There's no question adaptations of Marvel Comics characters are the most massive blockbusters of today. Just look at the highest grossing movies of 2018 – superheroes absolutely dominated, between the record-breaking successes of Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Venom. While the movies may be thriving, Disney has seen a drop in revenue for Marvel Comics.
So when a panel at South By Southwest (SXSW) called "Marvel: From Comics To Screens" -- hosted by Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski and Chief Creative Officer Joe Queseda -- was recently announced, Bleeding Cool published a take that perhaps the Marvel executives were holding the panel to "make the case" to Disney of the importance of Marvel Comics at a time when "they add little value to the budget on their own."
The article led to sites and social media fanning the flames of the rumor, with headlines such as "Disney Shutting Down Marvel Comics?" and tweets explaining there is no MCU without the comics. Joe Queseda has now taken to his Twitter to comment on the rumor, with these words:
Must be a slow news day. Ladies and gents I give you the dumbest comics conspiracy of the week. Sometimes a panel is just a panel.
There you have it, from the Marvel’s chief creative officer – no, Disney is not pulling the plug on Marvel Comics. You can imagine the backlash the company would receive if it suddenly shut down the publisher that influenced the upcoming Captain Marvel movie, along with the many other films, television shows and video games influenced by Marvel Comics.
Disney closing the comic publisher would also be a huge slap in the face to the late Stan Lee’s legacy. Lee recently passed in November after dedicating much of his life to building the publishing company up into the massive brand it is today.
While it is true that comic book revenue is down lately in comparison to other media properties dedicated to telling stories, many would say without the continuation of Marvel Comics, it would stunt the growth of the other mediums based on it. So Joe Queseda’s comments about it being “dumb†are certainly in line.
During the upcoming Marvel Comics panel at SWSW in Austin, Texas, the two executives will be leading an hour-long "interactive discussion about the history and landscape of Marvel Comics," and talking about how their storylines have contributed to popular culture through games, movie and television.
The annual festival will also see the world premiere of Jordan Peele’s second horror film Us, starring Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Elisabeth Moss on March 8, before its theatrical release on March 22. Bookmark CinemaBlend's 2019 movie schedule for updates on everything opening in theaters this year.
