Marvel Studios is an American film and television production company responsible for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Founded in 1993, it was led by Avi Arad and later by Kevin Feige. Initially licensing film rights, the studio began producing its own films in 2004 and regained many character rights. The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment, the parent company of Marvel Studios, in 2009. In 2015, Marvel Studios was transferred to Walt Disney Studios and became part of the Disney Entertainment division in 2023. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has distributed most of its films since The Avengers (2012).
From 1939 until 1950, Timely Comics, the predecessor to Marvel Comics, operated and licensed out its characters.
In 1944, Timely Comics licensed the character Captain America to Republic Pictures for a film serial, though Timely provided limited background material.
From 1939 until 1950, Timely Comics, the predecessor to Marvel Comics, operated and licensed out its characters.
In November 1986, MEG was purchased by New World Entertainment.
From 1986 to 1996, most of Marvel's major characters were optioned for film adaptations. In November 1986, MEG was purchased by New World Entertainment.
In 1989, New World Entertainment released 'The Punisher'.
In 1990, Captain America was released in the United Kingdom and direct to video in the United States.
From 1992 "X-Men: The Animated Series" was produced until 1997.
In 1993, Marvel Studios, then known as Marvel Films, was founded by Avi Arad as part of Marvel Entertainment Group.
In 1993, after MEG acquired ToyBiz, Avi Arad was named CEO of Marvel Films.
In 1994, The Fantastic Four was produced, but not intended for release.
On August 7, 1996, Marvel Studios was officially created by Marvel to finance the new corporation.
In August 1996, New World Animation and Marvel Films Animation were sold to News Corporation and the Fox Entertainment Group.
In December 1996, Marvel Entertainment Group, including Marvel Studios, underwent a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan.
From 1986 to 1996, most of Marvel's major characters were optioned for film adaptations.
By 1997, Marvel Studios was actively pursuing various film productions based on Marvel characters.
For the 1996-1997 season, New World Animation, Saban, and Marvel Films Animation each produced a Marvel series for television.
From 1992 "X-Men: The Animated Series" was produced until 1997.
On August 21, 1998, Blade, the first film packaged and licensed by Marvel Studios, was released. It was directed by Stephen Norrington and starred Wesley Snipes.
Marvel's Captain America animated series was set to premiere in late 1998, but was canceled due to bankruptcy.
On July 14, 2000, X-Men, directed by Bryan Singer, was released. It grossed $157,299,717 in the United States and Canada and $296,250,053 worldwide.
By 1997, Marvel Studios was actively pursuing various film productions based on Marvel characters, including the eventual films X-Men released in 2000.
By 2001, the success of Marvel Entertainment's Ultimate Marvel imprint comics created leverage in Hollywood for Marvel Studios, pushing more properties into development.
On May 3, 2002, Spider-Man, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire, was released by Columbia Pictures.
In October 2002, Marvel Studios announced deals for the Sub-Mariner and Prime with Universal Pictures.
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.
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.
By 1997, Marvel Studios was actively pursuing various film productions based on Marvel characters, including the eventual films Daredevil released in 2003.
In 2003, David Maisel approached Avi Arad about earning Marvel more for its films, leading to Maisel's hiring as president and chief operating officer (COO).
In 2004, David Maisel was hired as president and chief operating officer (COO) of Marvel Studios. He had a plan for the studio to self-finance its films.
In 2004, Lions Gate Entertainment had the Black Widow film in development.
In 2004, Marvel Studios began producing its own films, after originally licensing film rights for several Marvel characters.
In 2004, Marvel Studios partnered with Lionsgate to produce eight animated films, called Marvel Animated Features, for the direct-to-DVD market.
In September 2005, Marvel announced a financing deal with Merrill Lynch, with Paramount as marketer and distributor. The deal allowed Marvel to self-finance its films. Marvel Enterprises, Inc., the parent company, changed its name to Marvel Entertainment, Inc. to reflect this shift to self-production in September 2005.
In November 2005, Michael Helfant joined Marvel Studios as president and chief operating officer. Also in November 2005, Marvel regained the film rights to Iron Man from New Line Cinema.
By 1997, Marvel Studios was actively pursuing various film productions based on Marvel characters, including the eventual films Elektra and Fantastic Four released in 2005.
In February 2006, Marvel regained the film rights to the Hulk from Universal, in exchange for Universal owning the distribution rights to "The Incredible Hulk" (2008) and the right of first refusal to pick up distribution rights to any future Marvel Studios-produced Hulk films.
In April 2006, Thor was announced to be a Marvel Studios production. Also in April 2006, Lions Gate Entertainment dropped the Black Widow film it had in development since 2004 and returned the rights to Marvel.
In May 2006, Avi Arad quit as studio chair and CEO due to disagreements with David Maisel over the rate of film releases and the strength of characters in the film lineup.
From 2006 until 2011, Marvel Studios released eight direct-to-video short films with Marvel Animation called Marvel Animated Features.
