The Curious Case of Spider-Man & Hulk Rights (Or Keep Hope Alive That the Rights Will Revert)

[Spider-Fan]

I got several PMs in regard to the closure of the Keep Hope Alive Thread. It's truly the end of an era, and I'll be honest that I was not on this weekend when it happened. But it appears that the reason is that the thread was made during Fan4stic and it accomplished its goal. It more or less became an unfocused lounge.

But we still do have the outstanding Spider-Man & Hulk rights issues. So due to popular demand in my PM box, I am making this thread specifically about those issues. Let's try to keep this one focused on just discussing those rights situations, though. We have the general MCU thread now to discuss casting of Fox reboots and such. Do that there. But if you want to talk about Spider-Man and Hulk rights issues, then this thread is for you!

Enjoy

 

[Flint Marko]

I’ve been wondering about the state of the Hulk rights recently as it feels like a Hulk movie would be a logical next step for phase 4. Universal has the distribution rights, but do those expire at any point?

Spider-man’s going to remain at Sony for at least the next decade or so, that much is clear. Here’s to hoping Holland is able to stay involved in the MCU and they eventually introduce Miles once Peters had a few more movies.

 

[Smurphftw]

Maybe someday we will also get true clarification on Namor/Submariner's rights as well. There has been a lot of annoyingly contradictory information flung around the last few years on that one.

 

[Dark Raven]

I got several PMs in regard to the closure of the Keep Hope Alive Thread. It's truly the end of an era, and I'll be honest that I was not on this weekend when it happened. But it appears that the reason is that the thread was made during Fan4stic and it accomplished its goal. It more or less became an unfocused lounge.

But we still do have the outstanding Spider-Man & Hulk rights issues. So due to popular demand in my PM box, I am making this thread specifically about those issues. Let's try to keep this one focused on just discussing those rights situations, though. We have the general MCU thread now to discuss casting of Fox reboots and such. Do that there. But if you want to talk about Spider-Man and Hulk rights issues, then this thread is for you!

Enjoy

Thank you for creating this thread.

Wasn't the original "Keep Hope Alive" started before Fant4stic though, but was actually closed down during that movie? It was around before 2015 I'm pretty sure.

I do prefer the title of the old thread though as it was historical. Couldn't this thread be retitled "Keep Hope Alive that the Spider-Man, Hulk and Namor rights can revert to Marvel"? Or "Keep Hope Alive that the Sony and Universal rights can revert to Marvel"? Or even "Keep Hope Alive: Spider-Man, Hulk and Namor edition"? Then at least it is more focused but still a homage to the old one.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Maybe someday we will also get true clarification on Namor/Submariner's rights as well. There has been a lot of annoyingly contradictory information flung around the last few years on that one.

This is my big question also. I have heard an explanation which could make sense (though just because it makes sense doesn't mean it's right) that Namor was more complicated than Hulk because Universal had a claim on him based on their rights package, but Fox had a partial claim on him as a "mutant", and that legal complication prevented him from ever being used by anybody.

If true, that could be good news for us, because the Fox acquisition should give Marvel the right to treat him just like the Hulk.

 

[Detective Conan]

Wasn't the original "Keep Hope Alive" started before Fant4stic though, but was actually closed down during that movie? It was around before 2015 I'm pretty sure.

The original thread was created before the release of Fan4stic but not before the actual movie was announced and the reason it was created was specifically for the Fantastic Four rights to return back to Marvel Studios. Not really for all the Marvel rights to fully come home.

The original thread was started on January 15, 2013 and Trank was already announced to direct the ill-fated project:

"I know this film has a release date. I know Josh Trank is attached to direct. I know they may be knee-deep in pre-production right now.

But I, and many others, still hold out hope that Fox will fumble the production of this film somehow and will end up letting the rights revert back to Marvel so the First Family of Marvel can finally be included in the MCU.

This is a thread for those that choose to keep hope alive!"

The "Keep Hope Alive" (that the rights can revert back to Marvel) thread

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Thank you for creating this thread.

Wasn't the original "Keep Hope Alive" started before Fant4stic though, but was actually closed down during that movie? It was around before 2015 I'm pretty sure.

