The House of Mouse could gain full control of two Marvel Comics characters if, in exchange, it agrees to cede all shares in one of several marketing platforms. streaming that currently bear the Mickey Mouse seal. that’s how you see it Jason Bazinett, analyst from the financial services company Citigroup, which in a recent report for its clients, affirmed that the scenario is favorable for Disney and Comcast to agree to exchange the rights of Namor and Hulk for all the shares in Hulu (via The Wrap).
Today, Comcast —through its NBCUniversal division— maintains the rights to those characters from the world of comics. Therefore, Disney has seen the need to negotiate, similar to what it has done with Sony Pictures for Spider-Man. , to achieve that Hulk and Namor have a presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), although with certain restrictions.
On the other hand, both conglomerates share slices of the same pie in terms of Hulu, the streaming service. streaming exclusive to the US, of which the House of Mouse has 67% of the shares, while Comcast owns the remaining 33%. It was thanks to the acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019 that Disney was able to take over most of the digital platform, with the possibility of acquiring it in its entirety as of January 2024, according to an agreement signed that same year by the two associated companies. .
You might also be interested in: Namor will return in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
However, Bazinet argues for a hypothesis that has already gained traction on Wall Street: Instead of buying more Hulu shares, Disney executives could decide to sell their two-thirds share to Comcast. Such a maneuver would be backed by the fact that the brand “is less interested in a DTC (direct-to-consumer) offer for the general public,” in the analyst’s words. In other words, less interested in continuing to expand within the territory of the streaming.
So, if it does intend to sell its slice of Hulu, the House of Mouse could negotiate with Comcast so that it includes the rights to Hulk and Namor in its acquisition offer.
“Although Disney owns all of Marvel’s intellectual property, Universal has the distribution rights to Hulk and Namor. As such, if Disney makes a Hulk or Namor movie, Comcast can distribute the movie on Peacock. If Hulu is sold, Disney can use this as an opportunity to secure these distribution rights,” Bazinet commented in his report.
Within the MCU, we come from seeing Mark Ruffalo in the shoes of Bruce Banner / Hulk, serving as a guest of the series She-Hulk from Disney Plus. In addition, also in 2022, the Mexican Tenoch Huerta became the official face of Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverwith a guaranteed future in the world of the Avengers.
Now, if they get the distribution rights to both characters, will Disney and Marvel Studios agree to give each of them a solo film? What do you think?
Antonio G. Spindola I have very bad memory. Out of solidarity with my memories, I choose to lose myself too. Preferably in a movie theater.
