Marvel Studios facts for kids
Logo used since 2016
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The studio's headquarters at the Frank G. Wells Building in Burbank, California
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Formerly
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Marvel Films (1993–1996) |
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| Genre | Superhero fiction |
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| Founder | Avi Arad |
| Headquarters | Frank G. Wells Building, 2nd Floor, 500 South Buena Vista Street,
Burbank, California
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US
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products |
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| Brands | Marvel Cinematic Universe |
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Marvel Studios, LLC is an American company that makes movies and TV shows. It was once known as Marvel Films. Marvel Studios is famous for creating the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The MCU is a huge collection of interconnected films and TV series. These stories are all based on characters from Marvel Comics publications.
The studio started on December 7, 1993, founded by Avi Arad. It was part of a bigger company called Marvel Entertainment Group. Since 2007, Kevin Feige has been the president, guiding the studio's creative vision. At first, Marvel Studios let other companies make movies using their characters. But starting in 2004, they began making their own films. Over time, they got back the rights to many of their popular characters. In 2009, The Walt Disney Company bought Marvel Entertainment, which included Marvel Studios. Since 2015, Marvel Studios has been part of the Walt Disney Studios.
Since 2008, Marvel Studios has released 37 films in the MCU. These range from Iron Man (2008) to The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). The studio also released 17 television series since 2021. These include WandaVision (2021) and Wonder Man (2026–present). Marvel Studios also has a smaller animation division called Marvel Studios Animation. This division created the animated series What If...? (2021–2024). All these films and series share the same story world, meaning they are connected.
Many Marvel Studios films have been incredibly successful. Eleven of their films are among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time. These include The Avengers, Black Panther, and Avengers: Endgame. Avengers: Endgame was the highest-grossing film of all time from July 2019 until March 2021. Besides the MCU, Marvel Studios also helped produce other successful Marvel-based film series. These include the X-Men and Spider-Man movies.
Contents
How Marvel Movies Started
For a long time, Marvel Comics let other movie studios use their characters. For example, Timely Comics (Marvel's earlier name) licensed Captain America for a film in 1944. Later, from the 1970s to the 1990s, Marvel sold options for many of its characters. This meant studios could try to make movies about them. Characters like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and X-Men were all optioned.
However, not all these early attempts were successful. The 1986 film Howard the Duck did not do well at the box office. Other films like The Punisher (1989) and Captain America (1990) were made. There was even an unreleased Fantastic Four movie in 1994. Marvel realized that to make the best movies, they needed more control over their characters' stories.
Marvel Studios' Journey
Early Days as Marvel Films (1993–1996)
In 1993, after a company called ToyBiz joined Marvel, Avi Arad became the head of a new division called Marvel Films. This division also included Marvel Films Animation, which worked on animated TV shows. Marvel Films Animation, along with other studios, produced Marvel TV series for the 1996–1997 season. By the end of 1993, Arad made a deal with 20th Century Fox to create a film based on the X-Men. In 1996, Marvel Films Animation was sold to News Corporation, which owned Fox.
Creating Marvel Studios and Licensing Films (1996–2004)
On August 7, 1996, Marvel officially created Marvel Studios. The goal was to have more say in how their characters were brought to the screen. Marvel wanted to be involved in writing scripts, hiring directors, and casting actors. They would then offer these "packages" to bigger studios for filming and distribution. Marvel Studios made a seven-year deal with 20th Century Fox for film development.
The first film licensed by Marvel Studios was Blade (1998). It was a success, showing that lesser-known comic characters could make popular movies. X-Men (2000) followed and was also very popular. These films proved that there was a big audience for superhero movies. Marvel then made a deal with Artisan Entertainment for rights to 15 more characters, including Captain America and Thor.
The next big success was Spider-Man (2002), which earned a lot of money worldwide. This success led to sequels. However, Marvel Studios only made a small amount of money from these films compared to the studios that produced them. In 2003, David Maisel joined Marvel Studios with a big idea: Marvel should finance its own films to earn more money. Kevin Feige, who would later become president, was a junior executive at the time, helping with scripts.
Making Their Own Movies (2004–2009)
In 2004, David Maisel became president of Marvel Studios. He put his plan into action for Marvel to finance its own films. Marvel secured a loan of $525 million. This money was to make up to ten films based on characters like Ant-Man, the Avengers, Black Panther, and Captain America. This was a big risk, but it meant Marvel would have more control and earn more from its movies.
