Fox Sets Release Dates for Two Secret Marvel Movies; Pushes ‘Kingsman 2’ to October 2017

In addition to moving up the release date of Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated Prometheus follow-up >Alien: Covenant from August 2017 to May 2017, 20th Century Fox also shuffled another film and set release dates for a pair of unspecified Fox/Marvel movies. First the known: the sequel >Kingsman: The Golden Circle has been pushed out of the Summer 2017 corridor from its previous release date of June 16, 2017, and will now open in theaters on October 6, 2017. That’s quite a different landscape as the film will now be squaring off directly with the sequel >Blade Runner: 2049, but one imagines Fox will be playing up the action-comedy angle of the Kingsman follow-up in contrast to Denis Villeneuve’s sure-to-be serious tone for the Blade Runner sequel. Still, that’s one heck of a choice you’re asking the audience to make, and one wonders if Blade Runner might shift a bit in the wake of this news.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is no half-assed follow-up either, as Matthew Vaughn returns to direct with an all-star cast that includes returning members Taron Egerton and Colin Firth alongside newcomers Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, and Elton John. The first movie opened in February 2015 and grossed $414.3 million worldwide, which is incredibly solid for an R-rated action romp. I’ll be interested to see if the sequel can find similar success in the fall season.

>

Image via 20th Century Fox

The October 6, 2017 release was actually previously occupied by an untitled Fox/Marvel film, which many believed was pegged for >Gambit. Filming on that X-Men spinoff starring Channing Tatum was supposed to begin in Fall 2015, but the project subsequently lost two directors and is undergoing script rewrites, so the delays plus the fact that it still has no director makes that October 2017 date impossible.

But not to fearâ€"Fox is still bullish on churning out features based on the Marvel properties it owns the rights to, as the studio has now dated Untitled Fox/Marvel films for release on November 2, 2018 and February 14, 2019. One of these dates could be for >Deadpool 2, which just landed John Wick co-director David Leitch to take the helm after Tim Miller dropped out over creative differences with star Ryan Reynolds. This sequel is a priority for Fox given that the first filmâ€"a modestly budgeted R-rated superhero movieâ€"grossed an insane $782.6 million worldwide. Production is expected to begin sometime next year as casting was well underway when Miller left, so really Deadpool 2 could be ready for release either in November 2018 or February 2019. It depends on how long Fox wants to wait and what kind of launch they want to give the follow-up. Deadpool surpassed all expectations with some solid counter-programming over the Valentine’s Day weekend of this year, so they could simply follow the same formula and release on Valentine’s Day 2019. Or the film could get a splashy holiday season superhero debut in November.

>

Image via 20th Century Fox

Or, what’s more likely, Deadpool 2 could take the previously announced March 2, 2018 “Untitled Fox/Marvel Film” release date and February 14, 2019 is being eyed for the >Deadpool 3/X-Force movie that’s already in the works. Fox is reportedly already trying to nail down a director for >Deadpool 3, so the timeline would work out so that Deadpool 2 shoots in 2017 for a 2018 release and Deadpool 3/X-Force shoots in 2018 for a 2019 release.

That November 2, 2018 date is currently home to Disney’s live-action Mulan as well as an untitled Paramount Event Film, which is likely a Transformers movie. February 14, 2019, meanwhile, is currently empty.

So if one of these movies is Deadpool 3, what’s the other one? The most likely candidate is >New Mutants, which has Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) writing and directing and is planned as a YA-skewing X-Men spinoff. Or it could be Gambit, if that movie finally gets off the ground. The main X-Men franchise is at a bit of an impasse as writer/producer Simon Kinberg is expected to try and jump-start things after the lackluster reception of X-Men: Apocalypse, but director Bryan Singer is not returning and the contracts for Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, and James McAvoy have all been fulfilled. The plan now, reportedly, is for Kinberg to take a stab at writing a new X-Men film that assumes Lawrence, Fassbender, and McAvoy re-up their contracts, but with so many unknowns it’s unlikely that film would be ready for a November 2018 release.

