Fox, Sony, and Universal have been holding onto various Marvel characters, which has caused Marvel Studios to battle with rights concerns ever since the MCU was first launched. All of this dates back to a time when Marvel was having financial issues and sold the film rights to the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Namor.

Two MCU superheroes still have their licenses secured at Universal, despite the fact that Marvel Studios has resolved many of its rights disputes through its Sony agreement and the acquisition of Fox.

Official information regarding the present state of Universal’s Marvel rights has been made available to the public, indicating that two Marvel characters are sadly still slipping Disney and Marvel Studios’ grasp and preventing them from working on specific projects.

Hulk And Namor Are Still Owned By Universal

According to a recent report, the use of Hulk and Namor in the MCU is restricted because Universal still owns the rights to them. According to Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore, who made the revelation in the reports, for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the character had to be “borrowed,” just like the Hulk has in the past.

The MCU would not include Namor because Universal had the rights, according to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige’s 2013 announcement. However, by 2018, the MCU president had changed his tune and expressed his conviction that “there’s a way to probably sort it out” to allow the marine anti-hero to join the MCU.

Similar complications with Hulk have affected the entire Marvel Studios, as Universal has restricted him from appearing in his own stand-alone film or TV series since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, which Universal released.

How Would A Stand-Alone Namor Or Hulk Project Happen

Marvel Studios might make a standalone Namor film or its rumored World War Hulk movie. Disney, however, would not be permitted to distribute it; instead, Universal would be responsible for doing so. Universal would then be entitled to a portion of the revenue, giving Kevin Feige and company many reasons not to bother.

However, Feige only hinted at the idea of Namor getting his own solo project last month, saying that it would depend on how Wakanda Forever was received. In light of the claims that the studio is already engaged in a Hulk project, it is possible that the studio is about to acquire the rights.