Last Updated on August 14, 2021
Maybe you know Marvel very well, but do you know who owns Marvel, where and when it was founded, key stakeholders and roles? You don’t know? Don’t worry we’ve put together this short article about details of who owns Marvel that will answer all those questions. Are you ready to ride with us? Let’s go.
Comic books have always given people a way to escape from the reality they do not want to be a part of to a reality they would love to be a part of. They are a means to escape into a world where they do not have to worry about the consequences of their actions and where they can sit down and let the authors wrote a plan for them. It is where they can relax without feeling any emotional or physical pain. Being a comic book reader is a perfect hobby today due to all of the movies being made based on comics
The comics have always been a way to escape and relax for people who are not socially good and want to be left alone. The best comic book company in the world that has legions of followers behind them is Marvel. They have a huge fan base in the comic book industry and the recent decade in the film and gaming industry. They have released merchandise for beloved characters, and through their movies, they have made unknown characters into household names.
Everyone in the world knows about Marvel and its endeavors in various industries. Their comic books and movies have been inspiring legions of people and giving them life lessons along the way. They have been a source of entertainment and inspiration for people who want to be writers, artists, or directors. Each of the superheroes and common characters is portrayed awesomely to see, and it brings life to 2D characters.
Many things fans of the comic books have yet to see being adapted into the films yet, but with the rate Marvel has been putting out good movies and comics, it is good to know that the future looks bright. The thing comic book fans need to keep in mind is that the adapted material will not always be better than the source, but people are trying their best, so it is good to take it easy and enjoy all of the movies and shows out.
We will be looking at the origins of the world-famous comic book company and looking at the different franchises that the company has undertaken and brought to life using toys, movies, and animated TV shows. We will also be looking at who owns the company.
Table of Contents
History of Marvel
Marvel comics first originated in 1939 by Martin Goodman, but it was known as Timely Comics back in the day. The Timely Comics by 1951 then came to be known as Atlas Comics 1951. The major turnaround for the company came back in 1962 when Atlas Comics changed their name to Marvel after the release of the first superhero Marvel family, the Fantastic Four.
The Fantastic Four is still regarded as one of the best comic book characters of all time. Created by the legendary Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, they did so much storytelling back in the day with the limited time and equipment. The first family got famous due to their uniqueness in superpowers and the characters themselves. The characters were scientists and assistants who were hit by a cosmic cloud which gave them their powers.
The characters were as follows: the leader of the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards, who is a genius unlike any other, who has created technological advancements beyond human understanding and has the power to stretch his body parts to huge lengths. The Brothers and Sisters, Sue Storm and Johnny Storm. Both of them have different powers, Sue has the power to turn invisible and make barriers, and Johnny has the power of pyrokinesis and fire control. He can manipulate fires and control temperatures while in his Flame form.
The last member of the family was Ben Grimm, who was also called the Thing. His whole body was made of rocks, and he has superhuman strength and durability while in his rock form. After making the Fantastic Four a hit, the legendary illustrator’s Stan Lee and Steve Ditko went on to make the most famous comic book characters of all time which included, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider, Scarlet Witch and many more.
This began a long journey that went on to Marvel being one of the most recognized comic book companies of all time. Recently Marvel movies have been the latest fad in the industry, and teenagers, adults, and kids alike have seen the latest Marvel movies and TV shows that have been out on different platforms and streaming services. Let’s take a look at how the MCU came into being.
Around 2005, after the success of the Spider-Man films, Kevin Feige, considered the godfather of the MCU, decided that they would make a studios committee separate from the different film companies and make Marvel films on their own. Long story short, this attempt to start a universe began with the release of the first Iron Man film in 2008. This movie is considered one of the most enjoyable comic book movies of all time.
The MCU had taken off with the release of Iron Man, and currently, it is the highest-grossing cinematic universe of all time, grossing more than the Fast and Furious, Harry Potter, and the Lord of the Rings franchise. It has been a pop culture spectacle for people, and all of the fellow people who watch the Marvel movies with interest are considered a part of the family by the comic book people.
Today, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has got the fans so invested in the company that the Avengers movies have made more than 4 billion dollars in the box office. They are a testament to the excellent storytelling that the company has executed over the years it has been in development. The company had managed to gross so much money that it had managed to buy back the characters they lost to the studios when they almost went bankrupt.
The company has always been active when listening to fans and has made TV shows, animated movies, Live-action shows, and movies based on the various characters that the fans love. They have been providing the fans with the content they love, and that is why they are considered one of the best studios and comic book companies in the world. They have iconic characters that are pop culture legends, and they have represented them properly in their media attempts.
Their attempts have prompted them to make more characters based on different gender, race, and creed. This gives a huge boost to the minorities and increases their representation in the popular media. Due to these attempts, the fan following and the loyalty has been growing of the people who follow the company and has amassed a large amount of goodwill from different companies and fans.
This company has indulged in many activities throughout the years, such as making theme parks based on characters, making games and toys, music, and comic books based on movies. There is an endless amount of possibilities for this company from here on out.
Who Owns Marvel?
Now, let’s answer the million-dollar question you came here to find out about. The company that bought out the whole Marvel Entertainment banner was Disney. They bought the whole rights to characters, including movies, toys, and other distribution and game rights, for four billion dollars somewhere around 2009. This acquisition changed the company’s landscape, and it coincided well with the MCU’s success.
Due to the popularity boost the characters received from the movies, Disney capitalized on this opportunity and made theme park rides and other media alternatives corresponding with the MCU to maximize their profits. Disney has gotten a lot of profit and recognition from making the characters good and relatable in their movies and TV shows. Many other characters are currently in production and will have a future in the company.
There are many things the company will do since the Marvel Company is expandable, and there are only bright things considered for the future. The Walt Disney Company has the budget and the money to do a lot with the rights of the characters, and they are going to do a lot if they know what the requirements of the people are.
In Conclusion
The piece ends with the declaration that most of the things Marvel will do in the future regarding the theme park rides, toys, movies, games, and animated shows will depend on the Walt Disney Company and their decision since the entire marvel rights excluding some characters are obtained by them. They bought this company out of the need to maintain their reputation as avid and concept-related, and character-driven filmmakers.
We hope the information herein on who owns Marvel helps you to know more about the company. Have a good day!