"

| Sets | Release | Dates | Secret | Marvel | Movies; | Pushes | ‘Kingsman | 2’ | October | 2017 | addition | moving | release | date | Ridley | Scott’s | highly | anticipated | Prometheus | follow-up | Kingsman: | Golden | Circle | been | pushed | Summer | corridor | from | previous | June | 2017, | will | open | theaters | 2017. | That’s | quite | different | landscape | film | squaring | directly | with | sequel | Image | 20th | Century | Fox The | actually | previously | occupied | untitled | Fox/Marvel | film, | which | many | believed | pegged | Deadpool | just | landed | John | Wick | co-director | David | Leitch | take | helm | after | Miller | dropped | over | creative | differences | star | Ryan | Reynolds. | This | priority | given | that | first | filmâ€"a | modestly | budgeted | R-rated | superhero | movieâ€"grossed | insane | $782.6 | million | worldwide. | Production | expected | begin | sometime | next | year | casting | well | underway | when | left, | really | could | ready | either | November | 2018 | February | 2019. | depends | long | wants | wait | what | kind | launch | they | want | give | follow-up. | surpassed | expectations | some | solid | counter-programming | Valentine’s | weekend | this | year, | simply | follow | same | formula | splashy | holiday | season | debut | November. Deadpool | 3/X-Force | movie | that’s | already | works. | reportedly | trying | nail | down | director | timeline | would | work | shoots | 2019 | release. That | currently | home | Disney’s | live-action | Mulan | Paramount | Event | Film, | likely | Transformers | movie. | 2019, | meanwhile, | empty. So | these | movies | what’s | other | one? | most | candidate |

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BATMAN & MARVEL Rule Surprisingly Down NOVEMBER 2016 Comic Book Sales

By Michael Doran December 9, 2016 07:34am ET

Credit: DC Comics

The Dark Knight ruled the top of the comic book sales chart and Marvel's "Marvel NOW!" once again has them on top of the market share categories, but despite having five sales weeks compared to 2015's four, November sales were down against last year, but it still looks like 2016 will eek out a narrow gain over 2015 when December's sales are tallied. 

Credit: DC Comics

According to sales figures released by Diamond Comic Distributors Friday morning, Bane's return helped Batman #10 and #11 top the November comic book sales charts, in a top 10 also featuring All-Star Batman #4 (4) and Batman Annual #1 (7). Marvel's Civil War II #7 (3) was there bestselling title. 

Credit: Cliff Chiang (Image Comics)

Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang's Paper Girls Volume 2 from Image Comics was November's best-selling graphic novel. 

Despite DC dominating the top of the comic book chart and perhaps aided by six entries in the graphic novel top 10, Marvel is once again the market hate leaders after ceding the position to DC for a few months during the initial months of "Rebirth."

Their 38.08% dollar share and 39.46% unit share easily topped DC's 26.17% dollar share and 31.30% unit share. 

But despite the advantage of having an extra week, November sales lagged behind sales one year ago by 4.25%. Graphic novel sales were up versus last year a robust 21.56%, but a 12.71% deficit in comic book sales wound up pulling the month into negative territory.

November 2015 featured the strong debuts of DC’s Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 and Marvel’s Star Wars: Vader Down #1 (over 820k copies between them) so while surprising, it may simply be a matter of circumstance and not a trend.

But you can always find more insight at our friends at Comichron. 

Year-to-date 2016 still leads 2015 by 1.82% in overall sales, so it still looks like the year will likely finish up for the sixth consecutive year.

The November 2016 Market Share, Comparative Sales Data, and New Titles Shipped charts, along with Top 10 Comic Books and Top 10 Graphic Novels charts follow below.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE PUBLISHER SHARE MARVEL COMICS 38.08% DC ENTERTAINMENT 26.17% IMAGE COMICS 8.99% IDW PUBLISHING 5.23% DARK HORSE COMICS 3.65% BOOM! STUDIOS 1.98% TITAN COMICS 1.61% VIZ MEDIA 1.52% DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.40% ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS 1.01% OTHER NON-TOP 10 10.38%

