We have learned that Paramount has signed a lucrative and exclusive deal with Marvel for films based on Marvel's remaining characters as previously reported by Variety.
Marvel has already put together a half-billion-dollars to create a slate of films with production budgets as high as $180 milion, using their remaining 5,000 comic book characters.
Two of the first classic comic book characters that will hit the big screen are Captain America and Nick Fury.
It is said that Marvel has never produced a film on their own until this production deal was made. To fund this venture Marvel has gathered a seven-year $525 million credit facility with Merrill Lynch Commercial Finance Corp. They are secured against the film rights to at least ten comic-book characters including Captain American. Although Paramount will not be providing any production money, they will receive a fee for marketing and distributing an initial 10 films. The first film is expected to be released in two years and for the largest possible audience none of the films will have a rating above PG-13.