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Marvel Studios, originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996, is an American television and motion picture studio based at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The studio is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Being a part of the Disney conglomerate, Marvel Studios works in conjunction with The Walt Disney Studios, another Disney unit, for distribution and marketing. For financial reporting purposes, Marvel Studios is reported as a part of Disney's Studio Entertainment segment.
Marvel Studios includes numerous units and joint ventures, both operating and defunct: Marvel Television, Marvel Animation, Marvel Music, MVL Productions LLC, and MLG Productions. Among the many animated, television, feature film and music releases, the studio has been involved in three Marvel-character film franchises to have exceeded one billion dollars in North American revenue: the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Marvel Cinematic Universe multi-film franchises, with X-Men and Spider-Man licensed out to 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures respectively. Marvel Studios' films are distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and by Universal Pictures for the Hulk films.
Disney Conglomerate
On December 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. Both Marvel and Disney stated that the merger would not affect any pre-existing deals with other film studios for the time being, although Disney said they would distribute future Marvel projects with their own studios once the deals expire.
After being acquired by Disney, Marvel began to reclaim the rights to characters that had been licensed out to other studios since the late 1990s, starting with Blade from New Line Cinema. In August 2012, it was reported that 20th Century Fox was willing to allow the film rights to the superhero Daredevil and his related characters revert to Marvel and Disney, a contracted stipulation.
In early 2009, Sony returned all Spider-Man television rights (including live action) in exchange for an adjustment to the movie rights.
In June 2010, Marvel Entertainment set up a television division within Marvel Studios. On October 18, Disney bought the distribution rights for Marvel's The Avengers and Iron Man 3 from Paramount Pictures with Paramount's logo remaining on the films.
Upon the release of The Amazing Spider-Man, Disney and Sony negotiated a two-way agreement. Disney would receive full merchandising ancillary rights to future Spider-Man films in exchange for Sony purchasing out Marvel's film participation rights.
On July 2, 2013, Disney purchased the distribution rights to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger from Paramount.
The only rights that are still left at other studios are the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchise of characters at 20th Century Fox and the Spider-Man franchise of characters at Sony/Columbia Pictures.
THOR (2011)Thor (2011), directed by Kenneth Branagh, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures is the fourth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Budget $150 million
Box office $449.3 million
Marvel Studios and Acura launched a joint viral marketing promotion at the 2011 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.
Other official promotional partners included Burger King, Dr. Pepper, 7 Eleven, and Visa.
A post-credits scene in the film Iron Man 2 showed a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent reporting the discovery of a large hammer in the desert. "It continues the grand tradition of connecting the film to another property in development around the Marvel movie universe."
A video game titled Thor: God of Thunder based on the film was developed by Sega using the voices and likenesses of actors Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Jaimie Alexander, and was released on May 3, 2011.
Home mediaIn July 2011, Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures announced the release of Thor on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray Disc and DVD. The discs were released on September 13, 2011 in three editions: a single-disc DVD, a 2-disc Blu-ray-DVD combo pack, and a 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD/3D combo pack. All sets come with deleted scenes and a "Road to The Avengers featurette. The 2-disc and 3-disc packs includes a digital copy, the first in a series of Marvel One-Shots, The Consultant, and 7 behind-the-scenes featurettes.
The film is also collected in a 10-disc box set titled Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled which will include all of the "Phase One" films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
MarketingIn July 2010 Marvel Studios held a Thor panel at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International where they discussed the film and showed some clips from it. A few days later, this footage was leaked on the internet.
The first television advertisement was broadcast during Super Bowl XLV on the Fox network in the United States. The rate for advertising during the game was approximately $3 million per 30-second spot.
THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013)
MarketingIn March 2013, Marvel announced the release of a two-issue comic book prelude.
