Marvel Studios fined $160,000 for Comic-Con advertisement

Marvel Studios has reportedly incurred $160,000 in fines from the city of San Diego following an unauthorized advertising installation during San Diego Comic-Con. The marketing campaign, created in partnership with Los Angeles-based Elevue Outdoor, involved wrapping the landmark Gaslamp Quarter arch in green and black signage themed around the upcoming film ‘Avengers: Doomsday’.

City officials stated that the installation was not permitted due to concerns that the structure posed a safety risk and would disrupt pedestrian flow during the high-traffic event. According to city spokesperson Richard Berg, the contractor “knowingly created a safety risk and refused to address it.”

Despite receiving warnings and being asked to remove the display, construction continued. This resulted in escalating daily fines that began at $10,000 and reached $50,000 per day by the end of the week. It remains unclear whether the financial responsibility for the penalty will fall on Marvel Studios or Elevue Outdoor.