As of now, we are barely three months away from the release of Big Hero 6, Disney’s first animated film based on a Marvel Comics property, so it comes as no surprise that we are getting more information as we edge near the month of November. This new bit of news, however, may (or may not) come as a surprise for those who think the film may herald the rebirth of the team in comic-book form.
Yesterday, In an article from The Hollywood Reporter, it’s been confirmed that Marvel has officially all but distanced itself from the film.
In addition to not having their name attached to the upcoming film, Marvel currently has no plans for reprints of any of the existing comics or character/team appearances in current or future Marvel titles.
As THR notes, the reason for this drastic downplaying of Marvel’s involvement seems to be a largely financial decision.
The following quote from Marvel’s executive editor Tom Brevoort (taken from his Tumblr) seems to suggest that Marvel only prioritizes in promoting properties that they have complete control over:
“If you had two things, and on one you earned 100% of the revenues from the efforts that you put into making it, and the other you earned a much smaller percentage for the same amount of time and effort, you’d be more likely to concentrate more heavily on the first, wouldn’t you?”
While the reasons given are understandable, it does come off as a bit odd, as people noted that the Big Hero 6 trailers shown before Guardians Of The Galaxy briefly flash up a title card that said something to the effect of ‘Inspired by the Marvel comic’. Could that just be a case of coincidental marketing?
In any case, it’s clear that Marvel is very much leaving the film to stand on its own terms. Again, it is loosely inspired by the Marvel property that’s rather on the obscure side, on top of being one of Disney’s more riskier bets to date (they have been actively counteracting this fact by relying on the humor and cute factor of Baymax in recent promotional materials).
Who knows, Marvel could very well change their tune depending on how well-received the movie is. Only time will tell.
Big Hero 6 lands in theaters on November 7.