In March 2007, Michael Helfant was "forced out" of Marvel Studios. David Maisel was named chairman and Kevin Feige was named president of production as Iron Man (2008) began filming.
In 2007, Kevin Feige became the president of Marvel Studios.
In January 2008, Marvel Animation was incorporated to direct Marvel's efforts in animation and home entertainment markets, including animation efforts with Lionsgate and Nickelodeon.
Following the successful opening weekend of Iron Man in May 2008, David Maisel had his contract extended through 2010, and Kevin Feige was promoted to president of Marvel Studios.
By September 2008, Paramount added five additional Marvel films' foreign distribution to its domestic film distribution contract.
From 2008 the Marvel films aired on FX.
In 2008, Marvel Studios released 'Iron Man', marking the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
In 2008, Nicole Perlman, chose to write a script based on the Guardians of the Galaxy team.
In 2008, Punisher: War Zone, the first film produced under the Marvel Knights banner, was released as a reboot of the Punisher franchise.
In 2008, Universal owned the distribution rights to "The Incredible Hulk".
On August 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced that it had reached a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion.
In 2009, Stephen Broussard was tasked with forming a writers program for Marvel Studios, hiring writers for a year to develop scripts based on lesser-known properties, such as Black Panther, Cable, Iron Fist, Nighthawk, and Vision.
In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment, the parent company of Marvel Studios.
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.
In June 2010, Marvel Entertainment set up a television division within Marvel Studios called Marvel Television, headed by Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President, under which Marvel Animation would be operated.
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) at its Manhattan Beach Studios Media Campus facilities.
In August 2011, at Disney's behest, Marvel Studios 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.
From 2006 until 2011, Marvel Studios released eight direct-to-video short films with Marvel Animation called Marvel Animated Features.
From 2011 to 2014, Marvel Studios released five short films called Marvel One-Shots.
In 2011, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, the second and final title released under the Marvel Knights banner, was released.
In 2011, Stephen Broussard moved on to the production of Captain America: The First Avenger.
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 Thor (2011) at its Manhattan Beach Studios Media Campus facilities.
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 2012, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures began distributing most of Marvel Studios' films, starting with 'The Avengers'.
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.
From 2013 until 2020, Marvel Television released 12 television series.
In 2013, Iron Man 3 was released as part of the MCU and was among the highest-grossing films of all time.
In 2013, the Imaginary Forces sequence began. It was used until 2016.
In 2013, the Marvel Studios logo was updated with the release of Thor: The Dark World, again created by Imaginary Forces. The updated logo was more substantial as a standalone logo.
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 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. These films had previously aired on FX since 2008.
From 2011 to 2014, Marvel Studios released five short films called Marvel One-Shots.
In 2014, Brian Tyler's fanfare accompanied the Marvel Studios logo and was featured on the films Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
In 2014, the Marvel Studios writers program was shut down.
In February 2015, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that Spider-Man would appear in the MCU, starting with Captain America: Civil War in 2016. Sony would continue to finance, distribute, own, and have creative control of the Spider-Man films.
In June 2015, Kevin Feige clarified that the initial Sony deal did not allow Spider-Man to appear in any of the MCU television series, as it was "very specific... with a certain amount of back and forth allowed."
In August 2015, Marvel Studios was placed into Walt Disney Studios, with Kevin Feige reporting directly to Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan F. Horn instead of Marvel Entertainment CEO Isaac Perlmutter.
In 2015, Avengers: Age of Ultron was released and became one of Marvel Studios' highest-grossing films.
In 2015, Marvel Studios was transferred to the Walt Disney Studios.
In January 2016, Marvel approached Perception to update its logo, with Feige requesting that they combine the brand and iconic characters into a single image.
In July 2016, a new Marvel Studios logo and opening sequence were introduced, featuring an updated fanfare composed by Michael Giacchino. The new opening includes footage and art of characters from the MCU films.
In 2016, Captain America: Civil War was released by Marvel Studios and was a high-grossing film.
In 2016, the Imaginary Forces sequence ended.
In 2016, the Marvel Studios writers program was revived after being shut down in 2014.
As of April 2017, Marvel Studios was housed on the second floor of the Frank G. Wells Building at the Disney studio lot.
In July 2017, Sony released Spider-Man: Homecoming, which was produced by Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal, as part of the deal struck between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment regarding Spider-Man's inclusion in the MCU.
In 2017, a modified version of Perception's logo was introduced at the D23 Expo to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the MCU.
On April 26, 2018, the modified version of Perception's logo, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the MCU, debuted with Avengers: Infinity War.
In September 2018, it was reported that Marvel Studios was developing several limited series for the streaming service Disney+, centered on "second tier" characters from the MCU films, with actors expected to reprise their roles.
Following Stan Lee's death on November 12, 2018, the Marvel Studios logo was altered to replace the characters with Stan Lee's MCU cameos and public appearances.
In 2018, Fast Company ranked Marvel Studios number eleven on its World's Most Innovative Companies list.
In 2018, Marvel Studios released Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, both of which were highly successful.
