Rubenstein Heading to Marvel

Ex-Sony Pictures exec VP of Sony Pictures Digital and their king of digital imagery, Ira Rubenstein has been wooed away from the mega company by Marvel Entertainment to lead the comic book company’s massive effort to become a major player for the mobile and online business model, according to Variety.

Marvel, already the leader in the graphic novel world, has been making strong inroads of late in the motion picture industry and now it is ready to tackle the online digital market as well.

Rubenstein is himself one of the giants of the digital age, sought after by countless studios and media groups and is one of the entertainment industry’s major innovators for the internet digital online media.

His new role at Marvel is a huge leap up the corporate ladder for the digital guru, one in which he will be answerable only to Marvel’s top executive VP in the chief executive’s office, John Turitzin, giving Rubenstein a lot of latitude to give Marvel an edge as it continues to digitize its library of superhero comic books such as Spider Man, X-Men and more, readying them for online consumption for a new age and new, young, internet savvy audience.

Rubenstein will also be in charge of the further development of Marvel.com, the company’s official web presence, as well as MarvelKids.com, the creation of original animated content, strategic partnerships with mobile companies and online gaming.

“What’s really exciting is the sheer number of characters they have,” Rubenstein said. “These are iconic characters.”

It will be Rubenstein’s job to take that universe into digital space, expanding it for the next generation without eating away at the Marvel’s traditional and foundational comics business, which in this day-in-age can be a slippery slope, and one that only a few have mastered.