Avi arad is ********

[Mr. Dent]

“Good morning Devin. As usual you manage to disappoint me with your false statements. I am sure you were told by Marvel that I resigned over the self-financing strategy. It is about time for a reporter like you to do your homework and check the facts. It will sound arrogant to you, but I single handedly put together the Marvel slate. Read it carefully and you will notice the natural progression of the character’s design to get to where we are today. You should reach out to Merill Lynch and Ambac Insurance and to our international partners that came on board based on my track record. Our financial partners counted on my reputation. I had to work very hard to convert the doubters. They trusted me and without Iron Man this article would have not been written. Iron Man was not even in the original slate. I knew that we needed it so I set out to get it back from Newline and the rest is history. Our financing would have never happened without me reaching out to Brad Grey to make a distribution deal that will give you a corporate guarantee. Other people in Marvel worked for many months with Universal and could not reach a deal. I got tired of waiting and went to Brad. The deal was done in days, successful for both companies. The big presentation to financial institutions and insurance companies took place on the Paramount lot. I was the presenter and it worked. Does this sound to you like someone who disagreed with the strategy to make our own movies? I have forgiven Kevin for following orders and taking the credit, but he had no choice. Shame on you for kowtowing to your business gods. I have given up on journalistic integrity. You called me to talk about Kevin and I gave you the most true and glowing account on someone that I love and respect. Share your notes otherwise you just wasted my time. I will share this letter with other papers and your management to demonstrate the unprofessional self-serving work this reporter demonstrated.” - Avi Arad

 

[fixxxer]

Context? The Devin referenced is Devin Faraci, I assume?

EDIT: Just did a little digging. The Devin is Devin Leonard, and in response to the Business Week profile of Feige that ran about a month ago. Link: http://www.businessweek.com/article...marvels-superhero-at-running-movie-franchises

Hmm, I don't remember reading anything negative about Avi Arad in that, though I might have to read it again to refresh my memory. Did Arad respond angrily just because he felt the piece didn't give him enough credit?

 

[Saitou Hajime]

Context? The Devin referenced is Devin Faraci, I assume?

EDIT: Just did a little digging. The Devin is Devin Leonard, and in response to the Business Week profile of Feige that ran about a month ago. Link: http://www.businessweek.com/article...marvels-superhero-at-running-movie-franchises

Hmm, I don't remember reading anything negative about Avi Arad in that, though I might have to read it again to refresh my memory. Did Arad respond angrily just because he felt the piece didn't give him enough credit?

Arad was taking offense to the part in the article that said that he had doubts about the Merrill Lynch strategy and resigned because of it.

 

[Zarex]

A couple quotes of interest:

"It will sound arrogant to you, but I single handedly put together the Marvel slate."

I have no reason to believe it wasn't a one-man show. After all, Mr. Arad's handling of Spidey since the middle of the last decade has been exemplary.


"Iron Man was not even in the original slate. I knew that we needed it so I set out to get it back from Newline and the rest is history."

And who sold off Iron Man in the first place, Avi? Should you really be taking credit for a problem you created?


"I have forgiven Kevin for following orders and taking the credit, but he had no choice."

Apparently Mr. Arad didn't watch "Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe". Both he and David Maisel were credited for their contributions to the MCU.

 

[Eddie]

Avi Arad is probably going to be having some very interesting meetings with his superiors. Let the baby cry for now.

 

[Silvermoth]

What a dreadful person. I would have been ok with acknowledging him in the early days, at least with starting the superhero craze, but after this I just think he's a bit of a bully

 

[Leenie]

Avi Arad is, to put it simply, a fool.

 

[Hyde]

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Without this Man we wouldn't have any Marvel movies.

**** him right.

 

[H.U.S.T.L.E.]

I don't think anyone here is trying to downplay his role in bringing Marvel to the big screen, but he certainly seems to have a inflated sense of self (and to some extent, Spider-Man's importance in this entire run of movies we're currently seeing).

 

[Destructus86]

I think he may be overstating his importance.

 

[Spider-Fan]

This is an arrogant man, LOL!

