Answers.Body: <p>From 2002-05, LEGO sold Spider-Man themed sets under license from Marvel Entertainment in conjunction with the release of the first two Spider-Man movies. These are commonly known as the <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=S&amp;catString=469.705" rel="nofollow">Spider-Man 1</a> and <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=S&amp;catString=469.706" rel="nofollow">Spider-Man 2</a> themes. This license was apparently only for Spider-Man and characters in the films and not for other Marvel superheroes.</p>
  
  <p>In October 2004, Marvel and Mega Bloks announced <a href="http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/5881.html" rel="nofollow">a multi-year license agreement</a> that allowed Mega Bloks to use several Marvel superhero characters and create movie-related products. LEGO did not produce any Spider-Man or Marvel-themed sets between 2006 and late 2011.</p>
  
  <p>In 2009-10, <a href="http://marvel.com/news/story/10809/disney_completes_marvel_acquisition" rel="nofollow">Marvel Entertainment was purchased by The Walt Disney Company</a>, with whom LEGO had a long-standing relationship producing Disney-themed sets. In July 2011 it was announced that <a href="http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-lego-expands-disney-licensing-deal-marvel-lego-super-heroes-2012-17025/" rel="nofollow">LEGO had obtained a license to the Marvel characters</a> as part of an expansion of its license agreement with Disney. At about the same time, <a href="http://variety.com/2011/film/news/wb-builds-on-lego-partnership-1118040143/" rel="nofollow">LEGO expanded its license deal with DC Comics</a>, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, to include the full line of DC characters. LEGO had a previous license with DC to produce Batman-themed sets, which were first released in 2006.</p>
  
  <p>With licenses from these two major comic book companies in hand, LEGO created two Super Heroes themes, <a href="http://shop.lego.com/en-US/DC-Universe-Super-Heroes-ByTheme" rel="nofollow">DC Universe Super Heroes</a>, launched in late 2011, and <a href="http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Marvel-Super-Heroes-ByTheme" rel="nofollow">Marvel Super Heroes</a>, launched in mid 2012. Both themes are currently in production as of August 2014.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-26T18:38:35.317Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-08-28T22:45:01.797Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2014-08-28T22:45:01.797Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: 62Bricks
Body: <p>I just recently learned that LEGO had the license to do Marvel themed blocks back in 2003.  When the Iron Man films came out, Mega Bloks produced several Marvel-themed sets.  Now LEGO apparently has the license back (as well as the DC Comics license!).</p>
  
  <p>How did that come about?</p>
  
Tags: <theme>
Title: What is the history of the Marvel license between LEGO and Mega Bloks?
UserDisplayName: JoshDM
ThreadText: # What is the history of the Marvel license between LEGO and Mega Bloks?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-25)
  
  I just recently learned that LEGO had the license to do Marvel themed blocks back in 2003. When the Iron Man films came out, Mega Bloks produced several Marvel-themed sets. Now LEGO apparently has the license back (as well as the DC Comics license!).
  
  How did that come about?
  
  **Tags:** theme
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2013-07-26. Score: 7 | Accepted answer
  
  From 2002-05, LEGO sold Spider-Man themed sets under license from Marvel Entertainment in conjunction with the release of the first two Spider-Man movies. These are commonly known as the [Spider-Man 1](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=S&catString=469.705) and [Spider-Man 2](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=S&catString=469.706) themes. This license was apparently only for Spider-Man and characters in the films and not for other Marvel superheroes.
  
  In October 2004, Marvel and Mega Bloks announced [a multi-year license agreement](http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/5881.html) that allowed Mega Bloks to use several Marvel superhero characters and create movie-related products. LEGO did not produce any Spider-Man or Marvel-themed sets between 2006 and late 2011.
  
  In 2009-10, [Marvel Entertainment was purchased by The Walt Disney Company](http://marvel.com/news/story/10809/disney_completes_marvel_acquisition), with whom LEGO had a long-standing relationship producing Disney-themed sets. In July 2011 it was announced that [LEGO had obtained a license to the Marvel characters](http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-lego-expands-disney-licensing-deal-marvel-lego-super-heroes-2012-17025/) as part of an expansion of its license agreement with Disney. At about the same time, [LEGO expanded its license deal with DC Comics](http://variety.com/2011/film/news/wb-builds-on-lego-partnership-1118040143/), a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, to include the full line of DC characters. LEGO had a previous license with DC to produce Batman-themed sets, which were first released in 2006.
  
  With licenses from these two major comic book companies in hand, LEGO created two Super Heroes themes, [DC Universe Super Heroes](http://shop.lego.com/en-US/DC-Universe-Super-Heroes-ByTheme), launched in late 2011, and [Marvel Super Heroes](http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Marvel-Super-Heroes-ByTheme), launched in mid 2012. Both themes are currently in production as of August 2014.
  
  
  ---
  
  