in 2006 as a co-producer and the executive vice president of visual effects and post-production. In 2011, she was elevated to be an executive producer on the studio's films, starting with The Avengers, and became the executive vice president of production. In September 2021, Alonso was promoted to president of physical production, post-production, VFX, and animation, but was fired in March 2023. Other former executives include:
, former Executive, Production and Development; formerly Director of Development
Chris Gary, former Production and Development executive
Michael Helfant, former president and chief operating officer (November 2005 – March 2007)
, former SVP Production and Development
David Maisel, former chairman, and before that vice-chairman, president, and chief operating officer
, Vice President of Production and Development (2010 – March 2025)
, former Production and Development manager and creative executive
Karim Zreik, former SVP of Original Programming and Production for Marvel Television
Production library
Films
Marvel Studios has released 37 films as part of its flagship franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Black Widow (2021), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Eternals (2021), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), The Marvels (2023), Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), Captain America: Brave New World (2025), Thunderbolts* (2025), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).These are set to be followed by Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).The studio also has multiple other films in various stages of development.[1]
Marvel Knights
Marvel Studios operated a short-lived production arm called to produce some of Marvel's darker and lesser-known titles. The name originated from the Marvel Knights comic book imprint.The banner released only two films: the Punisher franchise reboot film Punisher: War Zone (2008) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011).
Marvel Knights
Marvel Studios operated a short-lived production arm called to produce some of Marvel's darker and lesser-known titles. The name originated from the Marvel Knights comic book imprint.The banner released only two films: the Punisher franchise reboot film Punisher: War Zone (2008) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011).
Short films
Live-action short films
Animated short films
Live-action short films
Animated short films
Television
Animated series
Animated series by Marvel Films
Animated series by Marvel Studios
Animated series by Marvel Studios Animation
Animated series by Marvel Films
Animated series by Marvel Studios
Animated series by Marvel Studios Animation
Live-action series
Television specials
Live-action television specials
Animated series
Animated series by Marvel Films
Animated series by Marvel Studios
Animated series by Marvel Studios Animation
Animated series by Marvel Films
Animated series by Marvel Studios
Animated series by Marvel Studios Animation
Live-action series
Television specials
Live-action television specials
Animated television specials
Live-action television specials
Animated television specials
Documentaries
Logo
Films and television series designs
Starting with the release of Spider-Man in 2002, Marvel Studios introduced its "flipbook" production logo, created by Imaginary Forces. This logo was accompanied by music from the film's score, sound effects or a song, to lead into the beginning of the film. This was the logo seen in front of all of the studio's films until 2013, when the logo was updated with the release of Thor: The Dark World, again created by Imaginary Forces. Feige stated that since Marvel was now its own entity within the Walt Disney Company, it "felt like the time to update it and have something that is more substantial as a standalone logo in front of our features" instead of having it be accompanied by Marvel's studio or distribution partners' logos. Feige added that they "didn't want to re-invent the wheel [with the new logo], but we wanted it to feel bigger, to feel more substantial, which is why it starts with the flip, but suddenly it's more dimensional as we go through the lettering and it reveals itself with the metallic sheen before settling into the white-on-red, well known Marvel logo, with the added flourish of the arrival and the announcement of the Studios at the bottom of the word Marvel." Imaginary Forces used the same animation technique on the updated logo, as they did when they created the first version in 2002. They were given a few hundred comic books to select images from, and ultimately chose 120 that were "universal and not specific to one character" and created a narrative "where each image spoke to the one before it and after." The new logo appeared on all subsequent studio productions set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe through Captain America: Civil War.With the addition of the new logo, Marvel Studios also added a fanfare to accompany the logo, composed by Brian Tyler, who wrote the scores to Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