In April 2013, Marvel released the first trailer for Thor: The Dark World. Forbes said, "This trailer fits nicely into that larger marketing push for Marvel's brand. It puts all of the recognizable characters from the first film front and centre, presents the action as a team event reminiscent of the Avengers, and once again Loki—who was quite popular with audiences—makes an appearance."
Also in July, Gameloft announced that a mobile video game titled, Thor the Dark World: The Official Game, would be released in conjunction with the release of the film in November.
In August 2013, Disney announced plans to promote the film with an attraction at Disneyland. The attraction called Thor: Treasures of Asgard, located next to the Stark Industries exhibit inside Innoventions in Tomorrowland, opened on November 1, 2013 and features displays of Asgardian relics and transports guests to Odin's throne room, where they are greeted by Thor.
The eighth episode of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., titled "The Well", takes place in the aftermath of the events of Thor: The Dark World. It first aired on November 19, 2013.
Thor: The Dark World (2013) directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2011's Thor and the eighth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Budget $170 million
Box office $644.8 million
Home MediaThor: The Dark World was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for digital download on February 4, 2014 and on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on February 25, 2014. The physical media release includes deleted scenes, extended scenes, a gag reel, audio commentary by the cast and crew, and a Marvel One-Shot short film entitled All Hail the King.
SequelCertain elements at the end of The Dark World hint at a direction for a possible third film, "We definitely have a story we'd like to tell" (Feige). On October 28, 2014, the film was given the title Thor: Ragnarok, as well as a release date of July 28, 2017. Hemsworth and Hiddleston are set to reprise their roles as Thor and Loki, respectively.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)Marketing
At the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International, some footage that had been shot in the previous week was shown at the San Diego Convention Centre.
The first television advertisement aired during Super Bowl XLV on the Fox network in the United States. Paramount paid $3 million to run the 30-second advertisement. The first full trailer was released in March 2011.
In June 2011, Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins teamed with Marvel to search for real-life super-soldiers. The contest sought nominations for veterans or active U.S. servicepersons making a difference where they live or serve.
In February 2011, Marvel Comics launched the eight-issue digital comic Captain America: First Vengeance, on the same day as the first trailer aired.
Sega announced a video game tie-in titled Captain America: Super Soldier, that was released in 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS. Marvel released the mobile game, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, in July 2011. A toy line was released as well.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) directed by Joe Johnston, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the fifth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Budget $140 million
Box office $370.6 million
Home MediaCaptain America: The First Avenger was released on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD on October 25, 2011. Both sets include over an hour of bonus material, including the short film A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer, a sneak peek of The Avengers, six behind-the-scenes featurettes, and deleted scenes with commentary. In its first week of release, Captain America: The First Avenger topped the Blu-ray and DVD sales charts, selling 1.54 million Blu-ray units and 726,000 DVD units and making a combined total of $52.6 million.
The film was also to be collected in a 10-disc box set titled Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled which includes all of the "Phase One" films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)Production
Trent Opaloch, was brought in as the director of photography. Opaloch stated that while attempting to emulate the 1970s thrillers that served as inspiration for the writers and directors, the staging and lighting tried to bring realism through "classic framing and naturalistic lighting", and the filming was done with hand-held cameras. To achieve this, Opaloch used Arri Alexa Plus 4:3 cameras with Panavision anamorphic lenses and Codex Digital recorders. In contrast to the quick editing and moving cameras of modern action films, The Winter Soldier aimed to feature longer action scenes that felt more visceral and dangerous.
Marketing In July 2013, Marvel Studios released a teaser poster depicting a damaged and discoloured Captain
America shield. The Los Angeles Times said, "the image suggests that [Captain America] might see some serious battle in the sequel" while Rolling Stone said, "the image hints at darker themes in the sequel". Later that month, Marvel Studios head held a panel at 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International and presented footage from the film. In addition, Marvel had booths depicting a Smithsonian-type exhibit showing Captain America and the Howling Commandos from Captain America: The First Avenger.
