Every Marvel Release in 1989
Marvel released 2 movies and shows in 1989, years before the MCU began, about 1h 40m (not counting X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, whose runtime isn’t listed yet) of viewing in total. Here’s every release in order, with where each one fits.
Every release this year came from outside the MCU: The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men.
| Release date | Title | Type | Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1989 | The Trial of the Incredible Hulk Not MCU | Film | 1h 40m |
| September 16, 1989 | X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men Not MCU | Special |
Marvel in 1989
Marvel changed hands again on January 6, 1989, when Ron Perelman's MacAndrews & Forbes bought it from New World for $82.5 million. New World kept Marvel Productions. On screen, the Hulk TV movies brought in another hero. The Trial of the Incredible Hulk aired on NBC on May 7 with Rex Smith as Daredevil and John Rhys-Davies as Wilson Fisk, along with a Stan Lee cameo as a jury foreman.
Dolph Lundgren's The Punisher opened in West Germany in October, but New World's financial troubles kept it out of US theaters, and it went direct to video in 1991. In September, the animated pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men aired in syndication. No series followed, but Marvel went back to the drawing board and produced X-Men: The Animated Series three years later.
FAQ
Who played the Punisher in 1989?
Dolph Lundgren. The film opened abroad in 1989 and went direct to video in the US in April 1991.
Was Daredevil in a Hulk movie?
Yes. Rex Smith played Daredevil in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, which aired on NBC on May 7, 1989.
How many Marvel movies and shows came out in 1989?
There were 2, about 1h 40m (not counting X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, whose runtime isn’t listed yet) of viewing in all.
What was the first Marvel release of 1989?
The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, released May 7, 1989.
What was the last Marvel release of 1989?
X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, released September 16, 1989.