In July 2016, another new logo and opening were introduced, featuring an updated fanfare, composed this time by Michael Giacchino, who first worked with Marvel Studios on the score to Doctor Strange (2016). The new opening begins with comic book panels seen in the previous two openings but transitions into footage and art of the characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. It was first seen in front of Doctor Strange. The updated logo was created by Perception, which was first approached in January 2016 by Marvel to update its logo. Feige specifically requested Perception "to combine the brand and the iconic characters into a single image, showcasing the heroes within the letterforms of the Marvel logo." The Perception team settled on a concept they dubbed "How to Build a Universe", which "was designed to pay tribute to [the filmmaking] process by touching on" how a film's origins are inspired by the comics, which then results in a script, followed by concept art, resulting in the final film. Perception looked to the initial "flipbook" logo for inspiration, and paid tribute to it in the new opening, as it opens identically to the flipbook logo. Next, the opening includes "various lines lifted directly from the script pages of various Marvel screenplays", with Perception picking "both iconic fan-favorites, as well as lines that helped establish the breadth of the Marvel Universe." To add in the concept art images, Perception looked "through a massive archive of concept art and "The Art Of..." books, to select the most iconic images for each beloved character. Utilizing the original digital paintings themselves, the Perception team animated each image being painted from scratch. The final touch was mapping this artwork onto 3D models to giving these once 2D paintings a sense of depth as the camera moves around them." Finally, over 70 pieces of footage from the 13 films that had been released at that time were included, with Perception arranging them in a way they called the "vault" "where luminescent footage plays on the interior walls of the "Marvel" logotype."
A modified version of Perception's logo was introduced at the 2017 D23 Expo to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the MCU.The logo debuted with Avengers: Infinity War on April 26, 2018, and was used again in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).With the release of Captain Marvel, the current Perception logo was altered at Marvel Studios' behest in honor of Stan Lee; Lee died on November 12, 2018, just a few months before the release of the film. The logo was altered, replacing the characters with Stan Lee's MCU cameos and other public appearances related to the MCU, accompanied by a black screen reading "Thank You Stan". Similarly, the logo was retroactively modified for the Disney+ version of Black Panther (2018) in honor of Chadwick Boseman, who died on August 28, 2020.The logo was altered, replacing the characters with images and footage of T'Challa and Boseman. The logo premiered on November 29, 2020, which would have been Boseman's 44th birthday. Additional modifications include having the characters who disappeared in the Blip removed for Avengers: Endgame; an additional Boseman tribute one for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022); and an all-Guardians of the Galaxy opening for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).A shortened sequence opening was used for the Disney+ series Secret Invasion (2023)."What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?" (2023), the What If...?season two finale, replaced the live-action footage of the logo with animated images from What If...?.Captain America: Brave New World (2025) was the first Marvel Studios film to not feature the studio's logo animation sequence.
Thunderbolts* (2025) introduced an updated logo animation that reverted to the presentation of the Imaginary Forces sequence from 2013 to 2016, cycling through comic book panels themed around the relevant characters while panning around the three-dimensional lettering.The Thunderbolts* logo also featured the added visual of the Void's shadows blackening the text and quieting the Michael Giacchino fanfare.
Television specials design
Television specials from Marvel Studios, known as Special Presentations, feature a special multicolored intro with bongo drum music, reminiscent of the CBS Special Presentation theme featured before animated holiday specials of the 1980s and 1990s.The intro was also designed by Perception, with Giacchino (who directed and composed for the special Werewolf by Night) once again creating the music.Jamie Lovett at ComicBook.com called the Special Presentation intro "more colorful" and its fanfare "more playful" than the normal Marvel Studios intro.
Marvel's Captain America animated series with Saban Entertainment for Fox Kids Network was set to premiere in late 1998.
However, due to the bankruptcy, the series was canceled after only character designs and a one-minute promotional reel were made.