Home mediaCaptain America: The Winter Soldier was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for digital download on August 19, 2014 and on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and DVD on September 9, 2014. The physical media releases include behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel.
In September 2013, Marvel announced that it is again partnering with Harley-Davidson, continuing their relationship from Captain America: The First Avenger, with Captain America riding the company's Softail Breakout motorcycle in the film.
In October 2013, Marvel released the first trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The trailer received 23.5 million views in the 24 hours after its release.
In November 2013, Jed Whedon, the co-creator of the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., said that there are plans to reference events from the film into the show.
In January 2014, Disney announced that in honour of the film, Captain America would be making appearances at Disneyland. The meet and greet experience opened March 7, 2014 and is called Captain America: The Living Legend and Symbol of Courage, located at Innoventions in Tomorrowland.
Also in January, Marvel Comics released a prelude digital comic titled, Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier Infinite Comic.
The first televised advertisement for Captain America: The Winter Soldier aired during Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney paid over $4 million per 30-second spot.
Also in February, Gameloft announced that a mobile video game, titled Captain America: The Winter Soldier – The Official Game, would be released in conjunction with the release of the film in late March 2014 for iOS and Android platforms.
A few days later General Motors announced that Chevrolet partnered with Marvel Entertainment and provided a specially designed Corvette Stingray C7 for use by the Black Widow in the film. The vehicle debuted at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, where fans received limited-edition Captain America comic books.
Later in the month, a 30-second television spot received "a lot of attention on social media" for a line featured in the clip. The line, which was said by Captain America, suggests that Nick Fury would die in the film.
In March 2014, Marvel released the Captain America Experience app that allowed fans to capture a pictures of themselves with Captain America, and let them share it on Instagram and Twitter using specific hashtags to unlock 10 early screenings of the film across the United States, which took place on March 20.
On March 18, ABC aired a one-hour television special titled, Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe, which included a sneak peek of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
SequelBy January 2014, Anthony and Joe Russo had signed on to return to direct a third instalment, which they confirmed in March 2014, with Chris Evans returning as Captain America, Kevin Feige producing, and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely returning to write the screenplay. On October 28, 2014, Marvel revealed that the
ANT-MAN (2015)
MarketingIn March 2014, ABC aired a one-hour television special titled, Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe, which included a sneak peek of Ant-Man.
In November 2014, ABC aired another one-hour television special titled, Marvel 75 Years: From Pulp to Pop!, which featured behind the scenes footage of Ant-Man.
Marvel Comics' February 2015 solicitations released in December 2014, revealed a two-issue comic tie-in, Marvel's Ant-Man Prelude, following Hank Pym as Ant-Man on a mission during the Cold War.
In January 2015, Disney officially began the film's marketing campaign by releasing a miniature "ant-sized" teaser trailer, a full-sized version of the same teaser trailer, a poster, a cover on Entertainment Weekly, and a full-length trailer during the premiere of the television series, Agent Carter. Scott Mendelson of Forbes, said "It was darn-clever for Disney to put out a miniature 'can't see anything without a microscope' version of the now-standard trailer for the trailer. I sighed just a little when they 'gave in' and released a human-sized version, realizing that Disney had just released what amounted to a teaser to a teaser to a trailer... But nonetheless, credit where credit is due, Disney was able to turn a single theatrical trailer into three separate news drops in about five days."
The trailer generated 29 million views worldwide in three days, the third largest viewership for a Marvel Studios film, behind trailers for Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Ant-Man (2015) directed by Peyton Reed is based on the Marvel Comics characters Scott Lang and Hank Pym. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the twelfth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Lang must help defend Dr. Pym's Ant-Man technology and plot a heist with worldwide ramifications.
In September 2013, Marvel announced that it is again partnering with Harley-Davidson, continuing their relationship from Captain America: The First Avenger, with Captain America riding the company's Softail Breakout motorcycle in the film.
