MarvelBlog News for May 24th, 2026

Marvel just handed new assignments to a popular executive.

Also, we learned that Wolverine and Spider-Man news is just around the corner.

No, those two stories aren’t related. I’ll explain in MarvelBlog News.

Winderbaum Ascendant

Over the past few years, I’ve suddenly mentioned Brad Winderbaum a lot.

I’m not his agent or anything; he’s just the one talking a lot for Marvel.

The studio obviously trusts him to hype its projects without spoiling anything.

So, Winderbaum has evolved into one of the most recognizable names at Marvel.

Should Kevin Feige leave, I suspect Winderbaum would be on the short list of replacements.

Before you disagree, I’ll randomly toss in the news of Winderbaum’s promotion.

Brad Winderbaum now holds the lofty title of Head of Marvel Television, Animation, Comics & Franchise.

Even better, he got this gig without having to work with Ike Perlmutter much!

Previously, he’d been the Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation.

What does this mean? Direct all your comic book complaints toward Winderbaum.

Yeah, I wouldn’t wish that job on my worst enemy. Still, it looks good on a resume.

Despite my Perlmutter joke, Winderbaum has been with Marvel since Iron Man.

So, he’s acutely aware of the way things used to be under the penny-pinching owner.

Winderbaum has worked his way up Marvel’s food chain by excelling.

All the glowing reviews for Marvel animated shows on Disney+ are at least partially because of him.

Winderbaum had previously worked on one-shots like The Consultant and Item 47.

Then, he became integral to Marvel on Disney+, primarily the hits.

His superiors noticed that Winderbaum’s shows were doing better than the rest.

Now, here we are as the executive takes control of all Marvel comic books.

In addition to running streaming, he’s the new Joe Quesada.

About the Promotion

Winderbaum takes control of Marvel comic books at an inflection point in its history.

We all know that physical media sales have plummeted in the digital era.

Marvel still makes a lot of money from physical copies of its comic books, though.

Much of the business relies on Marvel comics turning into priceless artifacts.

Should fans lose the chance to make a fortune on their collections, the business could collapse.

Winderbaum must discover the business model that the industry currently lacks.

He needs to unearth a method to keep fans buying hard copies of comics.

Meanwhile, Winderbaum also must boost Marvel’s digital sales.

The comic book company committed to this process in 2021.

Marvel’s Dan Buckley had previously confirmed some surprising data, noting:

“(The) mix of readers is closer to fifty-fifty male/female, vs. the print product, which still skews more male.”

In 2024, The Hollywood Reporter suggested that subscriptions are trending upward:

“(Marvel Unlimited) enjoyed strong growth for the past three years after it launched Infinity Comics, with paid subs up 30 percent.”

Still, the digital revenue in no way matches the losses on the physical media side.

What’s the Point of This Move?

Marvel’s goal here appears quite obvious: consolidate its stories.

The plan involves shortening the gap between comics and Disney+ content.

With the same person running both, he’ll know how to mesh big ideas.

Simultaneously, Disney can reduce its advertising spend by marketing both.

Let’s say that a project debuts on comics and is coming soon to Disney+.

One ad campaign covers both releases, saving Disney money and effort.

Remember that Disney recently consolidated its marketing department, too.

So, this appears to be a coordinated effort to have fewer cooks in the kitchen.

The main drawback is that Winderbaum isn’t that experienced with physical media.

His job was literally the opposite of that. As such, this is a risky gambit.

The safer move for Marvel would have been to promote someone with a long history in physical media.

Winderbaum is currently protected as a very popular Marvel executive.

Should the physical comics struggle, he’d burn part of his goodwill.

In fact, knowing how angry comic book “fans” can be, he could become Public Enemy #1.

As such, this is a risky move for Marvel even as Winderbaum becomes a made man.

Marvel Miscellany

Spider-Man is turning 1,000! Yes, even though Peter Parker still looks 18, he’s a child of the 1960s.

The Amazing Spider-Man debuted in March 1963, and here we are 63 years later.

The character remains relevant to this day and is deserving of a celebration.

So, Marvel is currently prepping The Amazing Spider-Man’s 1000^th issue.

Obviously, there’s a ton of pressure on a comic book of this import.

Marvel is promising the “biggest issue in spider-history,” a subject I don’t remember from school.

The story will wrap up Spider-Man’s recent arcs, but that’s not all.

Marvel indicates the 1000^th issue will include a “pivotal moment that launches into the next phase.”

Read into that what you will. I’m not sure how they top Doc Ock as Spider-Man, though.

Writer Joe Kelly and artist Pepe Larraz will create this comic for a September release.

In Avengers news, the Russo Brothers continue their media tour:

Also, Ebon Moss-Bachrach confirmed my previous report about Avengers: Secret Wars.

Filming will begin in September, making that a sneakily huge month for Marvel.

Finally, I’ll alert you to the impending PlayStation State of Play on June 2^nd.

We’re finally getting an extended look at Wolverine on that date.

 

Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below. One of the agents from MickeyTravels, an EarMarked By Disney – Authorized Travel Agency – Diamond Level, will be in touch soon!