The first film packaged and licensed by Marvel Studios was Blade (1998), by New Line Cinema, based on the vampire hunter Blade.The film was directed by Stephen Norrington and starred Wesley Snipes as Blade. It was released on August 21, 1998, grossing $131.2 million worldwide. Blade was followed by X-Men, which was directed by Bryan Singer and was released on July 14, 2000. X-Men grossed $296.3 million worldwide. Blade and X-Men demonstrated that widely popular films could be made out of comic book characters not familiar to the general public. Leading up to X-Men release, Marvel Studios negotiated a deal with then-functional Artisan Entertainment, successful with the low-budget The Blair Witch Project, for a co-production joint venture that included rights to 15 Marvel characters including Captain America, Thor (as a television series), Black Panther (with Snipes attached to produce and star), Deadpool, Iron Fist, Morbius, the Living Vampire, Longshot, Power Pack, Mort the Dead Teenager, Ant-Man, and the Punisher. Artisan would finance and distribute while Marvel would develop licensing and merchandising tie-ins. The resulting production library, which would also include television series, direct-to-video films, and internet projects, would be co-owned. By 2001, the success of Marvel Entertainment's Ultimate Marvel imprint comics created leverage in Hollywood for Marvel Studios, pushing more properties into development.
The next film licensed from Marvel Studios was Spider-Man (2002) by Columbia Pictures, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. The film was released on May 3, 2002, grossing $821.7 million worldwide. The early success of Spider-Man led the film's studio to issue a seven-figure advance for a sequel. Arad spoke of the deal, "Movies make sequels. Therefore, it's a big economic luxury to know that a movie's going to get a second and third. This is a business of precedence." According to a Lehman Brothers analysis, Marvel Studios made only $62 million for the first two Spider-Man films. Marvel was making more from half the consumer product licensing fees while making relatively little from the films, but it was enough for Marvel to regain its financial footing. In October 2002, Marvel Studios announced deals for the Sub-Mariner and Prime with Universal Pictures.
In contrast to the original storylines of DC Comics' Superman and Batman films, Marvel films often emphasized more fidelity to its comics, applying set pieces, scenes, plots, and dialogue drawn from them.In 2003, David Maisel approached Arad about earning Marvel more for its films.Maisel, Arad, and Perlmutter met, leading to Maisel being hired as president and chief operating officer (COO).The studio's office was small on Santa Monica Boulevard, with around a dozen staff members.Kevin Feige, who later became the president of Marvel Studios, was then a junior executive generating script notes for the licensed studios.In January 2003, Marvel, the Sci-Fi Channel, and Reveille Productions agreed to develop two pilot films based on Brother Voodoo and Strikeforce: Morituri.In December 2003, Lionsgate purchased Artisan Entertainment and they decided to let all of the character rights Artisan held, except Punisher, revert to Marvel.Marvel Studios partnered with Lionsgate in 2004 to produce eight animated films, called Marvel Animated Features, for the direct-to-DVD market with Lionsgate Home Entertainment handling distribution. The line was a proof of concept for Maisel's later plan. Eric Rollman was hired by Marvel as Executive Vice President of home entertainment and TV production for Marvel Studios to oversee the deal with Lionsgate.
to reflect the change to self-production.
The studio moved to a new location over a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Beverly Hills, California.Maisel was also named vice-chairman of the studio, but reported to Marvel Entertainment CEO Isaac Perlmutter.In November 2005, Michael Helfant joined the studio as president and chief operating officer.Also that month, Marvel gained the film rights to Iron Man from New Line Cinema.Marvel then revealed that it had regained the film rights to the Hulk from Universal in February 2006, in exchange for letting Universal own the distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk (2008) and the right of first refusal to pick up the distribution rights to any future Marvel Studios-produced Hulk films.In April 2006, Thor was announced to be a Marvel Studios production, while Lions Gate Entertainment subsequently dropped the Black Widow film it had in development since 2004 and returned the rights to Marvel.
