E-i-C Axel Alonso Explains Why Marvel Comics Aren't Promoting BIG HERO 6

E-i-C Axel Alonso Explains Why Marvel Comics Aren't Promoting BIG HERO 6

Fans have been wondering whether there's a rift between Marvel and Disney Animation as the comics division have shown no signs of promoting the charming looking movie by featuring them in any current stories or reprinting any of their past adventures. Here, Axel Alonso explains why...

News
By JoshWilding - Sep 01, 2014 06:09 AM EST
Filed Under: Animated Features
Source: Comic Book Resources

Marvel Comics have developed something of a reputation over recent years of doing all they can to fall in line with the Marvel Studios movies, whether it's changing a character's personality and costume or even going to great lengths to introduce those featured on the big screen (for an example of that, look no further than the convoluted story used to introduce an African American Nick Fury into the 616 Marvel Universe). Of course, it's something they've done right back to when Peter Parker was given organic web-shooters following the release of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, so why it hasn't happened for Big Hero 6 seems baffling to say the least, as many have pointed out. 

Talking to Comic Book Resources recently, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso confirmed that "There are no plans," for any of the Big Hero 6 characters, adding: "The characters and stories that have appeared in our comics are very different from what they are in the film. Releasing material that would be viewed as movie tie-in product would be a disservice to filmgoers. We wanted the Disney folks to be able to create their own unique style and story, unencumbered by those older stories." That's a fair point as the movie does seem to bear little resemblence to the original versions, but will we see anything new featuring the team? "At this stage, no."

It seems like a missed opportunity, but Marvel likely won't benefit too much from the movie anyway, perhaps explaining why they don't feel the need to help promote it in any way. With recent rumours of bosses at Marvel and Disney demanding that characters like the Fantastic Four and X-Men not be promoted either in comic books or through merchandise in order to hurt rival studios like Twentieth Century Fox, it's them we should perhaps worry about!
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Abary
Abary - 9/1/2014, 6:42 AM
They are already promoting it as "from the creators of Frozen and Wreck-It-Ralph," so the Marvel logo isn't exactly critical.
Bekss
Bekss - 9/1/2014, 6:53 AM
Since the first Superman movie, comics have been adapted to be more like the movies.
But this time the characters are completely different, which is fine for me, I never heard of BH6 before.

And just like Abary said Disney doesn't need Marvel to promote their movies.
StarkAnthony
StarkAnthony - 9/1/2014, 6:57 AM
I always understood that doing movie related stuff in the comics was to sell comics, not to promote the movie. Comic fans are going to see the adaptation of their favorite characters anyway. I guess since they are so different or unimportant to the comic universe Marvel doesn't see an opportunity to sell a lot of comics here.
TheAbomination
TheAbomination - 9/1/2014, 6:58 AM
Smart move. No need to cross-promote this one. Disney Animation is a strong enough brand name to carry this film to success.
CherryBomb
CherryBomb - 9/1/2014, 7:00 AM
Oh I thought he was gonna talk about why they literally aren't promoted the Big Hero Six and instead are solely promoting Hiro and Baymax.

Marketing is awful.
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 9/1/2014, 7:05 AM
The Disney brand is strong with this film so i think it's fine if Marvel Comics does not want to promote Big Hero 6.
Grodd87
Grodd87 - 9/1/2014, 7:08 AM
Disney marketing has been horrible for their films for awhile now. Frozen was not market right till it blew up.
ekrolo2
ekrolo2 - 9/1/2014, 7:16 AM
@Bekss

Comics were getting changed by the adaptations from the start, if it wasn't for the Superman radio show we'd never have Kryptonite, if it wasn't for those first two black & white Batman movie we'd have never gotten the batcave.
bythepowercosmic
bythepowercosmic - 9/1/2014, 7:19 AM
They American-ized everything, including the setting and characters, it's no wonder they're not cross-promoting it. It's barely similar.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 9/1/2014, 7:34 AM
@ekrolo2 Dude the only thing that the movies has in common with the comics is the names. The story, the themes, the looks, the powers and the personality of the characters are completely different from the comics. It's not even an adaptation in any level. They're not just americanizing it or even disneyfying it, they're just doing something completely different. Only 1% of the comics might go to the movies.
seamuskeaneart
seamuskeaneart - 9/1/2014, 7:37 AM
Wait until the movie become a hit and watch marvel roll out the goodies.
Tetrahedron
Tetrahedron - 9/1/2014, 7:45 AM
Well, the comic version has always seemed shit to me where as the movie version grabbed my attention the first time I saw a trailer. So yeah, the absence of a comic tie-in is not really a loss to anyone.
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 9/1/2014, 7:49 AM
One of the few times that synergy means not doing anything... Yes, reprinting collections of the comics would just confuse kids because of how different everything is (something that Marvel wouldn't have cared as much about if they weren't the same company as Disney... Used to be that increased comic sales was all they got from a film coming out), and Disney already has publishers lined up to flood bookstores with tie in storybooks and the like for all of their animated films, so there is really no need for Marvel to create some new comic content with the Disney version if the team.
LensmanMatt92
LensmanMatt92 - 9/1/2014, 7:56 AM
I think the characters are the same archetypes as Murakami's Teen Titans.

Baymax and the Kid are Robin.

Fred is Beast Boy.

Honey Lemon is Starfire.

Tomago is Raven.

And Wasabi is Cyborg.
MrFridayNights
MrFridayNights - 9/1/2014, 8:00 AM
Who cares about the comics version that version sucks.
Big Hero 6 will be the animated movie of the year.
String
String - 9/1/2014, 8:03 AM
I still don't understand why this is an issue. It was said awhile back (at least 2 months ago)that the movie removed the superheroes. And it was a mutual decision between Disney and Marvel not to have these universes connect. Disney is doing its own thing with Marvel property and Marvel is fine with it. Seriously, I feel this is just another way the press is trying to make something out of nothing.
Bekss
Bekss - 9/1/2014, 9:14 AM
Looks like GotG made more than what we thought

1). Guardians of the Galaxy (DIS), 3,462 theaters (+91) / $3.8M Fri. / $6.2M Sat. (+62%) / $7M Sun. (+13%) / $5.9M Mon. (-15%) / 3-day est. cume: $17.1M / 4-day est. cume: $22M to $23M / Total est. cume: $280M+ / Wk 5

A 0.7% drop from last weekend, that's really low even for the Labor day weekend
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 9/1/2014, 10:06 AM
the marketing for this movie sucks. a teaser trailer and a couple of tv spots, all focusing on Baymax and Hiro, with very very little new footage.
c'mon, give a second trailer, I wanna see the villain, the other heroes, the cool visuals, some action snippets, not the same joke over and over again.
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