Time Runs Out?

[CoffeeCup]

any new ideas/guesses what this is going to be about yet?

[Michael P]

The conclusion of Jonathan Hickman's Avengers story.

[cranger]

The Big Event that Reboots the Marvel Universe.

[Moriarty]

The Big Event that Reboots the Marvel Universe.

nope. not gonna happen.

[megaharrison]

A conclusion to what Hickman has been doing in Avengers/New Avengers. The Illuminati, Namor's new Cabal, and the threat of incursions will be the focus.

The Big Event that Reboots the Marvel Universe.

Lol, no. Marvel has already dismissed the idea of Crisis' that reboot everything and none of their future plans indicate this at all.

There will be a soft/product reboot, though. All-New-Brand-New-Marvel-Right-Now or something.

[steeplejack2112]

any new ideas/guesses what this is going to be about yet?

The white sale a JC Penny's ends and the MU is now going to have to settle for full priced bedding. This is what happens when you spend ALL of your time saving the universe. Poor bastards.

[stillanerd]

The Big Event that Reboots the Marvel Universe.

nope. not gonna happen.

Lol, no. Marvel has already dismissed the idea of Crisis' that reboot everything and none of their future plans indicate this at all.

There will be a soft/product reboot, though. All-New-Brand-New-Marvel-Right-Now or something.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility, actually. Why? We have to remember that, as a result of being acquired by Disney (and in some cases even before that) Marvel is no longer just a comic book company--they are now a multimedia entertainment company which not only includes comics but films and television programs. As we all know, the Marvel Studios films, Agents of SHIELD, and their upcoming Netflix originals all take place within the same "cinematic" universe. Even the cartoons of Disney XD are closer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe by design.

You know what is completely separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though? The comics.

Now you might think, "Well, what's so unusual about that? They've got a history going back 75 years, and it's not as if we haven't had film and television adaptations that were different than their comic book source material." True, but again: Marvel, because they part of Disney, are no longer just in the business of publishing comics. They are now in the business of licensing characters across multiple forms of media. And if you're going to be licensing characters across multimedia platforms, you have to create synergy and congruity between those mediums, i.e try to make the characters the same as possible regardless whether it be in a movie, video game, television show, cartoon, or comic. That's how Disney has been doing their cartoon characters for decades.

So if you're Marvel and you have a film and television universe featuring various IPs with their own distinctive backstory and continuity, and yet a comic book universe featuring those same IPs with different backstories and continuity, wouldn't it make sense from a strictly business standpoint to make them the same? You obviously can't do this with the films and television programs, but with comics, it's very easy and, more importantly, less expensive.

So what if instead of "rebooting" the 616 Universe, Marvel decides to use Hickman's Time Runs Out and Incursion storyline to literally transform the 616 into the cinematic universe? And not just with cosmetic changes like making the character's costume resemble the film version, or something like that. I mean making the character you see in the comic be the exact same version of the character, history and all, from the "cinematic universe." And Marvel actually did this, they wouldn't call it a "reboot," of course, because technically, the cinematic universe already exists. Instead, they'd call it a "restructuring" or "realignment" or "creating synergy between the films, television, and comics."

[runguy]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility, actually. Why? We have to remember that, as a result of being acquired by Disney (and in some cases even before that) Marvel is no longer just a comic book company--they are now a multimedia entertainment company which not only includes comics but films and television programs. As we all know, the Marvel Studios films, Agents of SHIELD, and their upcoming Netflix originals all take place within the same "cinematic" universe. Even the cartoons of Disney XD are closer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe by design.

You know what is completely separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though? The comics.

Now you might think, "Well, what's so unusual about that? They've got a history going back 75 years, and it's not as if we haven't had film and television adaptations that were different than their comic book source material." True, but again: Marvel, because they part of Disney, are no longer just in the business of publishing comics. They are now in the business of licensing characters across multiple forms of media. And if you're going to be licensing characters across multimedia platforms, you have to create synergy and congruity between those mediums, i.e try to make the characters the same as possible regardless whether it be in a movie, video game, television show, cartoon, or comic. That's how Disney has been doing their cartoon characters for decades.

So if you're Marvel and you have a film and television universe featuring various IPs with their own distinctive backstory and continuity, and yet a comic book universe featuring those same IPs with different backstories and continuity, wouldn't it make sense from a strictly business standpoint to make them the same? You obviously can't do this with the films and television programs, but with comics, it's very easy and, more importantly, less expensive.

So what if instead of "rebooting" the 616 Universe, Marvel decides to use Hickman's Time Runs Out and Incursion storyline to literally transform the 616 into the cinematic universe? And not just with cosmetic changes like making the character's costume resemble the film version, or something like that. I mean making the character you see in the comic be the exact same version of the character, history and all, from the "cinematic universe." And Marvel actually did this, they wouldn't call it a "reboot," of course, because technically, the cinematic universe already exists. Instead, they'd call it a "restructuring" or "realignment" or "creating synergy between the films, television, and comics."