Maisel and Arad fought over the rate of film releases and the strength of characters in the film lineup. Perlmutter supported Maisel and thus, in May 2006, Arad quit as studio chair and CEO. In March 2007, Helfant was "forced out" of the studio while Maisel was named chairman and Kevin Feige was named president of production to replace Helfant as Iron Man (2008) began filming.In January 2008, Marvel Animation was incorporated to direct Marvel's efforts in animation and home entertainment markets including then animation efforts with Lionsgate and Nickelodeon.In March, the company agreed to a five-picture basic cable distribution with FX for the films Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, with additional films to be named later. Following the successful opening weekend of Iron Man in May 2008, Maisel had his contract extended through 2010 and Feige was promoted to president of Marvel Studios. In November, Marvel Studios signed a lease with Raleigh Studios to host its headquarters and production offices and film the next four films on the studios' slate, including Iron Man 2 (2010) and Thor (2011), at its Manhattan Beach Studios Media Campus facilities. By September 2008, Paramount added five additional Marvel films' foreign distribution to its domestic film distribution contract.
In 2009, producer Stephen Broussard was tasked with forming a writers program for the studio. The writers were hired for a year to be on call to do emergency script polishes for films in production, as well as developing scripts based on some lesser-known properties, such as Black Panther, Cable, Iron Fist, Nighthawk, and Vision.Writers included: Edward Ricourt, who was encouraged to write a script for Luke Cage as it was of high interest to the studio; Nicole Perlman, who chose to write a script based on the 2008 Guardians of the Galaxy team; Christopher Yost, who was asked to pitch a Black Panther film for his interview, and took interest in writing scripts about the Thunderbolts, Power Pack, and Brian Braddock / Captain Britain; Joe Robert Cole, who initially pitched a War Machine film before joining the writers program where he created scripts for the Inhumans; and Eric Pearson, who was asked to pitch a Cloak and Dagger film and also worked to rewrite a Luke Cage script.After Broussard moved on to the production of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Marvel Studios hired Nate Moore to oversee the writers program, who at times was assisted by the also newly hired executive Jodi Hildebrand. Particular properties Feige was interested in having screenplays for were Black Panther, Iron Fist, and Blade. The program was shut down in 2014 before being revived in 2016. In early 2009, Sony returned all Spider-Man television rights (including live-action) in exchange for an adjustment to the film rights.
acquired the distribution rights for
The Avengers
(2012) and
Iron Man 3
(2013) from Paramount Pictures with Paramount's logo and
billing
remaining on those films.
In August 2011, at Disney's behest, the studio dismissed most of its marketing department, including EVP of Worldwide Marketing Dana Precious, VP of Worldwide Marketing Jeffrey Stewart, and Manager of Worldwide Marketing Jodi Miller.
Disney subsequently began marketing Marvel's films.
In April 2012, the Walt Disney Company China, Marvel Studios, and DMG Entertainment announced an agreement to co-produce Iron Man 3 in China.
DMG partly financed, produced in China with Marvel, and handled co-production matters.
DMG also distributed the film in China in tandem with Disney.
In April 2013, Marvel Studios moved its executive production offices from the Manhattan Beach Studios Media Campus to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. In July 2013, Disney purchased the distribution rights to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger from Paramount. In September 2014, TNT acquired the cable rights for Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), and three other films, to air on the network two years after their theatrical releases. The films had previously aired on FX since 2008.
Walt Disney Studios subsidiary and expansion to television and animation (since 2015)
In August 2015, Marvel Studios was placed into Walt Disney Studios, with Feige reporting directly to Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan F. Horn instead of Marvel Entertainment CEO Isaac Perlmutter. Marvel Television and subsidiary Marvel Animation were left under Marvel Entertainment and Perlmutter's control. As of April 2017, Marvel Studios was housed on the second floor of the Frank G. Wells Building at the Disney studio lot.Fast Company ranked Marvel Studios number eleven on its 2018 World's Most Innovative Companies list.
