With Captain America Civil War opening this Friday, I decided to brain out loud my opinion. Partially about the star-spangled squeal, but mainly about the state of affairs the library of Marvel characters are in today. Since I am 100% positive Captain America Civil War or Avengers 2.5 as some call it, is going to be a great movie and a box-office smash I'll talk briefly about it first. Some sites have predicted a domestic opening weekend box office around $190 million. The reviews are also in and they're overwhelmingly positive, 94% at Rottentomatoes.com in fact. Captain America Civil War looks as if it will blow away the disappointing Batman vs. Superman debacle. But this entry is about Marvel vs DC, it's about Marvel/Disney vs. 20th Century Fox. Actually, it's not really about the fight between the two studios, as the headline indicates. This entry is about why it's okay that the X-Men won't be showing up in an Avengers Movie. At least from my point of view.
It has been covered for two decades, and by now everyone should know why some of the key players of Marvel Comics aren't in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, just in case, you don't know I'll recap real quick. During a tough financial period in the 1990s, Marvel sold the film rights of several of their characters. 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four, which included everything specifically associated with those comics. Sony has the film rights to Spider-Man and his rogue's gallery, but Sony and Marvel have come to an agreement that will introduce Spider-Man into the MCU in Captain America Civil War. Marvel and 20th Century Fox do not have a working relationship like that, the two studios actually hate each other.
Before I get into the animosity between the two let's finish up the topic of film rights. Other studios were involved as well when Marvel was selling off character rights 20 some years ago. New Line Cinema owned the rights to Blade. Columbia Pictures had Ghost Rider. Fox also had the rights to Daredevil at one time, and there were a few others. However in these scenarios, the films either ran their course or underperformed at the box office, and the respective studios stopped making movies with those characters. After so much time passes without the studios utilizing the characters, the film rights revert back to Marvel, just as those listed above have. Which is how we got the amazing Marvel produced Daredevil series on Netflix. When Lions Gate allowed the rights to The Punisher to revert back it allowed the introduction of the gruff vigilantly in the second season of Daredevil, and now The Punisher is set to get his own series on Netflix. Things are moving fast at the House of Ideas.
Just like the fractured film rights the feud has also been covered ad nauseam, but rest assure it is real. Marvel is allegedly sabotaging the sales of the X-Men comics by downplaying their role in events, killing off Wolverine and so on. They cancelled the Fantastic Four comic outright, due to low sales Marvel claims. The cancellation and the sabotage seems like they are cutting their nose off to spite the face. Take a look at the two promotional images below for prrof. The first image is from 2007 before the first Iron-Man movie and the launch of the MCU. The image on the right is from 2015, notice that not a single member of the Fantastic Four or the X-Men can be found.
Fact is the X-Men don't need to be in the MCU. Even in the comics the X-Men have more or less always been a separate entity. Their story arcs are self contained, they have their own set of villains, supporting casts and protocols. Only in major events do the X-Men cross paths with the Avengers, and when Marvel uses one of these events for a movie, like Civil War for example, they omit or replace the Mutants and there is little to no effect. The difficult part of this feud, the part that is hurting the fans especially this fan is Fox's vice-like grip on the Fantastic Four. I don't doubt it when Marvel claimed the comic's sales were low, I was never a fan of Marvel's First Family. I am a fan of what was included in the Fantastic Four film rights. Namely Dr. Doom and Galactus the Devourer of Worlds. Dr. Doom is a technological genius on par with Tony Stark(Iron-Man) and conflict has erupted due to their egos many times. Galactus is a planet eating god that technically can't be defeated only convinced to NOT destroy the Earth. Galactus is a top-tier threat, more so than Thanos and it takes a team to thwart his plans. A perfect protagonist for the Avengers.
What have we been given when Fox uses Dr. Doom and Galactus, two of Marvel's best written and fleshed out badasses, in their movies. We get an angry space cloud in Fantastic Four Rise of The Silver Surfer and even worse than that we get this dime-store Halloween costume abomination that wore a garbage bag and dish gloves, and for good measure they change his origin and make him a meek, social outcast computer programmer instead of the brash, intimidating, megalomaniac that he should be.
