Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk... Barbie? It might sound crazy, but an Avengers trip to Barbieland might not be totally out of the question.
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00:00 Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Barbie?
00:03 It might sound crazy, but an Avengers trip to Barbie-land might not be totally out of
00:07 the question.
00:08 Greta Gerwig's Barbie is taking the world by storm, and it looks set to become one of
00:11 this year's biggest movies.
00:12 The existential take on Barbie lore is also refreshingly weird, with the film exploring
00:16 variant versions of the main characters.
00:18 Nowadays, this concept is more typically associated with superhero movies, which begs the question,
00:23 will Barbie ever join the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
00:26 "Avengers!"
00:28 "Assemble."
00:34 Marvel and Barbie do have a history, after all.
00:36 Between 1991 and 1996, Marvel Comics released two series dedicated to Barbara Millicent
00:41 Roberts, Barbie and Barbie Fashion.
00:44 These comics are slice-of-life affairs about the titular character and her friends embarking
00:47 on adventures while teaching wholesome morals to younger readers.
00:51 In some ways, they're comparable to the squeaky-clean era of Archie Comics, which also told stories
00:55 about teenagers just being young, moralistic, and carefree.
00:58 Sadly, the Barbie comics don't boast any Thanos-like supervillains who want to destroy humanity,
01:03 but the characters do come up against some rich industrialists, creepy magicians, burglars,
01:07 and evil Frenchmen.
01:08 Elsewhere, the adventures mostly involve things like aerial photo shoots and sailing trips
01:12 on Barbie's dream boat.
01:13 Meanwhile, the issues front covers boast phrases like "poodle pandemonium" and "dancing dilemma."
01:18 So yeah, it's not exactly Infinity War.
01:21 As you may have guessed, Barbie never quite crossed paths with the Avengers or their fellow
01:24 heroes.
01:25 That said, it isn't uncommon for Marvel Comics to license the comics' rights to established
01:29 pop culture dynasties and keep them separate from its superheroes and original creations.
01:34 Barbie's Marvel era was short-lived in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn't mean
01:37 she can't technically join the MCU in some way or another.
01:41 Unfortunately, it probably isn't going to happen anytime soon, mostly due to a few pernickety
01:45 rights agreements between Mattel Films and non-Disney entities.
01:48 Basically, Warner Bros. Pictures currently owns the distribution rights to Barbie, while
01:52 the MCU is controlled by Disney.
01:54 As such, Barbie won't be able to join the Marvel family unless an agreement takes place
01:58 that allows all of the relevant parties to work together.
02:01 Sure, there might come a day when Mattel Films will be able to collaborate with other studios
02:04 regarding the Barbie franchise, but they're living in David Zaslav's world for now.
02:09 Theoretically speaking, Barbie is currently more likely to join the DC Cinematic Universe.
02:13 Which, in fairness, is exactly the kind of wacky idea that might actually appeal to James
02:17 Gunn's sensibilities.
02:18 "What's with the javelin?"
02:19 "I'm waiting for God to tell me."
02:22 "Jesus Christ."
02:23 Of course, Disney and Marvel Studios do have a history of making the seemingly impossible
02:27 happen.
02:28 Once upon a time, the Spider-Man franchise seemed destined to remain in the clutches
02:31 of Sony Pictures, but all parties have been able to work together and make Peter Parker
02:35 a centerpiece of the MCU.
02:37 So as far as Barbie goes, never say never, but don't hold your breath either.
02:41 At the same time, maybe it's best to leave Marvel and Barbie's collaborative efforts
02:44 in the pages of the comics, as these stories don't need to involve superheroes to be great.
02:49 In that regard, it's worth pointing out that, while Barbie's introduction to the MCU would
02:53 be beautifully weird, she doesn't need to mingle with superheroes to be super.
02:57 The beauty of Marvel's Barbie comics is that the title character is portrayed as an aspirational
03:01 heroine whose victories are of the everyday variety.
03:04 For example, Barbie #3 sees her enter a figure skating competition only to compete against
03:08 jealous opponents who steal her footwear.
03:10 That doesn't stop Barbie from overcoming the odds, though, as she creates some modified
03:14 skates and delivers a flawless performance.
03:16 Elsewhere, Barbie Fashion #18 tells a simple story about the titular character helping
03:21 her friend overcome her fear of the dentist.
03:23 These are just a couple of examples of the wholesome tales that define Barbie's Marvel
03:26 Comics era.
03:28 Barbie is no stranger to globetrotting adventures in the Marvel comics, but she also finds magic
03:32 in everyday mundanity.
03:33 Sometimes, those adventures are just as exciting as any superheroic crusade through the cosmos.
03:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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