In September 2018, it was reported that Marvel Studios was developing several limited series for the streaming service Disney+, to be centered on "second tier" characters from the MCU films who had not and were unlikely to star in their own films.Characters being considered for series included Loki and Scarlet Witch, with the actors who portrayed the characters in the films expected to reprise their roles for the limited series. Each series was expected to be six to eight episodes, with a "hefty [budget] rivaling those of a major studio production". The series would be produced by Marvel Studios rather than Marvel Television, with Feige taking a "hands-on role" in each series' development. In October 2019, Feige was given the title of chief creative officer (CCO), Marvel, and would oversee the creative direction of Marvel Television and Marvel Animation (formally known as Marvel Family Entertainment), with both being returned to being under the Marvel Studios banner. Two months later, Marvel Television was folded into Marvel Studios, with Marvel Studios overseeing development of all the Marvel Television series in production at the time of its closing. Karim Zreik, Marvel Television's senior vice president of current programming and production, would join Marvel Studios alongside his team to oversee the production of the Marvel Television series inherited by Marvel Studios.
In June 2021, ahead of Marvel Studios' first solely produced animated series What If...?, executive vice president of film production Victoria Alonso noted that the studio was creating an "animation branch and mini-studio" to focus on more animated content beyond What If...?.The animation branch of Marvel Studios and "mini-studio" is known as Marvel Studios Animation.Marvel Studios outsources the animation for its animated series to third-party animation studios, though executive Brad Winderbaum indicated Marvel would work with fellow Disney studios Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios "under the right circumstances". In September 2021, Alonso was promoted to president of physical production, post-production, VFX, and animation. In November 2021, Marvel Studios announced the animated series X-Men '97 (2024–present), a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) that is set in that series' continuity.By April 2022, Marvel Studios had taken over production of the preschool animated series Spidey and His Amazing Friends, starting from its second season; the first season was produced under the Marvel Entertainment banner.
In May 2022, Marvel Studios signed a 20-year licensing deal with Stan Lee Universe to license the name and likeness of Lee for use in future films, television series, Disney theme parks and cruises, various "experiences", and merchandising. A digitally recreated Lee was not expected to make cameo appearances in future projects; rather, the deal allows Marvel to use Lee's name, voice, likeness, signature, and existing images and archival material. In June 2023, the distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk reverted from Universal back to Marvel and Disney.
In March 2023, Alonso was fired from her role at Marvel Studios by a group including Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman and Disney's human resources and legal departments for serving as a producer on the Amazon Studios film Argentina, 1985 (2022); this was a breach of a 2018 agreement between Alonso and Disney which stated employees would not work for a competing studio. Alonso reportedly did not seek permission to work on the film, and was asked by Disney to stop working on the film, as well as not to promote or publicize it, with the situation "deemed serious enough" that Disney requested a new agreement be signed. Despite this, Alonso continued to promote the film following its September 2022 premiere, and was consistently reminded of her agreement and breach of contract, ultimately leading to her firing. Alonso's lawyers refuted this claim, stating Disney was aware of, and agreed to, Alonso's work on Argentina, 1985, and that she was instead "silenced[... and] was terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible"; this incident was reported to be a disagreement with a Disney executive over the censoring of gay pride elements in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) to release the film in Kuwait and comply with its restrictive anti-LGBTQ laws. A Disney spokesperson reiterated the notion that she was fired due to "an indisputable breach of contract and a direct violation of company policy" among other "key factors". Disney and Alonso reached a multimillion-dollar compensation settlement in April. Following Alonso's firing, visual effects vendors for the various MCU projects were working with producer Jen Underdahl, the vice president of visual effects and stereo.
In August 2023, a group of 52 on-set VFX workers at Marvel Studios filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board for an election to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) labor union the VFX Union. This was the first time any workers in the visual effects industry had petitioned for union recognition. Chris Lee at Vulture believed that if this group of workers were able to secure union recognition, it "would stand as proof of concept for the overall viability of an industry-wide unionization push", particularly at the post-production effects houses. This came after several VFX workers had raised complaints of Marvel's "demanding post-production schedules" and a "toxic work environment". All of the workers who participated in the election vote that concluded in early September voted unanimously to form a union with IATSE, with the union then set to enter into collective bargaining negotiations with Marvel, beginning at an unspecified date. A four-year union contract between the studio and the VFX workers was ratified in May 2025, which frequent Marvel VFX data wrangler Cael Liakos-Gilbert called "a much-needed win for the entire VFX industry".