I do prefer the title of the old thread though as it was historical. Couldn't this thread be retitled "Keep Hope Alive that the Spider-Man, Hulk and Namor rights can revert to Marvel"? Or "Keep Hope Alive that the Sony and Universal rights can revert to Marvel"? Or even "Keep Hope Alive: Spider-Man, Hulk and Namor edition"? Then at least it is more focused but still a homage to the old one.

I believe the original started in 2013, and I think the thing that triggered it was that Fox had just announced Trank as director - making it seem that all hope was lost and Fox would keep the rights forever.

But Marvel was patient and kept plugging away, and we were patient and kept hope alive, and here we are.

I think it's just a matter of time before Marvel has everything. But there may be a period over the next few years that they're too busy with all these new characters to worry much about what Sony is doing.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

The original thread was created before the release of Fan4stic but not before the actual movie was announced and the reason it was created was specifically because Fantatsic Four rights were desired to return back to Marvel Studios.

The original thread was started on January 15, 2013 and Trank was already announced to direct the ill-fated project:

"I know this film has a release date. I know Josh Trank is attached to direct. I know they may be knee-deep in pre-production right now.

But I, and many others, still hold out hope that Fox will fumble the production of this film somehow and will end up letting the rights revert back to Marvel so the First Family of Marvel can finally be included in the MCU.

This is a thread for those that choose to keep hope alive!"

The "Keep Hope Alive" (that the rights can revert back to Marvel) thread

I posted mine above before I read this. That sums it up nicely.

 

[terry78]

If Disney wants those rights I feel all they have to do is throw enough cheddar and they could get them, but their current owners don't want to behead their golden goose. Hulk has already had two solos and apparently they feel now that he works best as a supporting hero, though I feel he does need a third movie with Leader as the villain.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

If Disney wants those rights I feel all they have to do is throw enough cheddar and they could get them, but their current owners don't want to behead their golden goose. Hulk has already had two solos and apparently they feel now that he works best as a supporting hero, though I feel he does need a third movie with Leader as the villain.

I have been disappointed that we haven't been able to see Hulk developed as a real, stand-alone character with all his classic related characters, but yeah, while I think Marvel would like to have the full rights it's not a huge priority right now.

 

[Dark Raven]

If Disney wants those rights I feel all they have to do is throw enough cheddar and they could get them, but their current owners don't want to behead their golden goose. Hulk has already had two solos and apparently they feel now that he works best as a supporting hero, though I feel he does need a third movie with Leader as the villain.

It's not just about Hulk rights alone though. It's about using the likes of She-Hulk and any other Hulk-related character. Same with Spider-Man.

If Marvel had the Hulk rights back, we could truly have a Hulk film where Wolverine debuts in it, rather than a Wolverine film where Hulk features in it. The latter is not quite the same as the former.

In Incredible Hulk #180-181, Wolverine was this mysterious and enigmatic character who suddenly appeared and we wanted to know who he was. Hulk was the main focus. If it's in a Wolverine film, Wolverine has to be the main focus and he can't debut in the same mysterious way.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

It's not just about Hulk rights alone though. It's about using the likes of She-Hulk and any other Hulk-related character. Same with Spider-Man.

If Marvel had the Hulk rights back, we could truly have a Hulk film where Wolverine debuts in it, rather than a Wolverine film where Hulk features in it. The latter is not quite the same as the former.

Is there anything solidly known about She-Hulk? Could she be used similar to Hulk if Marvel chose to?

 

[NHawk19]

Suppose the question is; we knew FF4 had an expiration, don't Hulk or Namor have one? Or does Hulk appearing in Avengers extend their time frame?

Namor though hasn't seen any development or appeared anywhere.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Thank you for creating this thread.

Wasn't the original "Keep Hope Alive" started before Fant4stic though, but was actually closed down during that movie? It was around before 2015 I'm pretty sure.

I do prefer the title of the old thread though as it was historical. Couldn't this thread be retitled "Keep Hope Alive that the Spider-Man, Hulk and Namor rights can revert to Marvel"? Or "Keep Hope Alive that the Sony and Universal rights can revert to Marvel"? Or even "Keep Hope Alive: Spider-Man, Hulk and Namor edition"? Then at least it is more focused but still a homage to the old one.