It is highly unlikely the X-Men's film rights will revert back to Marvel. Nor is it likely a deal to share the characters, like the one between Marvel and Sony, will occur anytime soon. After the disastrous Fantastic Four movie last summer there was some hope that those characters would revert back or a deal would be made, but nothing happened. Then Fox announced their intention to produce some X-Men related televisions shows, expanding their cinematic universe like Marvel has with Agents of SHIELD, and Agent Carter. Thing is Marvel still holds the television rights to all their characters, and Fox had to ask permission. A deal was struck and Fox has announced Hellfire for FOX and Legion for FX. The details of the agreement are unknown even months after the deal was made. The popular rumor is that Fox relinquished the rights to the Fantastic Four and more importantly Dr. Doom and Galactus back to Marvel. This is an unconfirmed rumor, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. In a few years, after the Avengers have sent Thanos packing in the Infinity War movies, they need a new big bad. The MCU will continue, dates for Phase Four films have been officially announced and ideally that could include Dr. Doom or Galactus. I don't mind that the X-Men are imprisoned by 20th Century Fox, that's OK with me. I do hope that rumor is true because myself included, most fans are demanding that Fox releases the Fantastic Four.
The Fantastic Four and X-Men movies aren't Marvel Movies, they are 20th Century Fox movies with Marvel characters. There is a difference. The next Marvel Movie will be in theaters Friday, and it looks amazing!
It has been covered for two decades, and by now everyone should know why some of the key players of Marvel Comics aren't in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, just in case, you don't know I'll recap real quick. During a tough financial period in the 1990s, Marvel sold the film rights of several of their characters. 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four, which included everything specifically associated with those comics. Sony has the film rights to Spider-Man and his rogue's gallery, but Sony and Marvel have come to an agreement that will introduce Spider-Man into the MCU in Captain America Civil War. Marvel and 20th Century Fox do not have a working relationship like that, the two studios actually hate each other. Before I get into the animosity between the two let's finish up the topic of film rights. Other studios were involved as well when Marvel was selling off character rights 20 some years ago. New Line Cinema owned the rights to Blade. Columbia Pictures had Ghost Rider. Fox also had the rights to Daredevil at one time, and there were a few others. However in these scenarios, the films either ran their course or underperformed at the box office, and the respective studios stopped making movies with those characters. After so much time passes without the studios utilizing the characters, the film rights revert back to Marvel, just as those listed above have. Which is how we got the amazing Marvel produced Daredevil series on Netflix. When Lions Gate allowed the rights to The Punisher to revert back it allowed the introduction of the gruff vigilantly in the second season of Daredevil, and now The Punisher is set to get his own series on Netflix. Things are moving fast at the House of Ideas.
Just like the fractured film rights the feud has also been covered ad nauseam, but rest assure it is real. Marvel is allegedly sabotaging the sales of the X-Men comics by downplaying their role in events, killing off Wolverine and so on. They cancelled the Fantastic Four comic outright, due to low sales Marvel claims. The cancellation and the sabotage seems like they are cutting their nose off to spite the face. Take a look at the two promotional images below for prrof. The first image is from 2007 before the first Iron-Man movie and the launch of the MCU. The image on the right is from 2015, notice that not a single member of the Fantastic Four or the X-Men can be found.
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| Spidey survived the scorched Earth approach and made it onto the new poster. Go Spidey! |
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| Dr. Doom should inspire fear, not laughter. |
It is highly unlikely the X-Men's film rights will revert back to Marvel. Nor is it likely a deal to share the characters, like the one between Marvel and Sony, will occur anytime soon. After the disastrous Fantastic Four movie last summer there was some hope that those characters would revert back or a deal would be made, but nothing happened. Then Fox announced their intention to produce some X-Men related televisions shows, expanding their cinematic universe like Marvel has with Agents of SHIELD, and Agent Carter. Thing is Marvel still holds the television rights to all their characters, and Fox had to ask permission. A deal was struck and Fox has announced Hellfire for FOX and Legion for FX. The details of the agreement are unknown even months after the deal was made. The popular rumor is that Fox relinquished the rights to the Fantastic Four and more importantly Dr. Doom and Galactus back to Marvel. This is an unconfirmed rumor, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. In a few years, after the Avengers have sent Thanos packing in the Infinity War movies, they need a new big bad. The MCU will continue, dates for Phase Four films have been officially announced and ideally that could include Dr. Doom or Galactus. I don't mind that the X-Men are imprisoned by 20th Century Fox, that's OK with me. I do hope that rumor is true because myself included, most fans are demanding that Fox releases the Fantastic Four.
The Fantastic Four and X-Men movies aren't Marvel Movies, they are 20th Century Fox movies with Marvel characters. There is a difference. The next Marvel Movie will be in theaters Friday, and it looks amazing!
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