UNIT MARKET SHARE PUBLISHER SHARE MARVEL COMICS 39.46% DC ENTERTAINMENT 31.30% IMAGE COMICS 9.06% IDW PUBLISHING 4.59% DARK HORSE COMICS 2.85% BOOM! STUDIOS 1.66% TITAN COMICS 1.30% DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.23% VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 1.15% ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS 1.06% OTHER NON-TOP 10 6.34%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
NOVEMBER 2016 VS. OCTOBER 2016
COMICS	-10.33%	-13.26%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	19.48%	18.91%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-2.72%	-11.35%
TOYS	28.48%	53.60%
NOVEMBER 2016 VS. NOVEMBER 2015
COMICS	-12.71%	-6.09%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	21.56%	25.78%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-4.25%	-4.15%
TOYS	-9.53%	-12.99%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2015
COMICS	1.85%	1.97%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	1.74%	0.77%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	1.82%	1.87%
TOYS	-5.60%	-8.56%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	88	44	0	132
DC ENTERTAINMENT	84	35	0	119
IDW PUBLISHING	46	25	0	71
IMAGE COMICS	50	9	1	60
DARK HORSE COMICS	28	26	0	54
VIZ MEDIA	0	45	0	45
TITAN COMICS	23	18	2	43
BOOM ENTERTAINMENT	23	8	0	31
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	25	5	0	30
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS	15	4	0	19
OTHER NON-TOP 10	136	217	30	383

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	VENDOR
1	BATMAN #10	$2.99	DC
2	BATMAN #11	$2.99	DC
3	CIVIL WAR II #7	$4.99	MAR
4	ALL STAR BATMAN #4	$4.99	DC
5	INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1	$3.99	MAR
6	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RENEW YOUR VOWS #1	$4.99	MAR
7	BATMAN ANNUAL #1	$4.99	DC
8	VENOM #1	$3.99	MAR
9	THE WALKING DEAD #160 (MR)	$2.99	IMA
10	IVX #0	$4.99	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	VENDOR
1	PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 2 TP	$12.99	IMA
2	MARVEL: THE HIP-HOP COVERS VOLUME 1 HC	$34.99	MAR
3	DC SUPER HERO GIRLS VOL. 2: HITS AND MYTHS TP	$9.99	DC
4	STAR WARS: DARTH VADER VOL. 4: END OF GAMES TP	$19.99	MAR
5	UNBELIEVABLE GWENPOOL VOL. 1: BELIEVE IT TP	$16.99	MAR
6	SANDMAN OVERTURE TP (MR)	$19.99	DC
7	DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH DELUXE EDITION HC	$17.99	DC
8	VISION VOL. 2: LITTLE BETTER THAN BEAST TP	$17.99	MAR
9	MOON KNIGHT VOLUME 1: LUNATIC TP	$15.99	MAR
10	DEADPOOL V. GAMBIT: V IS FOR VS TP	$16.99	MAR

"

