Marvel is moving from Manhattan to Burbank: New York loses its last Big Two publisher

Marvel says Marvel Comics will move its publishing headquarters from Midtown Manhattan to Burbank, California, and expects the transition to wrap up by July 2027. That shift puts the comics side much closer to the rest of Disney’s Southern California orbit, including Marvel Studios. The company’s pitch is straightforward: from Burbank, Marvel Comics can work more closely with the film, TV, games, merchandise, and theme park parts of the business.

For people who follow Marvel’s comics line, the symbolism here is hard to miss. DC Comics made the same move to Burbank back in 2015, so once Marvel leaves, New York won’t be home to either of the Big Two publishers anymore. That stings a little, given how closely Marvel’s identity has always been tied to the city. The company began there as Timely Comics, and creators like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby built a universe rooted in actual places like Queens and Manhattan, not in the kind of made-up cities DC became known for.

Marvel has also reportedly asked 100 New York employees to relocate. The old bullpen setup has been fading for years anyway, especially now that remote work has changed how comics get made, but the move still lands as a real break with the company’s past. Marvel says more U.S.-based creators now live in California than in the New York area. New York, for its part, won’t be empty of comics activity. Indie efforts like BODEGA are still there, events are still planned, and Archie Comics remains nearby in Pelham.

If Marvel hits its current timeline, the move will be done by July 2027. And with that, New York loses its last direct tie to the modern superhero business it did so much to create.