In October 2013, Marvel released the first trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The trailer received 23.5 million views in the 24 hours after its release.
In November 2013, Jed Whedon, the co-creator of the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., said that there are plans to reference events from the film into the show.
In January 2014, Disney announced that in honour of the film, Captain America would be making appearances at Disneyland. The meet and greet experience opened March 7, 2014 and is called Captain America: The Living Legend and Symbol of Courage, located at Innoventions in Tomorrowland.
Also in January, Marvel Comics released a prelude digital comic titled, Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier Infinite Comic.
The first televised advertisement for Captain America: The Winter Soldier aired during Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney paid over $4 million per 30-second spot.
Also in February, Gameloft announced that a mobile video game, titled Captain America: The Winter Soldier – The Official Game, would be released in conjunction with the release of the film in late March 2014 for iOS and Android platforms.
A few days later General Motors announced that Chevrolet partnered with Marvel Entertainment and provided a specially designed Corvette Stingray C7 for use by the Black Widow in the film. The vehicle debuted at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, where fans received limited-edition Captain America comic books.
Later in the month, a 30-second television spot received "a lot of attention on social media" for a line featured in the clip. The line, which was said by Captain America, suggests that Nick Fury would die in the film.
In March 2014, Marvel released the Captain America Experience app that allowed fans to capture a pictures of themselves with Captain America, and let them share it on Instagram and Twitter using specific hashtags to unlock 10 early screenings of the film across the United States, which took place on March 20.
On March 18, ABC aired a one-hour television special titled, Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe, which included a sneak peek of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
SequelBy January 2014, Anthony and Joe Russo had signed on to return to direct a third instalment, which they confirmed in March 2014, with Chris Evans returning as Captain America, Kevin Feige producing, and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely returning to write the screenplay. On October 28, 2014, Marvel revealed that the
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE (2012)
Marvel discussed their plans in a brief presentation to Wall Street analysts; the studio's intention was to release individual films for the main characters—to establish their identities and familiarize audiences with them—before merging the characters together in a crossover film
Marketing In August 2011, Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios and Marvel Studios presented a look at Walt
Disney Studios' upcoming film slate, which included The Avengers, at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California] Later in August, Disney dismissed Marvel's executive vice president of worldwide marketing, vice president of worldwide marketing and manager of worldwide marketing to bring their functions in-house.
The first full-length trailer was also released in October. The trailer, which debuted exclusively on iTunes Movie Trailers, was downloaded over 10 million times in its first 24 hours, breaking the website's record for the most-viewed trailer. The theatrical trailers of The Avengers appeared with many films, including Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, 21 Jump Street and The Hunger Games.
Marvel's Avengers Assemble (2012) directed by Joss Whedon, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sixth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the film, Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor to form a team that must stop Thor's brother Loki from subjugating Earth
Budget $220 million
Box office $1.518 billion
Home MediaThe film was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and digital download on September 25, 2012 in the United States and as early as August 29, 2012 in various international markets.
Upon its first week of release on home media in the U.S., the film topped the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks overall disc sales, as well as the dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart with 72% of unit sales coming from Blu-ray, a record for a new release in which both the DVD and Blu-ray formats were released simultaneously.
In January 2012, Marvel Studios held a global Twitter chat. The 30-minute live tweeting event featured writer/director Joss Whedon, cast members Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston and Clark Gregg and a 10-second tease of the 30-second Super Bowl commercial that would air during Super Bowl XLVI in February. According to the Los Angeles Times, Disney paid an estimated $4 million for the 30-second spot.
In December 2011, Marvel announced that an eight-issue comic-book prelude to the film. In February 2012, Marvel announced the release of a second limited series comic book tie-in, Black Widow
Paul Gitter, Marvel Entertainment's president of consumer products, commented that the build-up to the film helped strengthen retail partnerships: "Retailers have been less tolerant with [intellectual property] films, so we decided that if we started on this coordinated strategy several years ago, retailers would give us shelf space throughout the years and we would have a more sustainable position in the marketplace".