| BATMAN | MARVEL | Rule | Surprisingly | Down | NOVEMBER | 2016 | Comic | Book | Sales | Michael | Doran< | span> | December | 07:34am | p> < | div> Credit: | Comics< | cite>< | div> The | Dark | Knight | ruled | comic | book | sales | chart | Marvels | Marvel | NOW! | once | again | them | market | share | categories | despite | having | five | weeks | compared | 2015s | four | November | were | down | against | last | year | still | looks | like | will | narrow | gain | over | 2015 | when | Decembers | tallied | p> < | div> Credit: | cite> According | figures | released | Diamond | Distributors | Friday | morning | Banes | return | helped | Batman | strong> | strong> top | charts | also | featuring | Star | Annual | Civil | there | bestselling | title | Cliff | Chiang | (Image | Comics)< | cite> Brian | Vaughan | Chiangs | Paper | Girls | Volume | from | Image | Comics | Novembers | best | selling | graphic | novel | p>Despite | dominating | perhaps | aided | entries | hate | leaders | after | ceding | position | months | during | initial | Rebirth | p> Their | dollar | unit | easily | topped | p> But | advantage | extra | week | lagged | behind | Graphic | versus | robust | deficit | wound | pulling | month | into | negative | territory | p> November | featured | strong | debuts | DC’s | III: | Master | Race | Marvel’s | Wars: | Vader | (over | 820k | copies | between | them) | while | surprising | simply | matter | circumstance | trend | always | find | more | insight | friends | Comichron< | p> Year | date | leads | overall | likely | finish | sixth | consecutive | p> The | 2016 Market | Share< |  Comparative | Data< | and New | Titles | Shipped < | strong>charts | along | with Top | Books< | strong> and Top | Novels< | strong> charts | follow | below | p> TOP | COMIC | BOOK | PUBLISHERS< | strong>< | p> RETAIL | MARKET | SHARE< | td> < | tr> PUBLISHER< | td> SHARE< | tr> MARVEL | COMICS< | td> 38 | 08%< | tr> DC | ENTERTAINMENT< | td> 26 | 17%< | tr> IMAGE | td> 8 | 99%< | tr> IDW | PUBLISHING< | td> 5 | 23%< | tr> DARK | HORSE | td> 3 | 65%< | tr> BOOM! | STUDIOS< | td> 1 | 98%< | tr> TITAN | 61%< | tr> VIZ | MEDIA< | 52%< | tr> DYNAMITE | 40%< | tr> ARCHIE | PUBLICATIONS< | 01%< | tr> OTHER | td> 10 | 38%< | tr>< | tbody>< | table>< | td> < | td> UNIT | td> 39 | 46%< | td> 31 | 30%< | td> 9 | 06%< | td> 4 | 59%< | td> 2 | 85%< | 66%< | tr> VALIANT | ENTERTAINMENT | LLC< | 15%< | td> 6 | 34%< | table>COMPARATIVE | SALES | STATISTICS< | p> < | td> DOLLARS< | td> UNITS< | tr> NOVEMBER | OCTOBER | 2016< | tr> COMICS< | td> | 33%< | 26%< | tr> GRAPHIC | NOVELS< | td> 19 | 48%< | td> 18 | 91%< | tr> TOTAL | COMICS | 72%< | 35%< | tr> TOYS< | td> 28 | td> 53 | 60%< | 2015< | 71%< | 09%< | td> 21 | 56%< | td> 25 | 78%< | 25%< | 53%< | tr> YEAR | DATE | YEAR | 97%< | 74%< | td> 0 | 77%< | 82%< | 87%< | table> NEW | TITLES | SHIPPED< | p> PUBLISHER< | td> COMICS | td> GRAPHIC | NOVELS | td> MAGAZINES | td> TOTAL | td> 88< | td> 44< | td> 0< | td> 132< | td> 84< | td> 35< | td> 119< | td> 46< | td> 25< | td> 71< | td> 50< | td> 9< | td> 1< | td> 60< | td> 28< | td> 26< | td> 54< | td> 45< | td> 23< | td> 18< | td> 2< | td> 43< | tr> BOOM | td> 8< | td> 31< | td> 5< | td> 30< | td> 15< | td> 4< | td> 19< | td> 136< | td> 217< | td> 383< | table> TOP | BOOKS< | p> RANK< | td> DESCRIPTION< | td> PRICE< | td> VENDOR< | tr> 1< | td> BATMAN | td> $2 | td> DC< | tr> 2< | tr> 3< | td> CIVIL | td> $4 | td> MAR< | tr> 4< | td> ALL | STAR | tr> 5< | td> INVINCIBLE | IRON | td> $3 | tr> 6< | td> AMAZING | SPIDER | MAN: | RENEW | YOUR | VOWS | tr> 7< | ANNUAL | tr> 8< | td> VENOM | tr> 9< | td> THE | WALKING | DEAD | (MR)< | td> IMA< | tr> 10< | td> IVX | table>TOP | GRAPHIC | & | TRADE | PAPERBACKS< | td> PAPER | GIRLS | VOLUME | td> $12 | td> MARVEL: | COVERS | td> $34 | td> DC | SUPER | HERO | HITS | MYTHS | td> $9 | td> STAR | WARS: | DARTH | VADER | GAMES | td> $19 | td> UNBELIEVABLE | GWENPOOL | BELIEVE | td> $16 | td> SANDMAN | OVERTURE | UNIVERSE: | REBIRTH | DELUXE | EDITION | td> $17 | td> VISION | LITTLE | BETTER | THAN | BEAST | td> MOON | KNIGHT | LUNATIC | td> $15 | td> DEADPOOL | GAMBIT: | div> |

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Cort Lane Shares the Story Behind the Delightful Marvel/Funko Pop! Animated Shorts

Marvel and Funko have collaborated to create the first-ever Funko animated shorts, which are just so charming, cute and fun that you’ll want to watch them over and over again. Each of the three shorts â€" Spellbound, Bait N Switch and Chimichangas (that last premiering December 14^th) â€" are 90 seconds in length and feature some of Marvel’s most popular superheroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Loki, Rocket, Groot, the Collector, Deadpool and Venom.

