FEATURE: A Guide To Marvel Live Action (TV & Film) Character Rights

FEATURE: A Guide To Marvel Live Action (TV & Film) Character Rights

This guide will tell you which film studios (Marvel Studios, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, Universal) have the rights to which characters, and whether they extend to TV or just film.

Feature Opinion
By ProfessorX - Apr 29, 2014 08:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Comics
Marvel Studios


  • - Avengers franchise (including shared rights to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch)
  • - Iron Man franchise (reverted from New Line Cinema)
  • - Incredible Hulk franchise (reverted from Universal)
  • - Captain America franchise (reverted from Lionsgate)
  • - Thor franchise (reverted from Lionsgate)
  • - Guardians of the Galaxy franchise
  • - Black Panther franchise
  • - Doctor Strange franchise
  • - S.H.I.E.L.D. franchise
  • - Ant-Man franchise
  • - Ms. Marvel franchise
  • - Inhumans franchise
  • - Daredevil franchise (reverted from Fox)
  • - Elektra franchise (reverted from Fox)
  • - Blade franchise (including shared rights to Morbius) (reverted from New Line Cinema)
  • - Punisher franchise (reverted from Lionsgate)
  • - Luke Cage franchise
  • - Iron Fist franchise
  • - Ghost Rider franchise (reverted from Sony)
  • - Miscellaneous (Marvel retains the rights to over 5000 characters; other notable names include Nova, Captain Marvel, the Runaways, Cloak and Dagger, and Moon Knight)
In the last decade the majority of the character rights which were with other studios have reverted back to Marvel Studios. This began with the reverting of Iron Man from New Line Cinema, followed by Thor and Captain America from Lionsgate, and the Hulk from Universal. More recently Marvel have got the rights back for Daredevil, Elektra, Punisher, Ghost Rider, and Blade.

Sony Pictures


Sony own the film rights to all Spider-Man characters. However, when Disney bought Marvel back in 2009, they made a deal with Sony which meant that - in return for wider film options - Marvel would get full Spider-Man TV rights (live action and cartoon). This means that Spider-Man can be referenced, or even appear, in any live action Marvel TV series.

20th Century Fox


  • - X-Men franchise (including Deadpool, shared rights to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, and shared rights to Viper/Madame Hydra)
  • - Fantastic Four franchise (including Dr. Doom, Silver Surfer, Galactus, and Annihilus)
Fox retain full live action rights for all X-Men characters, which includes TV rights (Marvel were once sued for making a 'Mutant X' television series - based on X-Men characters; and they are also prohibited from using the word "mutant" on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D). It is assumed this applies to the Fantastic Four too.

Universal


  • - Namor franchise
Kevin Feige confirmed in 2013 that the Namor rights are still with Universal. There are no details on when (or if) the rights will revert to Marvel Studios.

Lionsgate


  • - Man-Thing (???)
Despite a Man-Thing reference on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (and the inclusion of his wife, Ellen Brandt, in Iron Man 3), it is assumed that he remains with Universal. When the Punisher returned to Marvel in 2013 from Lionsgate, there was no mention of Man-Thing returning too.

Sources: comicvine, comicsalliance, screenrant
About The Author:
ProfessorX
Member Since 2/4/2014
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