Since acquiring Marvel in 2009, The Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) has enjoyed the success of the brand across several sectors including streaming.
Disney doesn’t have all the Marvel content under one roof yet, though.
What Happened: Disney recently regained the rights to six Marvel shows that previously aired on streaming rival Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX).
The six Marvel Defender shows have caused some controversy as the first TV-MA shows to appear on the Disney+ streaming platform.
Despite getting these Marvel properties back and being the home of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Disney+ will be missing one movie from the original Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“The Incredible Hulk,” which was the second movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is coming to HBO Max. The movie will hit the streaming platform owned by AT&T Inc (NYSE:T) on April 1.
The movie was released in 2008 between the first two Iron Man movies. The Hulk character was later recast and would go on to be part of the Avengers movies and several other Marvel movies.
Universal Pictures, which is owned by Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:CMCSA), has the rights to “The Incredible Hulk.”
Related Link: Is X-Men Finally Joining The Marvel Cinematic Universe, What It Could Mean For Disney
Why It’s Important: Due to licensing rights signed before Disney acquired the Marvel franchise, it has been hard for Disney to get all of the Marvel shows and movies onto one streaming platform.
Getting the rights to the Marvel original shows that were part of the Netflix platform was seen as a major win for Disney, as it can also include those characters in future movies and shows.
Disney has a partnership with Sony Group Corp (NYSE:SONY), which owns the movie rights to Spider-Man. While the two share the character across movies, the Spider-Man movies are not on Disney+.
The three newest Spider-Man movies are home on Hulu, Netflix and to be released on Starz, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE:LGFA) (NYSE:LGFB).
DIS Price Action: Disney shares are down 0.74% to $138.99 midday Wednesday.