By October 2023, Marvel Studios was planning to hire dedicated executives to focus on its television efforts, as part of a larger plan to change its approach to its television series. Production and development executive Richie Palmer was serving as a television executive by January 2024. In May 2024, Marvel Studios revealed that its live-action Disney+ series would be released under a new "" banner, separate from the previous company of the same name, starting with Agatha All Along later in 2024. The "Marvel Animation" name and banner were being used for Marvel Studios Animation's projects by May then, as well.
In April 2026, Disney laid off around 8% of Marvel employees across the whole company, including almost the entire Marvel Studios visual development department. A small team was retained to help oversee the hiring of artists for each project moving forward, with many of the former full-time employees transitioning to contractors. The layoffs were reportedly due to the reduced Marvel Studios production slate along with Disney's announced general cost-cutting and workforce reductions.
Disney subsequently began marketing Marvel's films.
In April 2012, the Walt Disney Company China, Marvel Studios, and DMG Entertainment announced an agreement to co-produce Iron Man 3 in China.
DMG partly financed, produced in China with Marvel, and handled co-production matters.
DMG also distributed the film in China in tandem with Disney.
In April 2013, Marvel Studios moved its executive production offices from the Manhattan Beach Studios Media Campus to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. In July 2013, Disney purchased the distribution rights to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger from Paramount. In September 2014, TNT acquired the cable rights for Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), and three other films, to air on the network two years after their theatrical releases. The films had previously aired on FX since 2008.
Karim Zreik, Marvel Television's senior vice president of current programming and production, would join Marvel Studios alongside his team to oversee the production of the Marvel Television series inherited by Marvel Studios.
In June 2021, ahead of Marvel Studios' first solely produced animated series What If...?, executive vice president of film production Victoria Alonso noted that the studio was creating an "animation branch and mini-studio" to focus on more animated content beyond What If...?.The animation branch of Marvel Studios and "mini-studio" is known as Marvel Studios Animation.Marvel Studios outsources the animation for its animated series to third-party animation studios, though executive Brad Winderbaum indicated Marvel would work with fellow Disney studios Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios "under the right circumstances". In September 2021, Alonso was promoted to president of physical production, post-production, VFX, and animation. In November 2021, Marvel Studios announced the animated series X-Men '97 (2024–present), a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) that is set in that series' continuity.By April 2022, Marvel Studios had taken over production of the preschool animated series Spidey and His Amazing Friends, starting from its second season; the first season was produced under the Marvel Entertainment banner.
In May 2022, Marvel Studios signed a 20-year licensing deal with Stan Lee Universe to license the name and likeness of Lee for use in future films, television series, Disney theme parks and cruises, various "experiences", and merchandising. A digitally recreated Lee was not expected to make cameo appearances in future projects; rather, the deal allows Marvel to use Lee's name, voice, likeness, signature, and existing images and archival material. In June 2023, the distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk reverted from Universal back to Marvel and Disney.
In March 2023, Alonso was fired from her role at Marvel Studios by a group including Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman and Disney's human resources and legal departments for serving as a producer on the Amazon Studios film Argentina, 1985 (2022); this was a breach of a 2018 agreement between Alonso and Disney which stated employees would not work for a competing studio. Alonso reportedly did not seek permission to work on the film, and was asked by Disney to stop working on the film, as well as not to promote or publicize it, with the situation "deemed serious enough" that Disney requested a new agreement be signed. Despite this, Alonso continued to promote the film following its September 2022 premiere, and was consistently reminded of her agreement and breach of contract, ultimately leading to her firing. Alonso's lawyers refuted this claim, stating Disney was aware of, and agreed to, Alonso's work on Argentina, 1985, and that she was instead "silenced[... and] was terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible"; this incident was reported to be a disagreement with a Disney executive over the censoring of gay pride elements in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) to release the film in Kuwait and comply with its restrictive anti-LGBTQ laws. A Disney spokesperson reiterated the notion that she was fired due to "an indisputable breach of contract and a direct violation of company policy" among other "key factors". Disney and Alonso reached a multimillion-dollar compensation settlement in April. Following Alonso's firing, visual effects vendors for the various MCU projects were working with producer Jen Underdahl, the vice president of visual effects and stereo.