The studio moved to a new office in Beverly Hills. In 2005, Marvel got back the film rights to Iron Man from New Line Cinema. In 2006, they also regained the rights to the Hulk from Universal. This allowed Marvel to plan its own interconnected universe. In 2007, Kevin Feige became the president of production. The first film made under this new plan was Iron Man (2008). It was a huge hit and started the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After its success, Feige was promoted to president of Marvel Studios.
Joining the Disney Family (Since 2009)
Disney Buys Marvel and Changes Begin (2009–2015)
On August 31, 2009, the Walt Disney Company announced it would buy Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. The deal was completed on December 31, making Marvel Entertainment a part of Disney. Both companies said that existing deals with other studios would continue for a while. However, Disney planned to distribute future Marvel projects through its own studio once those deals ended.
In 2010, Marvel Entertainment created a TV division called Marvel Television. In October, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures took over distributing The Avengers (2012) and Iron Man 3 (2013). Disney also started handling the marketing for Marvel's films. In April 2013, Marvel Studios moved its main offices to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. By July 2013, Disney had bought the distribution rights for earlier Marvel films like Iron Man and Thor from Paramount.
Growing with Disney Studios (Since 2015)
In August 2015, Marvel Studios became a direct part of Walt Disney Studios. This meant Kevin Feige reported directly to the Walt Disney Studios chairman. This change helped Marvel Studios expand even more. In September 2018, Marvel Studios began developing several limited series for the new streaming service Disney+. These shows focused on characters from the MCU films, like Loki and Scarlet Witch. The actors from the films were expected to play their roles again.
In October 2019, Kevin Feige also became the chief creative officer for all of Marvel. This brought Marvel Television and Marvel Animation back under the Marvel Studios banner. By December 2019, Marvel Television was fully integrated into Marvel Studios.
In June 2021, Marvel Studios started its own animation branch, Marvel Studios Animation. This "mini-studio" focuses on creating more animated content. Victoria Alonso, a key executive, left her role at Marvel Studios in March 2023 due to a disagreement over company policy. In May 2022, Marvel Studios made a deal with Stan Lee Universe to use Stan Lee's name and likeness in future projects. This allows them to honor his legacy.
In August 2023, visual effects (VFX) workers at Marvel Studios voted to form a union with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). This was a big step for workers in the visual effects industry. A four-year union contract between the studio and the VFX workers was approved in May 2025. In April 2026, Disney made some changes at Marvel, including reducing the size of the visual development department. This was part of a larger plan to adjust production and costs.
By October 2023, Marvel Studios planned to hire dedicated executives for its TV shows. In May 2024, Marvel Studios began using new "Marvel Television" and "Marvel Animation" banners for its live-action and animated TV projects, respectively.
Character Rights
In the 1990s, Marvel licensed the film rights for many of its characters to other studios. This included the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man. Over the years, Marvel Studios worked to get many of these rights back. For example, they regained Black Panther and Iron Man in 2005. They got back Thor and Black Widow in 2006. By 2013, they had also regained Blade, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Luke Cage, and the Punisher.
In 2016, 20th Century Fox traded the rights to Ego the Living Planet to Marvel Studios. This allowed Fox to change the powers of Negasonic Teenage Warhead for the Deadpool movie. A major change happened on March 20, 2019. Disney bought 21st Century Fox, which meant Marvel Studios got back the rights to the Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Deadpool characters.
Some characters have more complicated rights:
- Hulk: The film rights for the Hulk returned to Marvel Studios from Universal Pictures in 2006. However, Universal kept the right to distribute any future standalone Hulk films. The distribution rights for The Incredible Hulk (2008) returned to Marvel and Disney in June 2023.
- Spider-Man: In February 2015, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment agreed that Spider-Man could appear in the MCU. He first appeared in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Sony continues to finance, distribute, and own the Spider-Man films. A new agreement in September 2019 allowed for more Spider-Man films co-produced by Marvel Studios. By November 2021, a new trilogy of films with Marvel Studios was planned, starting with Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).
- Namor: The character Namor first appeared in the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). While Marvel Studios can use Namor in the MCU, they cannot make a standalone Namor film. This is because Universal still holds the distribution rights for solo Namor movies, similar to the Hulk.