In September 2011, set photos of Robert Downey Jr. driving a new model Acura were published online. An Acura spokesperson later released a statement confirming the company's involvement with the film, "As you may know, Acura has been in the Marvel Comics Universe films as the official car of their fictional law enforcement agency called S.H.I.E.L.D. That relationship continues for The Avengers.” In December 2011, Acura announced that a new NSX styled along the lines of the concept built for The Avengers would be unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. A series of 10 S.H.I.E.L.D. SUVs, based on the Acura MDX with modifications by Cinema Vehicle Services, were also made for the film.
In February 2012, it was announced that Marvel has partnered with fragrance company JADS to promote The Avengers with character-based fragrances. The announcement was just ahead of the Toy Industry Association's annual February exhibition, where representatives held a sampling booth of the products. Other promotional partners include bracelet-maker Colantotte, Dr Pepper, Farmers Insurance, Harley-Davidson, Hershey, Land O'Frost lunchmeats, Oracle, Red Baron pizza, Symantec, Visa and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. In total, Marvel and its parent-company Disney secured an estimated $100 million in worldwide marketing support for the film. Notable exclusions include Baskin-Robbins, Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts, who had partnered with Marvel in the past when their films were distributed by Paramount. Disney does not generally promote through fast food outlets.
A video game based on the film was planned for concurrent release. The game was to be a first-person shooter/brawler for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and Microsoft Windows and published by THQ, with THQ Studio Australia developing the console versions and Blue Tongue Entertainment the PC version. After THQ closed both studios, the game was cancelled. Intellectual property rights for an Avengers video game reverted to Marvel, which said it was exploring potential publishing and licensing opportunities.
In May 2012, Ubisoft and Marvel Entertainment announced that they were partnering to develop a motion-controlled game titled Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth for the Wii U and Xbox 360 Kinect. The game was inspired by the "Secret Invasion" storyline and features 20 different characters.
Marvel also announced a four-chapter mobile game titled Avengers Initiative, with one chapter focusing on each of Hulk, Captain America, Thor and Iron Man.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)
MusicIn February 2014, Gunn revealed that the film would incorporate songs from the 1960s and 1970s, such as "Hooked on a Feeling", on a mixtape in Quill's Walkman
Three albums were released by Hollywood Records on July 29, 2014: The film's score, Guardians of the Galaxy (Original Score),
which features the music composed by Bates for the film; Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), which comprises the twelve songs from Quill's mixtape; and a deluxe edition featuring both albums. By August 2014, the album which mirrored Quill's mixtape had reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first soundtrack album in history consisting entirely of previously released songs to top the chart. Hollywood Records also released a cassette version of the Awesome Mix Vol. 1 soundtrack on November 28, 2014, as an exclusive to Record Store Day participants. The cassette, which is the first cassette Disney Music Group has released since 2003, comes with a digital download version of the album.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) directed by James Gunn, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the tenth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill forms an uneasy alliance with a group of extra-terrestrial misfits who are fleeing after stealing a powerful artefact.
Budget $195.9 million
Box office $774.2 million
Home MediaGuardians of the Galaxy was released for digital download by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on November 18, 2014 and on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and DVD on November 24, 2014, in the United Kingdom .The digital and Blu-ray releases include behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and an exclusive preview of Avengers: Age of Ultron. As of January 23, 2015, the film has since earned over $110.5 million in sales in the US.
Production
The White Desert in Farafra, Egypt was the inspiration for the planet Morag, while the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore helped inspire Xandar.
Marketing At Disney's D23 Expo in August 2013, Feige presented footage first revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con in
July 2013.
The first trailer for the film debuted on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on February 18, 2014. Social media response to the trailer was strong, with 88,000 mentions across Twitter, Facebook and various blogs in a 12-hour period. The trailer received 22.8 million views in the 24 hours after it debuted.