Of course, after viewing these shorts, we wanted to learn more about them and how they came about, so we got on the phone with Cort Lane, Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Animation & Family Entertainment. During the exclusive interview, we talked about how the idea for this collaboration evolved, how they decided on which characters to feature, which figures he’d like to see in future shorts, balancing the action and comedy, why they chose not to have any dialogue, and the future possibilities for these characters. He also talked about being a life-long Marvel fan, his journey to working at the company, and what’s it like to get to have a hand in developing and producing shows within the Marvel universe.

>

Image via Marvel

Collider: These shorts are just ridiculously cute and so much fun!

CORT LANE: Well, I’m glad you think so. Obviously, we feel the same. I do feel there’s really something special here.

Who came up with the idea for this partnership between Marvel and Funko, bringing to life the Marvel Funko Pop! figures?                     

LANE: This is going to sound very corporate, but I have these big summits, once or twice a year, for Marvel Animation, with all of the lines of business that we engage with and collaborate with, and we talk about what we’re doing with our franchises and our strategic plan, over the next five years. And the products people mentioned that they’re really excited about Funko, as a partner, and the aesthetic is really popular and has a huge fan base. As part of the creative conversation, we said, “Is there something that we could do there?” It brings in a broad range of Marvel fans and Funko fans, and it’s a really unique aesthetic. We’ve had a lot of luck with Marvel/Lego animated content. It drives a really huge audience because it’s special, it’s humorous, it’s different, and it’s got a unique aesthetic. We felt there was something similar, but really different here, too. Funko is even more stylized and cuter and funnier. That was earlier this year in the spring, and Funk was not only game, but they were very excited to do it, so we made it happen. Rarely do things go that well.

Anybody who has or gets one of these figures knows that you can’t just have one, as they become a bit of an addiction. Do you have a big collection of them, yourself?

LANE: I’ve just started because I’m collecting the figures in the shorts. But I have a much more expensive collective hobby, so I have to limit myself. I collect original comic art, and I have a lot of really expensive stuff from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. That limits me on starting new collections, or I’d be living in my mom’s basement.

At least they don’t take up a lot of room.

LANE: They don’t, but then you have to decide whether to leave them in the box or take them out of the box. I like to display them all together and create these scenes.

Is there criteria for deciding when to do a feature-length animated movie, a full animated series, shorts for Disney XD, or web shorts, and how did you decide how this project would be presented?

>

Image via Marvel

LANE: This was truly an experiment. The first one went live on November 30^th, and so far, the reception is huge. It’s very timely because I have another one of those big animation summits, starting on December 7^th, and I will tell all of the lines of business that we collaborate with how successful these are. And then, the conversation is really, what’s next? I think Funko is very open to it. I think there needs to be more, in some capacity. What that looks like, there’s a lot of work to do. The audience reception is phenomenal. If I’m ever having a bad day over the next several months, I’m just going to go back to the Facebook and read the comments because they’re so glowing. Fans love you, but they’re also your harshest critics, deservedly so. It’s rare when you work in a business where you create content for fans that the reception is so joyful, and that’s been kind of neat.

With so many characters to choose from, how did you decide which characters would be in these shorts?

LANE: It was really easy. It seems like it would be a hard choice, but we know the characters that are important to fans right now. As we were starting this, Deadpool had just hit really big. I love Venom and I know Venom is probably the favorite villain of most comic fans. We see that, in terms of the audience and the merchandise. Obviously, Iron Man and Spider-Man are really popular right now, and them teaming up seemed really organic because that’s a component of Civil War and everyone knows that Iron Man will appear in a new Spider-Man movie. So, those two connecting with each other and playing off of each other is important. And then, Rocket and Groot are so important for us. There’s the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel coming, and everybody loves those characters. Quite simply, it was very easy.

Are there any characters that you’re particularly looking forward to seeing or teaming up together, if you make more shorts?

LANE: That’s a really good question. I like the vibe between Hulk and Thor. That’s a big component of the next Thor film, so I think that’s one I’d like to see. I’m an old school Avengers fan, so I’m a big Hawkeye fan. I’d like to see Hawkeye playing off of either Captain America or Black Widow. I think Black Widow is the most kick-butt heroine out there, so I would like to see her, in some capacity. Those are some of my favorites, but obviously, I’m not the only decider. Funko has characters that they would like to elevate, and Marvel has characters that they would like to elevate, but there’s really no bad choices. It’s hard to pick, really. These first three shorts were the easiest to see opportunities. I think the next batch, if we do more, will be tougher choices.