How Marvel Studios is Organized
Divisions and Labels
- MVL Productions LLC – This is a company used for making films.
- Marvel Studios Animation – This "mini-studio" started in June 2021. It creates Marvel Studios' animated series under the "Marvel Animation" banner.
- Marvel Music, Inc. – This company, started in 2005, publishes music for Marvel's films and TV shows. They often work with Disney's Hollywood Records.
- Marvel Television (2024–present) – This is a label used for live-action Marvel TV series. It's different from the older Marvel Television company that closed in 2019.
- Marvel Animation Inc. – This company oversaw Marvel's animation projects outside the MCU. It was absorbed into Marvel Studios in 2019.
Key People
Marvel Studios is led by its president, Kevin Feige, and co-president Louis D'Esposito. They have a group of experienced executives called the "Marvel Studios Parliament". This group helps make creative decisions and supports each other's projects. Important members include Stephen Broussard, Trinh Tran, Ryan Meinerding, Jonathan Schwartz, and Brad Winderbaum.
Ryan Meinerding leads the Visual Development group. This team of artists creates the consistent look for Marvel projects. They design characters, costumes, and key moments from the very beginning.
Many executives in the Production and Development group lead films and TV series. They manage projects from start to finish. Some of these executives are Sana Amanat, Brian Chapek, Grant Curtis, Brian Gay, and Richie Palmer.
Other important people at Marvel Studios include Mitchell Bell and David J. Grant (physical production), Russell Bobbitt (property master), Charles Newirth (executive producer), Jen Underdahl (visual effects), and Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt (animation). Sarah Halley Finn is a frequent casting director. Eric Pearson is a "go-to" writer, who started in Marvel Studios' writers program. He wrote screenplays for films like Thor: Ragnarok and Black Widow.
Several executives have worked at Marvel Studios and later left. These include Avi Arad, Victoria Alonso, David Maisel, and Nate Moore.
What Marvel Studios Has Made
Movies
Marvel Studios has released 37 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These include:
- Iron Man (2008)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Thor (2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Black Widow (2021)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
- Eternals (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
- The Marvels (2023)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
- Thunderbolts* (2025)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Upcoming films include Spider-Man: Brand New Day (scheduled for 2026), Avengers: Doomsday (scheduled for 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (planned for 2027).
Marvel Knights Films
Marvel Studios had a special production group called Marvel Knights. This group made films based on some of Marvel's darker or less-known stories. They released two films: Punisher: War Zone (2008) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011).
Short Films
Live-Action Short Films
Marvel Studios has released a series of short films called "Marvel One-Shots". These were included as special features on Blu-ray and digital releases of MCU films. They included The Consultant (2011), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer (2011), Item 47 (2012), Agent Carter (2013), and All Hail the King (2014). Later, they released the Team Thor short films from 2016 to 2018.
Animated Short Films
| Title | Released | Production partners | Distributor | Original network |
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| I Am Groot | 2022–23 |
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Disney Platform Distribution | Disney+ |
Television Shows
Animated Series
Animated Series by Marvel Films
| Series | Released | Production partner(s) | Distributor | Original network |
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| X-Men: The Animated Series | 1992–1997 |
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Saban International | Fox Kids |
| Fantastic Four | 1994–1996 |
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Genesis Entertainment (U.S.) New World Entertainment (International) |
First-run syndication (The Marvel Action Hour) |
| Iron Man |
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| Spider-Man: The Animated Series | 1994–1998 |
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Genesis Entertainment (seasons 1–2) New World Entertainment (seasons 1–3) Saban International (season 4) |
Fox Kids |
| The Incredible Hulk | 1996–1997 |
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New World Entertainment (season 1) Saban International (season 2) |
UPN |
Animated Series by Marvel Studios
| Series | Released | Production partner(s) | Distributor | Original network |
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| Silver Surfer | 1998 | Saban International | Fox Kids | |
| Spider-Man Unlimited | 1999–2001 |
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| The Avengers: United They Stand | 1999–2000 |
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| X-Men: Evolution | 2000–2003 | Film Roman | Warner Bros. Television Distribution Marvel Entertainment |
Kids' WB |
| Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes | 2006–2007 |
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Taffy Entertainment | Cartoon Network |
| Wolverine and the X-Men | 2009 |
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Lionsgate Television | Nicktoons |
| M.O.D.O.K. | 2021 | Marvel Television | Disney Platform Distribution | Hulu |
| Hit-Monkey | 2021–2024 | Marvel Television |
Animated Series by Marvel Studios Animation
Marvel Studios has released four animated series for the MCU through its animation division:
- What If...? (2021–2024)
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025–present)
- Eyes of Wakanda (2025)
- Marvel Zombies (2025–present)
The division also produces X-Men '97 (2024–present), which is a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series. They also took over production of the preschool animated series Spidey and His Amazing Friends starting from its second season.
