Marvel

Marvel refers to Marvel Entertainment, LLC, an American media company best known for Marvel Comics, its long-running line of superhero comics and the broader media properties it develops and licenses. Through its publishing, film and television units and licensing operations, Marvel produces content across comics, film, television, video games, and consumer products. The Marvel brand centers on a shared universe of characters and settings, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four.

Founded in 1939 as Timely Publications by Martin Goodman, the company went through Atlas Comics and adopted Marvel Comics in 1961. Under editors and artists such as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, Marvel popularized interconnected, character-driven superhero storytelling and introduced a roster of enduring heroes and mythologies. The publisher expanded into other genres and licensing, building a global audience.

Marvel Studios, a film studio division, leads the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with Iron Man (2008) and expanding into numerous interconnected films and series across cinemas and streaming. Marvel Entertainment has grown into a major multimedia company with films, television, video games, licensing, and themed entertainment.

Since 2009, Marvel has been a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, a deal that expanded its production capabilities and distribution. Marvel's influence lies in its large cast of iconic characters, ongoing cross-media storytelling, and its role in shaping modern franchise filmmaking and comic publishing.