"

| Cort | Lane | Shares | Story | Behind | Delightful | Marvel/Funko | Pop! | Animated | Shorts | Marvel | Funko | have | collaborated | create | first | ever | animated | shorts | which | just | charming | cute | that | you’ll | want | watch | them | over | again | Each | three | Spellbound< | Bait | Switch< | Chimichangas< | (that | last | premiering | December | 14th< | sup>) | seconds | length | feature | some | Marvel’s | most | popular | superheroes | villains | including | Spider | Iron | Loki | Rocket | Groot | Collector | Deadpool | Venom | p> Of | course | after | viewing | these | wanted | learn | more | about | they | came | phone | with | Lane< | strong> | Senior | Vice | President | Animation | & | Family | Entertainment | During | exclusive | interview | talked | idea | this | collaboration | evolved | decided | characters | figures | he’d | like | future | balancing | action | comedy | chose | dialogue | possibilities | also | being | life | long | journey | working | company | what’s | hand | developing | producing | shows | within | universe | p> < | a> Image | Marvel< | div> Collider: | These | ridiculously | much | fun!< | strong>< | p> CORT | LANE: | Well | I’m | glad | think | Obviously | feel | same | there’s | really | something | special | here | p> Who | partnership | between | bringing |   < | p> LANE: | This | going | sound | very | corporate | summits | once | twice | year | lines | business | engage | collaborate | talk | what | we’re | doing | franchises | strategic | plan | next | five | years | products | people | mentioned | they’re | excited | partner | aesthetic | huge | base | part | creative | conversation | said | “Is | there | could | brings | broad | range | fans | it’s | unique | We’ve | luck | Lego | content | drives | audience | because | humorous | different | felt | similar | even | stylized | cuter | funnier | That | earlier | spring | Funk | only | game | were | made | happen | Rarely | things | well | p> Anybody | gets | knows | can’t | become | addiction | collection | yourself | I’ve | started | collecting | expensive | collective | hobby | limit | myself | collect | original | comic | stuff | from | ‘60s | ‘70s | ‘80s | limits | starting | collections | I’d | living | mom’s | basement | p> At | least | don’t | take | room | They | then | decide | whether | leave | display | together | scenes | p> Is | criteria | deciding | when | movie | full | series | Disney | project | would | presented | div> LANE: | truly | experiment | went | live | November | 30th< | sup> | reception | It’s | timely | another | those | animation | 7th< | will | tell | successful | open | needs | capacity | What | looks | work | phenomenal | having | several | months | back | Facebook | read | comments | glowing | Fans | love | your | harshest | critics | deservedly | rare | where | joyful | that’s | been | kind | neat | p> With | many | choose | easy | seems | hard | choice | know | important | right | Deadpool< | probably | favorite | villain | terms | merchandise | teaming | seemed | organic | component | Civil | War< | everyone | appear | connecting | each | other | playing | There’s | Guardians | Galaxy< | sequel | coming | everybody | loves | Quite | simply | p> Are | you’re | particularly | looking | forward | seeing | make | That’s | good | question | vibe | Hulk | Thor | Thor< | film | school | Avengers | Hawkeye | either | Captain | America | Black | Widow | kick | butt | heroine | Those | favorites | obviously | decider | elevate | choices | pick | easiest | opportunities | batch | tougher | p> |

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Cort Lane Shares the Story Behind the Delightful Marvel/Funko Pop! Animated Shorts

Marvel and Funko have collaborated to create the first-ever Funko animated shorts, which are just so charming, cute and fun that you’ll want to watch them over and over again. Each of the three shorts â€" Spellbound, Bait N Switch and Chimichangas (that last premiering December 14^th) â€" are 90 seconds in length and feature some of Marvel’s most popular superheroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Loki, Rocket, Groot, the Collector, Deadpool and Venom.