Live-Action Series
Marvel Studios has released 13 live-action TV series or miniseries for the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
- WandaVision (2021)
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
- Loki (2021–2023)
- Hawkeye (2021)
- Moon Knight (2022)
- Ms. Marvel (2022)
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
- Secret Invasion (2023)
- Echo (2024)
- Agatha All Along (2024)
- Daredevil: Born Again (2025–present)
- Ironheart (2025)
- Wonder Man (2026–present)
VisionQuest is also planned for 2026.
The studio also produced these other series:
| Series | Released | Production partner(s) | Distributor | Original network | Notes |
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| Generation X | February 20, 1996 (pilot) |
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New World Entertainment | Fox | Unordered TV pilot |
| Mutant X | 2001–2004 |
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Tribune Entertainment | Syndicated | Not based on Marvel Comics |
| Helstrom | 2020 | ABC Signature Studios | Disney Platform Distribution | Hulu |
TV Specials
Live-Action TV Specials
Marvel Studios has released three TV specials on Disney+. These are called "Marvel Studios Special Presentations" and "Marvel Television Special Presentations". They include Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (both 2022). The Punisher: One Last Kill is scheduled for 2026.
Animated TV Specials
| Title | Released | Production partner(s) | Distributor | Original network |
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| Lego Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition | October 18, 2024 | The Lego Group | Disney Platform Distribution | Disney+ |
Documentaries
| Title | Released | Distributor | Original network |
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| Marvel Studios: Expanding the Universe | 2019 | Disney Platform Distribution | Disney+ |
| Marvel Studios: Legends | 2021–2025 | ||
| Marvel Studios: Assembled | |||
| MPower | 2023 |
Marvel Studios Logos
Film and TV Show Logos
Starting with Spider-Man in 2002, Marvel Studios used a "flipbook" logo. This logo showed comic book pages flipping by. It played before all their films until 2013. With Thor: The Dark World, a new, updated logo was introduced. This logo still had the flipbook style but looked more three-dimensional. It also had a special musical fanfare composed by Brian Tyler.
In July 2016, another new logo and opening sequence were introduced. This one featured an updated fanfare by Michael Giacchino. The new opening starts with comic book panels, then changes to show footage and art of characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. It first appeared before Doctor Strange. This logo was designed to celebrate how films are inspired by comics, then become scripts, concept art, and finally, the movie itself.
A special version of this logo was used for the MCU's 10th anniversary in 2017. It debuted with Avengers: Infinity War in April 2018. After Stan Lee passed away in 2018, the logo for Captain Marvel was changed to honor him. It replaced the characters with images of Stan Lee's cameos and public appearances. Similarly, the logo for Black Panther was later changed on Disney+ to honor Chadwick Boseman, who played T'Challa.
Other changes to the logo included removing characters who disappeared in the Blip for Avengers: Endgame. There was another Boseman tribute for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). An all-Guardians of the Galaxy opening was used for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). Captain America: Brave New World (2025) was the first Marvel Studios film not to feature the studio's usual logo animation.
Thunderbolts* (2025) introduced an updated logo animation. It went back to the style of the 2013–2016 sequence, showing comic book panels related to the characters.
TV Specials Logo
Marvel Studios' TV specials, called Special Presentations, have their own unique intro. It features a colorful animation with bongo drum music. This intro reminds people of old TV holiday specials. Michael Giacchino, who also composed for Werewolf by Night, created the music for this special intro.
See also
- List of films based on Marvel Comics publications
- List of television series based on Marvel Comics publications
- Outline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
- List of unproduced Marvel Comics adaptations
- Marvel Entertainment
- DC Studios