In 2018, Victoria Alonso and Disney signed an agreement which stated employees would not work for a competing studio. This agreement became relevant in March 2023 when Alonso was fired for working on Amazon Studio's Argentina, 1985.
In July 2019, 'Avengers: Endgame' became the highest-grossing film of all time.
In September 2019, Disney and Sony reached a new agreement allowing Spider-Man to appear in a third standalone film and a future Marvel Studios film. Disney co-financed 25% of the film in exchange for 25% of the film's profits, while retaining merchandising rights.
In October 2019, Kevin Feige was given the title of Chief Creative Officer, Marvel, overseeing the creative direction of Marvel Television and Marvel Family Entertainment, which were returned under the Marvel Studios banner.
In December 2019, Marvel Television was folded into Marvel Studios, becoming a production label.
Following Chadwick Boseman's death on August 28, 2020, the Marvel Studios logo was retroactively modified for the Disney+ version of Black Panther (2018) in honor of Chadwick Boseman.
On November 29, 2020, the Chadwick Boseman tribute logo premiered on the Disney+ version of Black Panther (2018), which would have been Boseman's 44th birthday.
From 2013 until 2020, Marvel Television released 12 television series.
In March 2021, 'Avengers: Endgame' was surpassed as the highest-grossing film of all time.
In June 2021, Marvel Studios was creating an "animation branch and mini-studio" to focus on more animated content beyond "What If...?"
In September 2021, Victoria Alonso was promoted to President of Physical, Post Production, VFX and Animation at Marvel Studios.
In November 2021, Marvel Studios announced the animated series "X-Men '97" (2024–present), a revival of "X-Men: The Animated Series" (1992–1997) set in that series' continuity.
In November 2021, Pascal announced plans for a fourth Spider-Man film set in the MCU, in addition to long-term plans for a new trilogy of films with Marvel Studios, with said film entering active development the following month.
In 2021, Marvel Studios released the television series 'WandaVision', and the animated television series 'What If...?'
By April 2022, Marvel Studios had taken over production of the preschool animated series "Spidey and His Amazing Friends", starting from its second season.
In May 2022, Marvel Studios signed a 20-year licensing deal with Stan Lee Universe to license the name and likeness of Stan Lee for use in future films, television series, Disney theme parks and cruises, various "experiences", and merchandising.
In September 2022, the film Argentina, 1985 premiered, which Victoria Alonso produced. Disney considered this a breach of her 2018 contract with Marvel Studios, as she allegedly did not seek permission to work on the film and continued to promote it despite being asked to stop, which ultimately led to her firing in March 2023.
In 2022, Marvel Studios released the television specials 'Werewolf by Night' and 'The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special'.
In 2022, another tribute was made for Chadwick Boseman for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, modifying the Marvel Studios logo.
In 2022, several MCU projects were delayed. This was reportedly due to Victoria Alonso taking days off to produce Argentina, 1985 instead of her post-production commitments for the various MCU projects.
In March 2023, Citigroup financial analyst Jason Bazinet suggested Disney might try to include distribution rights to the Hulk and Namor in a potential sale of the streaming service Hulu to Comcast, the owner of Universal Pictures through NBCUniversal.
In March 2023, Victoria Alonso was fired from her role at Marvel Studios for breaching her contract by working on the Amazon Studios film Argentina, 1985. Alonso's lawyers disputed the grounds for her dismissal, claiming a disagreement over censoring gay pride elements in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Disney maintained she was fired for breach of contract.
In June 2023, the distribution rights to "The Incredible Hulk" reverted from Universal back to Marvel and Disney.
In June 2023, the distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk reverted from Universal back to Marvel and Disney.
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.
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.
In 2023, Walt Disney Studios became part of the Disney Entertainment division.
In 2023, an all-Guardians of the Galaxy opening was created for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, modifying the Marvel Studios logo.
In 2023, at the time of Victoria Alonso's firing, criticism from VFX workers was noted, who had raised complaints of Marvel's "demanding post-production schedules". Some described Alonso as "singularly responsible for Marvel's toxic work environment".
By January 2024, production and development executive Richie Palmer was serving as a television executive at Marvel Studios.
By May 2024, the "Marvel Animation" name and banner was used for the division's projects.
In May 2024, Marvel Studios revealed that its live-action Disney+ series would be released under a new "Marvel Television" banner, separate from the previous company of the same name, starting with "Agatha All Along" later in 2024.
In 2024, Deadpool & Wolverine was released and was among the highest-grossing films of all time.
In 2024, the animated television series 'What If...?' concluded.
Captain America: Brave New World (2025) was the first Marvel Studios film to not feature the studio's logo animation sequence.
In 2025, Marvel Studios is scheduled to release the film 'Thunderbolts*' and the television series 'Daredevil: Born Again'.
In 2025, Thunderbolts* introduced an updated logo animation that reverted to the presentation of the Imaginary Forces sequence from 2013-2016, featuring comic book panels themed around the relevant characters. The logo also featured the added visual of the Void's shadows blackening the text.
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