Marvel/Disney playing hardball with FOX & Sony

[Heath]

Looks like Marvel/Disney is playing pretty tough with the competing studios that have film rights to the Marvel characters. Those properties are seeing NO support from Marvel/Disney. That includes Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four. Related comic titles are being cancelled. Characters are being killed. No supporting merchandise like action figures. Marvel wants all the film rights to all their characters. And, as worded in one article, if they can have them, then they'll do what they can to crush them. In the upcoming Secrete Wars event, there are no X-Men, no Fantastic Four, and only the Ultimate version of Spider-Man. Below are some links. Thoughts?

http://www.avclub.com/article/marvels-d ... -fo-210241" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://comicbook.com/2014/10/10/nycc-ex ... -is-foure/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.vox.com/2014/8/11/5974743/ma ... ans-future" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://hipsterzombiejoint.tumblr.com/po ... x-over-the" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bosco685]

What a silly, silly move on the part of Disney/Marvel to stomp its feet and act like a child. And much of this comes from its biggest stock share holder.

[slym2none]

What an immature move on M/D's part.





-slym

[Elveen]

I disagree.

If I was M/D I'd do ANYTHING I could to get the movie rights to MY characters. If I have to not support the characters I have with my comics....then I'd do it.

Will Marvel lose any $$$$ by not having Xmen and FF not in the upcoming Secret Wars? I don't think so.

D/M has to look at the characters they don't and have a long term plan to get them back. Maybe FOX and Sony will never sell back, BUT if in the next 10 years the Marvel movies are crushing the Fox and Sony movies..... welll maybe they'll sell then. If that happens, then whatever D/M did to not promote the characters, then, good job!

It's business.

[lorddunlow]

I think it is stupid, but if it works and they manage to get the rights back for all their properties, then I will be extremely happy. Marvel really knows what they are doing with their characters. Sony definitely does not. I liked the newer X-Men movies, but I'm sure it would be better in Marvel's hands.

[bosco685]

Well, for Fox business has been good lately. Nowadays, a movie must make 2.5X budget to account for theater revenue shares and international distribution costs.



Even the Fantastic Four franchise made money. Though FF2 should have been so much bigger at the box office now that the characters were established.



What could have caused that movie not to make more?





Dang gassy Galactus and puffy Parallax.

[StarBrand]

I disagree.

If I was M/D I'd do ANYTHING I could to get the movie rights to MY characters. If I have to not support the characters I have with my comics....then I'd do it.

Will Marvel lose any $$$$ by not having Xmen and FF not in the upcoming Secret Wars? I don't think so.

D/M has to look at the characters they don't and have a long term plan to get them back. Maybe FOX and Sony will never sell back, BUT if in the next 10 years the Marvel movies are crushing the Fox and Sony movies..... welll maybe they'll sell then. If that happens, then whatever D/M did to not promote the characters, then, good job!

It's business.

+1

[bosco685]

It's actually a short-sighted business practice.

1) Comic sales: Rather than just dealing with the situation through mutual coordination and contracting with Fox, Marvel is suspending production and future character contributions. Especially with X-Men, which has been one of its strongest in-company franchises growing the hobby.

2) Fox recent wins: So now that Fox has pulled its head out from its backside with at least the X-franchise ('The Wolverine' and 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' were huge wins; 'First Class' may not have gone over well at the box office, but it was a fantastic movie as well).

Marvel made its bed long ago to overcome its bankruptcy challenge. And it has recovered some very valuable rights that will allow it to continue succeeding.
- Spider-Man merchandising rights recovered from Sony.
- Daredevil Universe rights back from Fox (Elektra TBD, as that contract should expire in 2015).
- Punisher rights back from Lionsgate.
- Black Panther rights back from Lionsgate.
- Recent rumors that Sony is in talks about how to actively work with Marvel on Spider-Man (Lord, I hope this is true).

Better to figure out a way how to work with Fox and guide them towards success, which then has a strong potential to impact comic sales. Especially if its current actions can have reputation risk impacts, and start to have the general movie audience assume X-franchise and Fantastic Four-franchise characters are now fully Fox properties because they see nothing to do with Marvel on these.

