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Marvel character to meet guests at Disney

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Disney will roll out a formal meet and greet with a Marvel character.

The park is calling is a "surprise and delight" experience.

Channel 9's Jamie Holmes learned the move opens a new chapter in the joint custody battle of Marvel between Walt Disney and Universal Orlando.

An employee dressed as the Marvel character Dr. Strange will be shaking hands and posing for pictures at Hollywood Studios.

It's one of he first times a Marvel character has been at a Disney park in Orlando since Marvel also shares a contract with Universal Studios.

The Star-Lord character from Guardians of the Galaxy was in one of the parks in 2014.

"It's such a weird contract. It's so weird for one theme park company to buy an IP used at another theme park company, and then fight over it. That's never happened,” said Tom Corless, with WDW News Today.

Universal and Marvel have been partners since 1994. Universal owns the rights to Marvel characters east of the Mississippi. From that deal, came the Marvel rides at Universal, but Disney is using "Dr. Strange" and the "Guardians of the Galaxy" characters through a loophole in the contract.

"They're not allowed to print it on times or any material like that, or market it, or put the word, Marvel. But Dr. Strange, the character, is fine to appear in the park,” Corless said.

The "surprise and delight experience" means that Disney is also starting to flex its Marvel muscle, for which the company paid $4 billion.

"I think it says Disney is going to do whatever they can legally to use the characters. I think they've danced around it the last few years and now its full speed, whatever we can use, we're going to use,” Corless said.

Corless said the character will be near Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios, beginning Friday.

Disney officials said the experience will happen throughout the weekend, but did not specify any time after that.