How to Invest in Marvel

By Matthew DiLallo – Updated Sep 19, 2025 at 9:19 AM | Fact-checked by Margo Winton Parodi

Key Points

Marvel, once a public entity, is now a unit within Disney, not independently traded.
Investing in Disney offers indirect exposure to Marvel alongside other Disney assets.
Purchasing shares of Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, or Comcast can yield exposure similar to investing in Marvel.

Marvel has been entertaining consumers through unique characters and rich storytelling since its founding. The company has grown from a niche comic book publisher to a global brand by bringing its characters to life on the big screen.

Marvel was acquired by The Walt Disney Company (DIS -0.04%) in 2009. Disney has since folded Marvel into its operations so that it's no longer an independent unit.

People in a movie theater. — Image source: Getty Images.

Many Marvel fans might wish they could own a piece of the company. While they can't directly invest in Marvel right now, here's everything you need to know about how to invest in stocks like Marvel.

IPO

IPO (Initial Public Offering) is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public, making it a publicly traded entity.

Is Marvel publicly traded?

Marvel is not a publicly traded company. It has been Disney's property since the entertainment company acquired Marvel in 2009 for $4 billion. Before Disney's acquisition, Marvel was a publicly traded company from 1991 until 2009.

When will Marvel IPO?

As of late 2025, Disney didn't have any plans for a Marvel initial public offering (IPO). Marvel's characters continue to play an important role at Disney, including helping headline its movie theater strategy and providing a steady source of new content for its Disney+ streaming service.

How to buy Marvel stock

Because Marvel is no longer a publicly traded company, you can't buy shares of the entertainment company in a brokerage account. However, you can get indirect exposure to the company and the trends driving its growth. Here are three Marvel alternatives to consider buying.

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is the most direct way to gain exposure to Marvel. Marvel is an important part of the Disney brand portfolio, which also includes Pixar, Lucasfilm, and its iconic Disney characters. In addition to producing movies and streaming content based on Marvel and other characters, Disney also operates theme parks, cruise ships, Hulu, and ESPN.

Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD +3.51%) owns long-time Marvel rival DC and produces films, television, consumer products, games, and themed experiences. In addition to DC, Warner Bros. Discovery's TV, film, and streaming portfolio includes Discovery Channel, Max, CNN, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, TNT, TBS, Travel Channel, and more. The company was formed in 2022 when AT&T (NYSE:ATT) spun off its WarnerMedia division and merged it with Discovery to create a leading entertainment company.

Comcast

Comcast (CMCSA -0.34%) is a leading global media and technology company that offers customers broadband, wireless, and cable services through its Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands. It also produces, distributes, and streams entertainment, sports, and new content through brands like NBC, Universal, and Peacock. Comcast also operates several Universal theme parks that feature Marvel characters.

Investors who want to buy one of these Marvel alternatives can purchase shares in any brokerage account. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to invest in stocks like Marvel.

Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

Is Marvel profitable?

While Disney continues to operate the Marvel brand, it doesn't break out that segment's profitability. Disney restructured Marvel in 2015, making it part of Walt Disney Studios.

Although we don't know if Marvel would be profitable as a standalone entity today, Disney is solidly profitable. The entertainment giant reported nearly $72 billion of revenue in its first three quarters of 2025, up 5% from fiscal 2024. Meanwhile, the company earned almost $12 billion of net income for that same three quarters, more than double what it earned in the prior-year period.

Should I invest in Marvel?

Although you can't invest directly in Marvel, you can buy shares of Disney to gain some exposure to Marvel. There are many reasons why you might want to invest in Disney, including:

You want to invest in a company behind some of your favorite brands and characters.
You believe the company's investments in streaming will increase its profitability and stock price.
You think the company's cost-cutting efforts, including its decision to reduce costs at Marvel, will increase shareholder value over the long term.

On the other hand, some reasons why you might decide against buying shares of the entertainment giant include:

You don't like the direction Disney is heading, including how it's managing Marvel.
You're specifically interested in investing in Marvel, not Disney.
You don't think the entertainment giant can turn around its box office slump.

ETFs with exposure to Marvel

Many investors prefer to invest passively instead of actively managing a portfolio of stocks. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) make it easy to be a passive investor.

Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, allows investors to buy many stocks or bonds at once.

Because Marvel isn't publicly traded, you can't gain exposure to it directly through an ETF. However, you can use ETFs to passively invest in its parent company, Disney. Some of the top ETFs with exposure to Disney include:

Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX -0.09%): This ETF tracks the performance of the communication services sector. It held shares of 121 companies as of late 2025, including Disney (4.50% of its assets). The fund had a 0.09% ETF expense ratio.
Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Communication Services ETF (RSPC -0.15%): The ETF provides equal-weighted exposure to the communication services sector within the S&P 500. This fund held shares of 27 companies in late 2025, including Disney (3.84% of its holdings). The ETF had a 0.4% total expense ratio.
iShares Global Comm Services ETF (IXP -0.13%): This fund aims to track the global communication services sector. The fund held shares of 90 companies in late 2024, including Disney (3.73% of its assets). The ETF had a 0.40% expense ratio.

The bottom line on Marvel

Marvel is part of the Disney family of brands. It will likely remain part of Disney, which sees it playing a key role in supporting its streaming platform. Although that means you won't be able to own shares of Marvel directly, you can get some exposure to the company by investing in Disney.

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About the Author

Matt DiLallo has been a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst specializing in covering dividend-paying companies, particularly in the energy and REIT sectors, since 2012. He also covers pre-IPO companies, ETFs, and other investing topics. He holds an MBA from Liberty University.

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Matt DiLallo has positions in Comcast and Walt Disney and has the following options: short November 2025 $130 calls on Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.