Marvel Entertainment Disney announced an agreement on Aug. 31, 2009, to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. in a reported $4 billion deal. Marvel’s strong global brand includes a library of 5,000 characters such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four, and Thor. Marvel CEO Isaac (Ike) Perlmutter will continue to oversee the brand. The acquisition was completed on Dec. 31, 2009, after acceptance by Marvel stockholders. Disney took over Paramount Pictures’ entire marketing and distribution deal with Marvel on June 30, 2013, including rights to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger.
Disney has released the following Marvel theatrical films, which, in addition to five titles produced and distributed outside Disney (and for which distribution rights were purchased in subsequent years), comprise what is called the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
1. Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)
2. Iron Man 3 (2013)
3. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
5. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
6. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
7. Ant-Man (2015)
8. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
9. Doctor Strange (2016)
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
11. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
12. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
13. Black Panther (2018)
14. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
15: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
16: Captain Marvel (2019)
17: Avengers: Endgame (2019)