I like the title, but I made a slight alteration for ya

 

[Shuri]

If Disney wants those rights I feel all they have to do is throw enough cheddar and they could get them, but their current owners don't want to behead their golden goose. Hulk has already had two solos and apparently they feel now that he works best as a supporting hero, though I feel he does need a third movie with Leader as the villain.

With all the money they spent on acquiring Fox, do you think they will be willing to spend money on another asset that soon?

 

[Spider-Fan]

With all the money they spent on acquiring Fox, do you think they will be willing to spend money on another asset that soon?

I agree. I don't think they can afford to absorb that type of debt. Not for quite a while. They'd have to pay off a significant portion of what they spent on FOX first. I think if they do anything, an asset swap with slight cash tossed in would be more likely. But I don't see those happening for a while, either.

 

[Marvel united]

I just want Holland to sign on for 6 more films and for Disney to get a character package from Sony. We need Norman Osborn

 

[Dark Raven]

I like the title, but I made a slight alteration for ya

Thank you! At least it has the Keep Hope Alive phrase!

 

[Detective Conan]

Yeah I'm kind of fine with that thread being closed. Its was a great thread but it felt like the battle had already been won and I sort of felt the thread was dragging its feat a bit.

Marvel more or less has access to all their characters at this point. The remaining lingering rights issues such as Spider-Man and Hulk aren't really that much of an issue to me seeing as both those characters are already in the MCU and Marvel technically has the full cinematic rights to Hulk they just don't have the distribution rights. Namor seems to be the same case. After all, Universal isn't making Hulk and Namor films because they simply can't. They just hold on to the distribution rights. Fox by comparison held on to full production and distribution rights to the Marvel characters they licensed so they could make films out them without Marvel Studios.

Really the only real big rights hurdles were X-Men and Fantastic Four which until the Fox-Disney deal closed was very strictly controlled by Fox who held onto those rights(especially X-Men) with a really tight leash with no signs of loosening it like Sony did with Spider-Man. If Spider-Man is taken away from the MCU while it would suck for fans; one thing that will never be taken away is the reality that Spider-Man did get to join the MCU & he did have an MCU incarnation that co-existed with other superheroes like the comics version always did. The Fantastic Four and X-Men never had MCU incarnations thanks to Fox's continued hold on those franchises and there was really no hint that they would ever work with Marvel like Sony did especially since they already had a pretty successful X-Men franchise that could compensate for their repeated Fantastic Four blunders. Now Fox's control of the First Family and the Merry Mutants is no more, and in the near future there will be the MCU incarnations of those characters.

And do you know what else is no more?: Hope.

We don't have to keep hope alive no more.

Hope is no more because now it is a reality.

Pat yourself on the back folks, hope is now a reality and it feels pretty darn good if you ask me.

 

[Docker2.0]

*Subscribe*

 

[WeaponXCII]

Like many of you, I'm only now getting caught up with the status of the Keep Hope Alive thread. And so I'll just say how much I enjoyed spending time there with all of you guys, sharing in all of the discussions, highs and lows, and really just the whole journey (for which none of us was longer than @Willie Lumpkin- we made it, man!). And now I guess this is a new chapter. A chapter that I know I will enjoy as much as all of you.

That said, I don't know if the whole rights situation with Hulk and Spider-Man (ok, maybe the latter) is all that pressing for me. (Namor is still really a point of confusion for all of us.) I know it doesn't feel nearly as urgent as the Fox situation. For me, as long as these characters inhabit the same space- irrespective of real-world legal logistics- then I guess I'm a satisfied fan.

However, I will continue this new journey with all of you in Keeping Hope Alive.

 

[Marvel united]

This feels like our very own Avengers: Endgame event lol

 

[Bach]

The big/final battle has finally been won. However, there's still two more arcs left.

 

[MbJ]

LA Times: Disney Officially Cancels Dark Phoenix Theatrical Release; Disney + Release Expected Exclusive

 

[terry78]

Lol with all the **** going on that was pretty plausible.