After the debut of the trailer, Blue Swede's version of "Hooked on a Feeling", which was prominently used throughout the trailer, went up 700% in sales the following day.
Also in March, ABC aired a one-hour television special titled, Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe, which included a sneak peek of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Starting in April 2014, a two-part comic was released, titled Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude.
In July 2014, Marvel launched a viral marketing campaign for the film called "Galaxy Getaways", a fictional travel website that allows users to book passage to some of the planets depicted in the film.
In June 2014, Mike Pasciullo, senior VP of Marvel Studios, described the marketing approach for Guardians of the Galaxy by saying that Marvel had "built a robust marketing program for the theatrical release that carefully integrates traditional advertising, social media, digital marketing, strategic promotional partnerships, organic entertainment integrations [and] publicity."
Beginning July 4, 2014, a sneak peek of the film was presented at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios in the Magic Eye and ABC Sound Studio theatres, respectively. Approximately 14 minutes of the film was screened on July 7, 2014, in IMAX 3D in the United States, and 3D theaters and IMAX 3D in Canada, along with two trailers. The screening was met with positive reviews, praising the humour, the 3D and IMAX conversion, and Cooper's portrayal of Rocket. However, it was criticized for beginning partway through the film, not allowing viewers to easily acclimate to the film's tone,and for how the general audience might respond to a film within the MCU without established characters making appearances.
On July 17, 2014, Disney Interactive released an action RPG video game titled Guardians of the Galaxy: The Universal Weapon for iOS, Android and Windows devices.
On August 14, Marvel released the scene of Groot dancing, which was shortly followed by an announcement from Funko that they were releasing a toy "Dancing Groot". The Hollywood Reporter noted that the quick release of the scene from Marvel two weeks after the film's theatrical release, along with the rush announcement from Funko, indicated the popularity of both the character and the scene. The scene also produced the word "grooting", coined by Michael Rooker, in which a person dances similar to Groot, with the word entering the social media lexicon.
Merchandise In June 2012, Marvel filed eleven trademark applications for Guardians of the Galaxy, covering a variety of
consumer products, from video games to cosmetics. Disney Consumer Products partnered with Mad Engine, C-Life, New Era, Hasbro, Disguise, Rubies, Sideshow Collectibles, Lego, KIDdesigns, iHome, Funko, Freeze, Fast Forward, and Innovative Designs to produce merchandise for the film, with releases starting in June 2014. Mad Engine and C-Life were partnered as the core apparel outfitters, producing a line of T-shirts and fleece jackets, while New Era produced headwear and hats. Hasbro produced toys for the film; Disguise and Rubies produced the costumes; and Sideshow Collectibles was given charge of the collectibles. Lego announced three toy sets based on scenes from the film, while iHome created character speakers, Funko made vinyl bobble heads, Freeze crafted 1980s-inspired apparel, and backpacks and stationery were made by Fast Forward and Innovative Designs.
Despite first films in a potential new franchise usually being off-limits to licensees, Marvel used Iron Man 's success as evidence of unknown characters becoming hits with audiences to attract partnerships. Licensees embraced Rocket as the film's potential breakout character, with Drax and Gamora being used for older demographics; Star-Lord’s obsession with 1980s nostalgia, including his "Awesome Mix Vo. 1" cassette, has also served as a focal point to craft products around. In August 2014, Funko announced a toy based on "Dancing Groot",while in October 2014, Marvel and KID designs announced a replica of dancing Groot, for release in December 2014.