[Heath]

I think its a good business decision. The movies are the major media now, not the comics. The comics support the films, not the other way around. So why should DMarvel/Disney help promote another studio's films? It sucks for the people who care about the comics. But when you look at it as just business, it makes sense.

[bosco685]

When you look at the September sales distribution records for Marvel, the X-franchise of books it wants to shut down are in the Top 50 titles.

#28: Uncanny X-Men
#29: Deadpool (yes, they are talking about shutting down Deadpool too now with the movie news)
#39: All New X-Men

The Death of Wolverine and Spider-Man titles are mainly what took the higher spots. Would it put more of its focus into the Avengers, Guardians, Spider-Man and Thor books? There's nothing completely wrong with that as a strategy. But why blow away the other heavy-hitters that are already established characters in the hobby (and beyond)?

[Heath]

The money from the comics is pocket change compared to the films. Being part of Disney, and with their own film studio churning out mega successful films, and with all the merchandising, they dont really lose much cancelling even their highest selling titles. The comics are just one more piece of merchandising and are a very small piece of the pie.

[bosco685]

Well, since the biggest shareholder of Disney is also the former owner of Marvel (and rumored to be the person driving these changes), he is most probably looking at the situation this way. But that 'pocket change' on comics are the catalysts for branded purchases such as shirt, mugs, hats, action figures, games, etc.

The marketing relationship between the two does factor into the revenues that come out of this hobby. Even the movie industry tries to take advantage of this.

[Elveen]

My point is, look to the long term.
How many Marvel movies do you see Disney making in the next 10 years? 20 years?

Do whatever you can do get back all your characters.
Why promote someone else's characters.

If the x men take a 10 year down turn in the comics, but it gets you the chance to get the property back...... And then Disney / Marvel can make x men movies for then on, would you not do it?

[bosco685]

Marvel definitely needs to get its properties back over time. Look at what they could have done with Galactus and Silver Surfer if these two had been available to make an appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy.

But Marvel's actions of the past have cost it some great property appearances and negotiation chips. When Fox had Joe Carnahan lined up to relaunch Daredevil, and they asked for an extension on the movie rights in exchange for Galactus and Silver Surfer, Marvel blew that off with just Daredevil in mind. If they were thinking like true businessmen (always about profitable decisions and partnerships), it could have used this leverage to negotiate a much more beneficial relationship.

I wouldn't be surprised if Fox is using its X-Men and Fantastic Four rights to thumb its nose at Marvel over the same situation. That is not smart business for anyone. Fans and movie viewers get tossed in the middle trying to figure out what makes sense.

[400yrs]

I disagree.

If I was M/D I'd do ANYTHING I could to get the movie rights to MY characters. If I have to not support the characters I have with my comics....then I'd do it.

Will Marvel lose any $$$$ by not having Xmen and FF not in the upcoming Secret Wars? I don't think so.

D/M has to look at the characters they don't and have a long term plan to get them back. Maybe FOX and Sony will never sell back, BUT if in the next 10 years the Marvel movies are crushing the Fox and Sony movies..... welll maybe they'll sell then. If that happens, then whatever D/M did to not promote the characters, then, good job!

It's business.

+1

+1

I trust Disney to do a better job with their movies than Sony or fox. GOTG was a crappy property, but that's the first good comic movie I've seen in a while. I fell asleep during the last Spider-Man.

[Cyberstrike]

With the deal with Fox, that Fox is getting HUGE royalities from the various Fantastic Four and X-Men comics, toys, DVDs, Blu-Rays. streaming services, video games, clothing, and every other media and that is why Marvel is allowing any NO new mutant/X-Men characters be created and why Wolverine died and rumors are that Deadpool might die soon.

[Cyberstrike]

As I said before Disney doesn't like to share it's properties.

[Elveen]

The one thing that Marvel can always use in negotiations is....

Guardians of the galaxy.
They don't need (spidey or the x men),they certainly want them, I'd think badly. But if they can make GotG massive ( and it was and is huge) they will do the same with ant man and black panther and the inhumans and whatever else they do.
I agree that it would have been cool to see the silver surfer and galactus in the GotG movie, but they did not need them.
Heck, we got my kids the new Disney infinity 2.0 and they got a power disk that allowed them to play with Yondu!!!! Yondu? Would the silver surfer be cool, heck yes!
But marvel / Disney has the upper hand here, they can make black bolt or medusa super popular.