Not gonna happen as its just not practical. Also, there is no business reason to do it, the comic side gets little bump due to the movies (despite what others might say).

[Mary Jay]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility, actually. Why? We have to remember that, as a result of being acquired by Disney (and in some cases even before that) Marvel is no longer just a comic book company--they are now a multimedia entertainment company which not only includes comics but films and television programs. As we all know, the Marvel Studios films, Agents of SHIELD, and their upcoming Netflix originals all take place within the same "cinematic" universe. Even the cartoons of Disney XD are closer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe by design.

You know what is completely separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though? The comics.

Now you might think, "Well, what's so unusual about that? They've got a history going back 75 years, and it's not as if we haven't had film and television adaptations that were different than their comic book source material." True, but again: Marvel, because they part of Disney, are no longer just in the business of publishing comics. They are now in the business of licensing characters across multiple forms of media. And if you're going to be licensing characters across multimedia platforms, you have to create synergy and congruity between those mediums, i.e try to make the characters the same as possible regardless whether it be in a movie, video game, television show, cartoon, or comic. That's how Disney has been doing their cartoon characters for decades.

So if you're Marvel and you have a film and television universe featuring various IPs with their own distinctive backstory and continuity, and yet a comic book universe featuring those same IPs with different backstories and continuity, wouldn't it make sense from a strictly business standpoint to make them the same? You obviously can't do this with the films and television programs, but with comics, it's very easy and, more importantly, less expensive.

So what if instead of "rebooting" the 616 Universe, Marvel decides to use Hickman's Time Runs Out and Incursion storyline to literally transform the 616 into the cinematic universe? And not just with cosmetic changes like making the character's costume resemble the film version, or something like that. I mean making the character you see in the comic be the exact same version of the character, history and all, from the "cinematic universe." And Marvel actually did this, they wouldn't call it a "reboot," of course, because technically, the cinematic universe already exists. Instead, they'd call it a "restructuring" or "realignment" or "creating synergy between the films, television, and comics."

That would suck big time.

I mean, they could always create a new line of comics from the 199999 universe (I think that's the MCU/television designation), but in essence "destroying" more than fifty years of continuity for the main characters, who all mainly originated in the 60s except for Cap, would be terrible, IMO.

I would most probably stop buying comics altogether if that happened.

[JJ Fiegel]

We could maybe get a Crisis, and Marvel can pick and choose what history to keep. I don't see a full reboot coming. I mean, Marvel changes history all the time. Reed and Sue's courting was changed in Fraction's run just recently.

[Orbus]

^^^

Hasn't Marvel made all of it's money to farming out it's property to merchandising, toy companies, TV and movies for decade while making practically zilch from the comics themselves for decades now?

While thanks to their successful cinematic universe it's probably at it's peak I don't see in principal why they'd pull something like that now and not anytime before. Didn't they have a golden opportunity recently with Age of Ultron? Instead they opted to launch Marvel Now which at least "felt" like it was starting over with new #1s all stories that looked and even read very much like the cinematic universe and being continuity light gave a nice jumping on point for anyone who had watched those movies and wanted to check out the originals but more likely comic readers that hadn't touched a particular title or followed a particular character to give it a try confident they wont be confused. It seems to have worked so I don't think they'd risk what they've built in the last few years let alone in the last fifty.

Personally I think it's something of a work-around so Hickman can plow forward with his story without having to focus too much on the Axis shenanigans. It also conveniently seems that once Axis is finishing it's home stretch we may possibly get another event that wraps up Hickman's run.

[dragonmp93]

Well, there is a rumor about that the 616 and the ultimate universe are going to crash.

[dzub]

did'nt Cap fracture the time gem back in the early issues of NA? could it be related to that incident

[jackolover]

^^^

Hasn't Marvel made all of it's money to farming out it's property to merchandising, toy companies, TV and movies for decade while making practically zilch from the comics themselves for decades now?

While thanks to their successful cinematic universe it's probably at it's peak I don't see in principal why they'd pull something like that now and not anytime before. Didn't they have a golden opportunity recently with Age of Ultron? Instead they opted to launch Marvel Now which at least "felt" like it was starting over with new #1s all stories that looked and even read very much like the cinematic universe and being continuity light gave a nice jumping on point for anyone who had watched those movies and wanted to check out the originals but more likely comic readers that hadn't touched a particular title or followed a particular character to give it a try confident they wont be confused. It seems to have worked so I don't think they'd risk what they've built in the last few years let alone in the last fifty.

Personally I think it's something of a work-around so Hickman can plow forward with his story without having to focus too much on the Axis shenanigans. It also conveniently seems that once Axis is finishing it's home stretch we may possibly get another event that wraps up Hickman's run.

