Marvel Files Trademark For Marvel Rising

Marvel Entertainment may have tipped its hand on a major initiative coming sometime in the near future. ComicBook.com has discovered that Marvel has filed nine separate trademark applications for something called "Marvel Rising."

The trademarks cover practically everything the company could possibly want to manufacture, from cosmetics to tablecloths, with the notable exception of comic books.

So if "Marvel Rising" isn't a comic book, then what is it? Two possibilities present themselves from the trademark filing.

One trademark covers "downloadable electronic publications; downloadable game software; downloadable mobile applications; consumer electronics and accessories therefor." This suggests that the core of the "Marvel Rising" initiative may be a video game, specifically a mobile game. The other trademarks then could be Marvel planning for any possible merchandise they may release based on the "Marvel Rising" title.

The other possibility is that "Marvel Rising" is first and foremost a merchandising initiative, with possible video game tie-ins.

It should also be noted that companies sometimes file trademarks for titles just to make sure other companies don't, but this is a fairly thorough attempt if that's the case.

Looking through Marvel's trademark history, the last time they trademarked anything quite so thoroughly was with Squirrel Girl, a character whose popularity has recently hit new heights and who will be featured in the upcoming New Warriors television series.

Some fans may also recall that Marvel promised a major merchandising push for Secret Wars when the event series was first announced. While there were some tie-ins released, most would say Marvel didn't quite follow through at the level they promised.

Whether "Marvel Rising" proves to be the licensing bonanza that Secret Wars was pitched as remains to be seen.

It should also be pointed out that Marvel is planning a major relaunch of its comics line in the fall titled Marvel Legacy, which is intended to be a DC Rebirth-like return to the telling of the kind of classic Marvel stories that a significant segment of fans has been asking for. If Marvel is planning to draw new eyes by putting a new-old face on its publishing line, then perhaps "Marvel Rising" is a way to push that new look in front of the eyes of the mainstream populace.

Marvel hasn't made any public statements about "Marvel Rising" as of yet, but if the initiative is as big of a deal as it appears by the trademark filing then there's a fair chance we'll hear more at Comic-Con International: San Diego in July. Then again, if "Marvel Rising" is video game-centric, maybe an announcement will come even sooner at E3 in June.

Marvel also recently filed a trademark for Spirits of Vengeance, which was the title of a Ghost Rider series that Marvel Comics published in the 1990s.

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