 

[TheVileOne]

Listen, I know we all like to criticize Arad from time to time, but we also have to acknowledge that his actions and selling off the film rights to the characters is also part of what helped save the company from ruin.

Because 10-15 years ago, Marvel wouldn't have been able to do this themselves guys. It was because of the X-Men and Spider-Man movies that Marvel was eventually able to set this up and do this themselves. So had the film rights not been sold off, we might not be where we are today.

I interviewed Craig Kyle (comic writer, now Marvel Studios writer and producer, currently working on Thor 3) at Comic-Con some years back, and he told me if not for the 1990's X-Men animated series, they wouldn't be there today. It was the animated series and its massive popularity that gave the X-Men franchise momentum to get a film made and that sort of helped start the snowball effect. And I imagine Avi Arad helped facilitate a lot of those deals.

So selling off the film rights, for better or worse, was necessary to help save Marvel and get it to a point where they could make the films themselves get to this Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now would it be nice if Marvel had the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man rights back under their banner instead of having them spread out at different studios? The answer is yes. But had the rights not been sold and had X-Men and Spider-Man not proved that these characters could be viable movie franchises, Marvel might not have gotten to this point either.

I think in hindsight, it all had to happen this way. For better or worse.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I fully acknowledge Arad's contributions towards saving Marvel as a company and help laying the foundations for Marvel Studios.

But he seems all too eager to take credit away from Kevin Feige and others at times, and that I have a problem with.

 

[Leenie]

^Bingo.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Listen, I know we all like to criticize Arad from time to time, but we also have to acknowledge that his actions and selling off the film rights to the characters is also part of what helped save the company from ruin.

Because 10-15 years ago, Marvel wouldn't have been able to do this themselves guys. It was because of the X-Men and Spider-Man movies that Marvel was eventually able to set this up and do this themselves. So had the film rights not been sold off, we might not be where we are today.

I interviewed Craig Kyle (comic writer, now Marvel Studios writer and producer, currently working on Thor 3) at Comic-Con some years back, and he told me if not for the 1990's X-Men animated series, they wouldn't be there today. It was the animated series and its massive popularity that gave the X-Men franchise momentum to get a film made and that sort of helped start the snowball effect. And I imagine Avi Arad helped facilitate a lot of those deals.

So selling off the film rights, for better or worse, was necessary to help save Marvel and get it to a point where they could make the films themselves get to this Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now would it be nice if Marvel had the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man rights back under their banner instead of having them spread out at different studios? The answer is yes. But had the rights not been sold and had X-Men and Spider-Man not proved that these characters could be viable movie franchises, Marvel might not have gotten to this point either.

I think in hindsight, it all had to happen this way. For better or worse.

 

[MarvelFan]

this is why i never liked Avi Arad...regardless of what he's done in the past...

My biggest fear is that he seems wanting to back with Marvel Studios again...
He should stay away with MCU as far as possible....Let the first Iron Man be his one and only MCU property he's got his hands into. I don't want him to lay his hands on any MCU whatsoever again

 

[Tymminator]

I fully acknowledge Arad's contributions towards saving Marvel as a company and help laying the foundations for Marvel Studios.

But he seems all too eager to take credit away from Kevin Feige and others at times, and that I have a problem with.

Exactly.

Also. He might have had ideas, but Feige was the one who overall displayed great execution. Arad has not convinced me in any way with what he has done, or in his interviews of what he wants to do that he's good in execution, any successes he's had so far almost come off more like like luck, IMO.

 

[eddy]

http://www.latino-review.com/news/how-avi-arad-got-iron-man-back-from-new-line

So how did he get it back from them when the new opportunity arose? Simple. He lied. He lied to New Line and Emmerich for months telling them that they were in negotiations for an extension, leading them to believe the project was going forward, then on the day the option was up he pulled it.

Arad so baldy and boldy lied to everyone back in those days, it’s astonishing he wants the unearned credit now. Track record? Outside of Marvel that consists of the Bratz movie. Feige was and remains the waterboy, that was clear then and now, but to talk about “forgiving” Kevin is just hilarious.

More in the article.