Marvel NOW also looks like a different universe. The way Uncanny Avengers, Avengers/NA, FF, ANXM, have relaunched it feels like the MU HAS been changed by Age of Ultron. I have not settled down to the normal Heroic Age since Age of Ultron finished. I think too much has happened to the super hero world of the 616, that you can't recognise the continuity of the passed 50 years.

You could probably draw a line under Avengers # 12.1, (where Age of Ultron finished), and everything that happened after that, was another universe. Fear Itself, Nick Fury junior, AVX, Marvel NOW, ANMN. Secrets have been revealed on the level of Original Sin the whole time, starting with Cul, to Nick Jnr, and onwards, like the Events have all spilled out of their containing time periods. Builders, Incursions, Thors sister, etc, are spilling out along the time line like road kill. Why is that?

[TresDias]

Lol, no. Marvel has already dismissed the idea of Crisis' that reboot everything and none of their future plans indicate this at all.

Not that I would believe them if they said it, but when was that?

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility, actually. Why? We have to remember that, as a result of being acquired by Disney (and in some cases even before that) Marvel is no longer just a comic book company--they are now a multimedia entertainment company which not only includes comics but films and television programs. As we all know, the Marvel Studios films, Agents of SHIELD, and their upcoming Netflix originals all take place within the same "cinematic" universe. Even the cartoons of Disney XD are closer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe by design.

You know what is completely separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though? The comics.

Now you might think, "Well, what's so unusual about that? They've got a history going back 75 years, and it's not as if we haven't had film and television adaptations that were different than their comic book source material." True, but again: Marvel, because they part of Disney, are no longer just in the business of publishing comics. They are now in the business of licensing characters across multiple forms of media. And if you're going to be licensing characters across multimedia platforms, you have to create synergy and congruity between those mediums, i.e try to make the characters the same as possible regardless whether it be in a movie, video game, television show, cartoon, or comic. That's how Disney has been doing their cartoon characters for decades.

So if you're Marvel and you have a film and television universe featuring various IPs with their own distinctive backstory and continuity, and yet a comic book universe featuring those same IPs with different backstories and continuity, wouldn't it make sense from a strictly business standpoint to make them the same? You obviously can't do this with the films and television programs, but with comics, it's very easy and, more importantly, less expensive.

So what if instead of "rebooting" the 616 Universe, Marvel decides to use Hickman's Time Runs Out and Incursion storyline to literally transform the 616 into the cinematic universe? And not just with cosmetic changes like making the character's costume resemble the film version, or something like that. I mean making the character you see in the comic be the exact same version of the character, history and all, from the "cinematic universe." And Marvel actually did this, they wouldn't call it a "reboot," of course, because technically, the cinematic universe already exists. Instead, they'd call it a "restructuring" or "realignment" or "creating synergy between the films, television, and comics."

Well put and logical.

Marvel would not reboot his whole universe. Because they are always retconnig it.
Grimm and Richards fighting in WW2? Never talk about it anymore; Flash Thompson fighting in Vietnam? That never happened. Dazzler as disco sensation? Noep, Dazzler always has been punk/rocker/retro/whatever music movement fits.
Something don't works? Never talk about that anymore. Now than they got Black Fury ready, they are killing the old Fury and all his world with him. And after some years, everybody would said that there only was one only Fury, the younger one. Don't surprise you when the LMD from Marcus start to appear everywhere.
So, why to do a Crisis, when you had worked fine with the retcons?
There was a time when I believe than Marvel would reboot his universe, but I understand than even with the continuity problems and contradictions they have (because they are there), they don't dwell to deep in them. Marvel just rewrite the past, forget something, leave to the fans fill the gaps and if everything fails, it's magic.
A reboot have no sense in Marvel Universe. So I would also bet for another relaunch of the line All Newer Now with numbers one of Return of Wolverine, Almost Avengers, Who's gonna be in the next movie? and Howard the Duck.(Yes Gerber, Disney now owns Howard).
I don't think than a reboot is probable. Marvel didn't need it. But I admit the speculation of Stillanerd have valid points. But basically would be a massive retcon. And Marvel uses their retcons in minimal doses. However the most massive retcon and most prominent in recent times show us than the initial rejection can be overlooked if the following storylines are good enough.
Could the movieverse usurps the 616 universe? Hardly. Maybe visually, but nothing more a cosmetic transformation in my opinion. And also that kind of changes are brief. Also, what will happen to such universe when the movie fever ends? Because everything end sooner or later. In such case, the comic universe would had burned their own identity. And I don't believe than the Marvel editors could be so blind.

Not that you don't have good points, but if you don't think Marvel and/or Disney sees their movies as an infinitely greater cash cow than their comics, to the point that they would begin to treat the cinematic universe as the flagship franchise, then you just aren't looking at the numbers.

As for Marvel bosses making bad decisions (not that this would be a bad decision), you need look no further than "Heroes Reborn."