[Elveen]

As I said before Disney doesn't like to share it's properties.

Why would they??
It's bad business.
Unless you need help to make money off of them, which Disney does not, why share.

[Elveen]

With the deal with Fox, that Fox is getting HUGE royalities from the various Fantastic Four and X-Men comics, toys, DVDs, Blu-Rays. streaming services, video games, clothing, and every other media and that is why Marvel is allowing any NO new mutant/X-Men characters be created and why Wolverine died and rumors are that Deadpool might die soon.

I'd do it.
If after a few years the plan is not working, then just bring them back.

[bosco685]

As I said before Disney doesn't like to share it's properties.

Oh, it definitely does not. And it has even gone after schools that painted Mickey or Donald on their walls without the permission of Disney.

Just imagine the corporate conversations going on with these Marvel properties.

[lorddunlow]

The one thing that Marvel can always use in negotiations is....

Guardians of the galaxy.
They don't need (spidey or the x men),they certainly want them, I'd think badly. But if they can make GotG massive ( and it was and is huge) they will do the same with ant man and black panther and the inhumans and whatever else they do.
I agree that it would have been cool to see the silver surfer and galactus in the GotG movie, but they did not need them.
Heck, we got my kids the new Disney infinity 2.0 and they got a power disk that allowed them to play with Yondu!!!! Yondu? Would the silver surfer be cool, heck yes!
But marvel / Disney has the upper hand here, they can make black bolt or medusa super popular.

QFT

I think GotG was Marvel/Disney's middle finger to Fox and Sony.

"Look, you can hold on to the properties you have, we'll just make these C-list characters the biggest thing ever. Then we'll make other minor characters the cool ones and no one will watch your movies."

Disney has my wallet in a vice grip and it is completely merited. They are good stewards of their properties. I cannot wait for Marvel rides at Disney parks. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they made an entire park just for Marvel and Star Wars now that Universal has lost the licensing rights for their Marvel themed rides.

[bosco685]

Have some of you actually had a chance to watch X-Men: First Class or The Wolverine or X-Men: Days of Future Past yet? As much as I would like to see Marvel in control of its properties, the fanboy in me really likes what Fox has pulled together after going off the rails with Last Stand and X-men Origins: Wolverine. These movies actually are outstanding, and with the last two they had box office results just as strong as Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, and Thor: The Dark World.

So what are we missing out on right now that Marvel would add to these? I'd love to hear that.

[Elveen]

The one thing that Marvel can always use in negotiations is....

Guardians of the galaxy.
They don't need (spidey or the x men),they certainly want them, I'd think badly. But if they can make GotG massive ( and it was and is huge) they will do the same with ant man and black panther and the inhumans and whatever else they do.
I agree that it would have been cool to see the silver surfer and galactus in the GotG movie, but they did not need them.
Heck, we got my kids the new Disney infinity 2.0 and they got a power disk that allowed them to play with Yondu!!!! Yondu? Would the silver surfer be cool, heck yes!
But marvel / Disney has the upper hand here, they can make black bolt or medusa super popular.

QFT

I think GotG was Marvel/Disney's middle finger to Fox and Sony.

"Look, you can hold on to the properties you have, we'll just make these C-list characters the biggest thing ever. Then we'll make other minor characters the cool ones and no one will watch your movies."

Disney has my wallet in a vice grip and it is completely merited. They are good stewards of their properties. I cannot wait for Marvel rides at Disney parks. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they made an entire park just for Marvel and Star Wars now that Universal has lost the licensing rights for their Marvel themed rides.

At Disneyland, they are getting rid of th nemo ride and building a Star Wars land.

[Elveen]

Have some of you actually had a chance to watch X-Men: First Class or The Wolverine or X-Men: Days of Future Past yet? As much as I would like to see Marvel in control of its properties, the fanboy in me really likes what Fox has pulled together after going off the rails with Last Stand and X-men Origins: Wolverine. These movies actually are outstanding, and with the last two they had box office results just as strong as Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, and Thor: The Dark World.

So what are we missing out on right now that Marvel would add to these? I'd love to hear that.

I'm not saying that they are missing anything, just saying that if I were marvel comics I would de-emphasize the characters I did not own the movie rights to for the reason of at some point get g them back.