Rumor Disney Is Shutting Down Marvel Comics Causes Online Uproar

Disney is riding high on the success of Marvel Studios, but some fans are taking a new Marvel Comics panel as a sign the company could eventually close down the longtime comics publisher.

This all started with Marvel Comics’ announcement of a panel at SXSW (South by Southwest), which will bring Marvel Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski and Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada together for an hour-long panel. The panel is titled Marvel: From Comics To Screens and will analyze how the comics act as the lifeblood and pulse of the movies, games, and television shows that are dominating the market right now.

An article by Bleeding Cool suggested that perhaps the panel is to prove to Disney that Marvel Comics as an entity is needed if all those other mediums are meant to grow, as those are built on the stories, characters, and worlds that are explored and created in the comics. That wasn’t really based on anything specific in the press release, but more on thoughts from retailers regarding Marvel’s flooding of books.

Other sites then ran with that narrative, causing more than a few reactions online. For reference, here’s the description of the panel from the press release.

“On Friday, March 8th, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski and Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada will lead an interactive discussion about the history and landscape of Marvel Comics. Titled Marvel: From Comics To Screens, the hour-long panel will look at how some of Marvel’s most iconic characters and storylines have contributed to the games, movies, and television series that are so renowned among popular culture. Everything starts with an idea – and Marvel Comics is the spark that lights the fire!”

Sources told ComicBook.com that Disney is not shutting down Marvel Comics, but Quesdada has also responded directly to the theory, shutting them down as well.

“Must be a slow news day. Ladies and gents I give you the dumbest comics conspiracy of the week.

//www.bleedingcool.com/2019/03/01/joe-quesada-c-b-cebulski-survival-comics-sxsw/ …

Sometimes a panel is just a panel.”

You can hit the next slide to see what fans are saying about the theory and the idea of Disney shuttering Marvel Comics.

Slow News Day

First off, here’s the tweet from Quesada himself on the issue.

“Must be a slow news day. Ladies and gents I give you the dumbest comics conspiracy of the week.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/03/01/joe-quesada-c-b-cebulski-survival-comics-sxsw/ …

Sometimes a panel is just a panel.”

News To Me

A little sarcasm never hurt anyone, and we’re pretty sure Metacomedy’s being sarcastic here in saying they didn’t know Disney owned Marvel.

“@Disney⁩ Shutting Down ⁦@Marvel⁩? Apparently I have not been paying attention: I didn’t even know that Disney owned marvel.”

THIS!

Other fans are thrilled with the idea, hoping Disney just licenses the characters and then releases the old books in trades.

“THIS!

I’m actually fine with Disney shutting Marvel Comics down. Just license the characters out and release the old comics as trades. ALL OF THEM!”

Are People Really Freaking Out?

For others, this is just not news worth getting all worked up for.

“Are people really freaking out this much over a rumor that Disney may be shutting down Marvel Comics? For a moment, I thought that Captain Marvel reviews had come out and been underwhelming, you know…actual news?:

LOL

It didn’t take long for some to declare Marvel Comics near death, and some fans can’t help but laugh.

“Just read an article where they basically have already declared that Disney will be shutting down Marvel Comics because of this panel lol”

Non-Story

The fact that the end of Marvel Comics came from a panel announcement of two guys sitting together and talking comics is what threw others, seeing it as a non-story.

“I like how the story is: Two guys from Marvel Comics are attending a panel which some speculate is to promote the value of comics because sales are bad but they lead to good films/games. Disney probably thinking about shutting them down based on those sales figures!”

“Absolute click bait non-story.”

A Horrible Thing

Other fans don’t even want to think about Disney shutting down Marvel, and hope there’s no truth to it.

“This would be a horrible thing if it came to be.
It would be a real dishonor to Stan Lee.

Disney Shutting Down Marvel Comics? | Cosmic Book News”

Read More Comics

Others are taking a more PSA-like approach to the rumor, saying that this is a good reminder that you need to support comics if you want to see them continue.

“So read an article stating Disney is shutting down Marvel comics… Whether true or not please remember the characters in the #MCU and #SpiderVerse were born of Marvel Comics with out comic books there is no MCU there is no Spider-verse. Support comics and #ReadMoreComics”