In December 2014, Disney made a second marketing push, to coincide with the film's home media release with additional merchandise. Merchandise partners included: KID designs with its replica dancing Groot; Funko’s Fabrikations line with a plush Rocket; Mattel’s Hot Wheels character cars; C-Life, Hybrid-Jem Sportswear, Freeze, MZ Berger, Accutime, AME and Her Universe with apparel; ThinkGeek with jewelry and watches; American Greetings with cards; Jay Franco with homegoods; and Vandor with drinkware. Additional partners included Mad Engine, Just Play and Dragon Models. Paul Gitter, senior vice president of Marvel licensing at Disney Consumer Products said, "The demand for Guardians of the Galaxy merchandise has been truly out of this world. Our merchandising and retail partners are doing a tremendous job of providing creative and innovative ways for fans to continue interacting with these popular characters and showcase their fandom year round."
IRON MAN 2 (2010)
Marketing At the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, a five-minute trailer
for the movie was shown. Actors portraying Stark Industries recruiters handed out business cards with an invitation to apply.
A website for Stark Industries went online, with an attached graphic of a "napkin memo" from Stark to Potts announcing that Stark Industries no longer made weapons. Promotional partners included Symantec, Dr Pepper, Burger King, 7 Eleven, Audi, LG Electronics and Hershey.
Prior to the film release, Marvel Comics released a four issue miniseries comic book titled Iron Man vs Whiplash, which introduced the film's version of Whiplash into the Marvel Universe. A three issue prequel miniseries titled Iron Man 2: Public Identity was released in April.
An Iron Man 2 video game was released by Sega on May 4, 2010 in North America, The Wii version was developed by High Voltage Software and all console versions were published by Sega, while Gameloft published the mobile game. The game received generally unfavourable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 41% for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.
Iron Man 2 directed by Jon Favreau, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, and is the third instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set six months after the events of Iron Man, Tony Stark has revealed his identity as Iron Man and is resisting calls by the United States government to hand over the technology while also combating his declining health from the arc reactor in his chest. Meanwhile, rogue Russian scientist Ivan Vanko has developed the same technology and built weapons of his own in order to pursue a vendetta against the Stark family, in the process joining forces with Stark's business rival, Justin Hammer.
Budget $200 million
Box office $623.9 million
Home media On September 28, 2010, the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
The film is also collected in a 10-disc box set titled Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled which will include all of the "Phase One" films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
IRON MAN 3 (2013)
Marketing The first television advertisement aired during Super
Bowl XLVII on the CBS network in the United States.
On March 25, 2013, Marvel and Disney revealed on the official Iron Man Facebook page, "Iron Man 3: Armour Unlock," to reveal suits Stark has made before the events
of the film.
In January 2013, Marvel Comics released a two-issue comic book prelude by writers Christos Gage and Will Corona Pilgrimi.
Audi again provided product placement with various vehicles. Oracle also returned from Iron Man 2, showcasing both the Oracle Cloud and the Oracle Exadata server. Verizon FiOS and TCL's flat panel televisions and Alcatel One Touch smartphones are also featured in the film. Promotional deals were arranged with Subway and the Schwan Food Company, and tie-ins included Lego sets, Hasbro action figures, and a mobile phone game by Gameloft.
Disney also promoted the film at its domestic theme parks. Disneyland's Innoventions attraction received a Stark Industries exhibit beginning April 13, and Monorail Black of the Walt Disney World Monorail System was given an exterior Iron Man scheme.
In addition, there is a simulator game, titled "Become Iron Man," that uses Kinect-like technology to allow the viewer to be encased in an animated Mark XLII armour and take part in a series of "tests,” in which you fire repulsor rays and fly through Tony Stark's workshop
Ironman 3 directed by Shane Black, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the seventh instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tony Stark tries to recover from posttraumatic stress disorder caused by the events of The Avengers, while investigating a terrorist organization led by the mysterious Mandarin.
Budget $200 million
Box office $1.2 billion
Home MediaIron Man 3 was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in digital download form on September 3, 2013. This was followed by the film's release on Blu-ray disc, 3D Blu-ray, DVD, digital copy and on demand on September 24, 2013. As of January 31, 2014, Iron Man 3 is the eighth best-selling DVD of 2013, earning more than $79 million in sales in the US
Avengers Age of Ultron (2015)
Post-production In February 2014, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) announced plans to
open a facility in London, citing Avengers: Age of Ultron as a catalyst for the expansion.