Of course, after viewing these shorts, we wanted to learn more about them and how they came about, so we got on the phone with Cort Lane, Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Animation & Family Entertainment. During the exclusive interview, we talked about how the idea for this collaboration evolved, how they decided on which characters to feature, which figures he’d like to see in future shorts, balancing the action and comedy, why they chose not to have any dialogue, and the future possibilities for these characters. He also talked about being a life-long Marvel fan, his journey to working at the company, and what’s it like to get to have a hand in developing and producing shows within the Marvel universe.

>

Image via Marvel

Collider: These shorts are just ridiculously cute and so much fun!

CORT LANE: Well, I’m glad you think so. Obviously, we feel the same. I do feel there’s really something special here.

Who came up with the idea for this partnership between Marvel and Funko, bringing to life the Marvel Funko Pop! figures?                     

LANE: This is going to sound very corporate, but I have these big summits, once or twice a year, for Marvel Animation, with all of the lines of business that we engage with and collaborate with, and we talk about what we’re doing with our franchises and our strategic plan, over the next five years. And the products people mentioned that they’re really excited about Funko, as a partner, and the aesthetic is really popular and has a huge fan base. As part of the creative conversation, we said, “Is there something that we could do there?” It brings in a broad range of Marvel fans and Funko fans, and it’s a really unique aesthetic. We’ve had a lot of luck with Marvel/Lego animated content. It drives a really huge audience because it’s special, it’s humorous, it’s different, and it’s got a unique aesthetic. We felt there was something similar, but really different here, too. Funko is even more stylized and cuter and funnier. That was earlier this year in the spring, and Funk was not only game, but they were very excited to do it, so we made it happen. Rarely do things go that well.

Anybody who has or gets one of these figures knows that you can’t just have one, as they become a bit of an addiction. Do you have a big collection of them, yourself?

LANE: I’ve just started because I’m collecting the figures in the shorts. But I have a much more expensive collective hobby, so I have to limit myself. I collect original comic art, and I have a lot of really expensive stuff from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. That limits me on starting new collections, or I’d be living in my mom’s basement.

At least they don’t take up a lot of room.

LANE: They don’t, but then you have to decide whether to leave them in the box or take them out of the box. I like to display them all together and create these scenes.

Is there criteria for deciding when to do a feature-length animated movie, a full animated series, shorts for Disney XD, or web shorts, and how did you decide how this project would be presented?

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Image via Marvel

LANE: This was truly an experiment. The first one went live on November 30^th, and so far, the reception is huge. It’s very timely because I have another one of those big animation summits, starting on December 7^th, and I will tell all of the lines of business that we collaborate with how successful these are. And then, the conversation is really, what’s next? I think Funko is very open to it. I think there needs to be more, in some capacity. What that looks like, there’s a lot of work to do. The audience reception is phenomenal. If I’m ever having a bad day over the next several months, I’m just going to go back to the Facebook and read the comments because they’re so glowing. Fans love you, but they’re also your harshest critics, deservedly so. It’s rare when you work in a business where you create content for fans that the reception is so joyful, and that’s been kind of neat.

With so many characters to choose from, how did you decide which characters would be in these shorts?

LANE: It was really easy. It seems like it would be a hard choice, but we know the characters that are important to fans right now. As we were starting this, Deadpool had just hit really big. I love Venom and I know Venom is probably the favorite villain of most comic fans. We see that, in terms of the audience and the merchandise. Obviously, Iron Man and Spider-Man are really popular right now, and them teaming up seemed really organic because that’s a component of Civil War and everyone knows that Iron Man will appear in a new Spider-Man movie. So, those two connecting with each other and playing off of each other is important. And then, Rocket and Groot are so important for us. There’s the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel coming, and everybody loves those characters. Quite simply, it was very easy.

Are there any characters that you’re particularly looking forward to seeing or teaming up together, if you make more shorts?

LANE: That’s a really good question. I like the vibe between Hulk and Thor. That’s a big component of the next Thor film, so I think that’s one I’d like to see. I’m an old school Avengers fan, so I’m a big Hawkeye fan. I’d like to see Hawkeye playing off of either Captain America or Black Widow. I think Black Widow is the most kick-butt heroine out there, so I would like to see her, in some capacity. Those are some of my favorites, but obviously, I’m not the only decider. Funko has characters that they would like to elevate, and Marvel has characters that they would like to elevate, but there’s really no bad choices. It’s hard to pick, really. These first three shorts were the easiest to see opportunities. I think the next batch, if we do more, will be tougher choices.

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