In August 2023, a group of 52 on-set VFX workers at Marvel Studios filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board for an election to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) labor union the VFX Union. This was the first time any workers in the visual effects industry had petitioned for union recognition. Chris Lee at Vulture believed that if this group of workers were able to secure union recognition, it "would stand as proof of concept for the overall viability of an industry-wide unionization push", particularly at the post-production effects houses. This came after several VFX workers had raised complaints of Marvel's "demanding post-production schedules" and a "toxic work environment". All of the workers who participated in the election vote that concluded in early September voted unanimously to form a union with IATSE, with the union then set to enter into collective bargaining negotiations with Marvel, beginning at an unspecified date. A four-year union contract between the studio and the VFX workers was ratified in May 2025, which frequent Marvel VFX data wrangler Cael Liakos-Gilbert called "a much-needed win for the entire VFX industry".
By October 2023, Marvel Studios was planning to hire dedicated executives to focus on its television efforts, as part of a larger plan to change its approach to its television series. Production and development executive Richie Palmer was serving as a television executive by January 2024. In May 2024, Marvel Studios revealed that its live-action Disney+ series would be released under a new "" banner, separate from the previous company of the same name, starting with Agatha All Along later in 2024. The "Marvel Animation" name and banner were being used for Marvel Studios Animation's projects by May then, as well.
In April 2026, Disney laid off around 8% of Marvel employees across the whole company, including almost the entire Marvel Studios visual development department. A small team was retained to help oversee the hiring of artists for each project moving forward, with many of the former full-time employees transitioning to contractors. The layoffs were reportedly due to the reduced Marvel Studios production slate along with Disney's announced general cost-cutting and workforce reductions.
MCU television series
, as it was "very specific... with a certain amount of back and forth allowed". In September 2019, it was announced that Disney and Sony had reached a new agreement allowing for Spider-Man to appear in a
third standalone film
(produced by Marvel Studios and Feige) and a future Marvel Studios film. Disney was reported to be co-financing 25% of the film in exchange for 25% of the film's profits in the new agreement, while retaining the merchandising rights to the character. By November 2021, a new trilogy of films with Marvel Studios was planned, beginning with
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
(2026). Sony's agreement specifies that production has to start on a film within three years and nine months of the previous one, and release within five years and nine months, otherwise the rights revert to Marvel. Marvel Studios can use Spider-Man in short-form animated series, while Sony retains rights to the character for long-form television. Sony has access to 856 characters within its agreement, including
Wilson Fisk / Kingpin
, who is able to be used by both Sony and Marvel Studios.
Vincent D'Onofrio
, who portrays
Wilson Fisk
in the MCU, explained that Marvel Studios is only allowed to use the character in television series.
Namor: In 2002, Marvel announced a deal with Universal Pictures to make a Namor film. In 2012, Marvel Entertainment CCO Joe Quesada believed Namor's rights had reverted to Marvel, but Feige said in August 2013 this was not so. However, Feige expanded in July 2014 saying that Marvel Studios, not Universal Pictures or Legendary Pictures, could make a Namor film, "but it's slightly more complicated than that. Let's put it this way – there are entanglements that make it less easy. There are older contracts that still involve other parties that mean we need to work things out before we move forward on it," unlike for any of the other characters Marvel Studios has rights too such as Iron Man. In June 2016, Quesada again stated that, to his knowledge, the film rights to Namor had returned to Marvel. In October 2018, Feige noted the character could appear in the MCU, with the studio still deciding how it would use the character. The character first appeared in the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). In November 2022, Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore confirmed that they cannot make a standalone Namor film since Universal still holds the character's distribution rights, similar to the Hulk.