ILM developed a new motion capture system for the film called Muse, which can better capture the actor's performance and combine different takes. About the motion capture process, Rufallo said,
"We've done a lot more with the motion capture. And because the face capture and the motion capture can now be put together, you get a lot more latitude as a performer... instead of it just being basically a place holder for CGI, it becomes more of a collaboration. And the actor really can add performance to it. Now the technology is taking another step forward... a lot of importance is put on the first unit, but now they're starting to look at motion capture in a equal sort of way... And so I see the motion capture as this incredible new place for us to go in performance that we never had before that's kind of a puppeteering. You know, you're no longer constricted by the attributes that you have as a person: your age, or weight, or size. None of that matters anymore. And so there's this whole exciting place to go that is kind of unknown."
In June 2014, the IMAX Corporation announced that the IMAX release of the film will be converted to IMAX 3D.
Marketing At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International, Joss Whedon introduced a teaser trailer for the film, which
included a look at an Ultron helmet and a title treatment.
Avengers: Age of Ultron directed by Joss Whedon, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is intended to be the sequel to 2012's Marvel's The Avengers and the eleventh instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avengers must work together to defeat Ultron, a technological enemy bent on human extinction.
On March 18, 2014, ABC aired a one-hour television special titled, Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe, which included a sneak peek of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Harley-Davidson partnered with Marvel to provide their first electric motorcycle, Project LiveWire, for use by Black Widow in the film.
Avengers: Age of Ultron received the second most amount of social media mentions at the convention, following Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but had a higher intend-to-see response.
The first trailer was scheduled to premiere during the airing of an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on October 28, 2014. However, on October 22, the trailer leaked online, and within a few hours Marvel officially released the trailer on YouTube.
Entertainment Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter noted the effective use of the song "I've Got No Strings" from Pinocchio (1940) in the trailer. Scott Mendelson of Forbes felt the trailer was "such a textbook 'dark sequel' trailer that it borders on parody" but said, "it's a pretty spectacular piece of marketing, one that elevates itself both by the music choices and by James Spader's vocals as the title villain". The trailer received 34.3 million global views in 24 hours, 26.2 million from Marvel's YouTube channel, which broke the previous record held by Iron Man 3 with 23.14 million views. In comparison, the original Avengers teaser received 20.4 million views in 24 hours after its debut. In response, Marvel agreed to air footage from Age of Ultron during the episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that was originally scheduled to premiere the trailer. At the end of October, Marvel Comic's Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso stated there are comic tie-in plans for the film.
In November 2014, ABC aired another one-hour television special titled Marvel 75 Years: From Pulp to Pop!, which featured behind the scenes footage of Age of Ultron.
In November, an extended trailer debuted on Samsung Mobile's YouTube channel, featuring product placement for various Samsung devices.
In January 2015, a featurette focused on Ultron was shown at Samsung's "Night With Marvel" event at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Also at CES, Samsung revealed a selection of hardware inspired by the Avengers films, as well as a simulation of Avengers Tower via its Gear VR virtual reality device.
A second trailer premiered on ESPN on January 12, 2015 during the broadcast of the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. Mendelson enjoyed the trailer, but wished it did not reveal as many story elements as it did. However, he added, "the marketing thus far [for the film] has been far superior too [sic] much of what sold The Avengers three years ago, both in terms of the specific footage and the artistic choices being made... I'm sold, and I imagine most of the general moviegoers are already onboard too."
Following the November 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures' computers, emails between Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal and president Doug Belgrad were released, stating that Marvel wanted to include Spider-Man (whose film rights were owned by Sony) in the film. However, discussions between Sony and Marvel broke down, with Sony planning to continue with its already planned slate of Spider-Man films.
