The Rebooted "Keep Hope Alive" (that the rights can revert back to Marvel) Thread - - - - - - Part 15

[Dark Raven]

I don't see Reed as autistic. Certainly not the way Lee and Kirby created him or in the early years. Maybe people have played on the nerdy aspect later and then associated autism with his genius, but I never got that impression.

 

[MarvelU]

Other than the Spiderman property are there other properties that have not reverted back to Marvel?

 

[Kuwolski]

The Hulk solo film licence.

 

[ADollarADay]

Sky is also a European ISP, which would give the Mouse additional leverage if Comcast or AT&T tried to throttle Disney's streaming services in favor of NBC/Universal or Time Warner content providers. Disney could consider extending Sky's reach to North America.

Exactly. The mere threat of being able to bring Sky to NA defangs the content delivery and ISP companies and keeps them from trying to hardball their OTT service once it goes live.

If Disney ever decided to bring Sky over, they don't even have to become the top service. They just have to take away enough subscribers to make the competition feel the heat.

I see what you guys are saying, but they wouldn't need Sky for that. And owning Sky wouldn't really help them as they would still have to set up the infrastructure and go through the whole process like Google had to do it for Fiber. Basically even without Sky they could threaten to create such an ISP and even if they own Sky, they would have to put pretty much the same effort as if they didn't own it.

Other than the Spiderman property are there other properties that have not reverted back to Marvel?

Comcast still has rights of first refusal to solo Hulk movies and "Hulk characters", i.e. She-Hulk, Abomination, General Ross, et.al. Comcast also has some rights to Namor, though no one knows for sure what those claims are. This is the latest venn diagram of Marvel characters movie rights (mind you, the below is still pending approval and could revert back to the previous venn diagram, though no one expects it).

And, of course, Comcast has theme park rights to Marvel properties in Orlando and Spiderman theme park rights in Japan.

 

[Detective Conan]

Marvel has solo production rights to Hulk as well; Universal just has the distribution rights.

 

[Zarex]

I see what you guys are saying, but they wouldn't need Sky for that. And owning Sky wouldn't really help them as they would still have to set up the infrastructure and go through the whole process like Google had to do it for Fiber. Basically even without Sky they could threaten to create such an ISP and even if they own Sky, they would have to put pretty much the same effort as if they didn't own it.

With an ISP under the Disney umbrella the Mouse could threaten to throttle Comcast or AT&T offerings if either company were to hamper the launch of Disney streaming services. Sky is a useful chip even if it never crosses the Atlantic.

 

[Orba]

I don't see Reed as autistic. Certainly not the way Lee and Kirby created him or in the early years. Maybe people have played on the nerdy aspect later and then associated autism with his genius, but I never got that impression.

Yeah, the way Lee and Kirby created him was as a typical 50s Scifi B-Movie hero.

 

[Dark Raven]

Yeah, the way Lee and Kirby created him was as a typical 50s Scifi B-Movie hero.

He was like Doc Savage or even Indiana Jones.

Or if anyone has watched Fantastic Voyage, he's like Stephen Boyd in it. He would actually have made a great Reed if an FF movie had been made decades ago.

 

[DyfeddRex]

I think we can move Marvel's true first superhero (Namor came out before Cap, back in the days), into the Marvel control. I think those issues raised by the crew were the Fox rights to mutants, and the fact that Namor has been declared a mutant.

If so, then clear that one, and we have just the Green Team and Webheads to get home, and at least have some influence on Sony by making them money on HC.

 

[Orba]

He was like Doc Savage or even Indiana Jones.

Or if anyone has watched Fantastic Voyage, he's like Stephen Boyd in it. He would actually have made a great Reed if an FF movie had been made decades ago.

Yeah, if you look at a lot of old B-Movies from the 50s and into the 60s the heroes are usually scientists. And the FF were really comic book b-movies, they explored a lot of the same sort of themes, other worlds, alien invaders, etc.

It came from Outer Space, This Island Earth, Tarantula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Earth vs the Flying Saucers, they all had the hero being a scientist or a doctor.

 

[Dark Raven]

Yeah, if you look at a lot of old B-Movies from the 50s and into the 60s the heroes are usually scientists. And the FF were really comic book b-movies, they explored a lot of the same sort of themes, other worlds, alien invaders, etc.

It came from Outer Space, This Island Earth, Tarantula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Earth vs the Flying Saucers, they all had the hero being a scientist or a doctor.

Yeah. And they weren't overly nerdy scientists who stayed in the background either while someone else did all the action. They were leading men types who were also physical and socially confident. In fact, that's why a lot of these younger women in these movies seemed to go for them. They were very distinguished all-rounders. That's exactly the mould in which Reed was made.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Unfortunately, many of the recent comic-book versions of Reed have leaned toward the overly geeky version and with the film versions added (and some of the casting suggestions I've seen), I'm a little afraid the geeky Reed is creeping into the public consciousness.

I'm hoping to hear Kevin Feige and/or the director of the next film echoing some of the sentiments of those in here, but I'm going to be a little nervous until then.

 

[Detective Conan]

I don't see Reed as autistic. Certainly not the way Lee and Kirby created him or in the early years. Maybe people have played on the nerdy aspect later and then associated autism with his genius, but I never got that impression.

They’re quite a few high functioning autistic individuals in real life whom If you ever met them it’d never cross your mind that they were autistic as there are different levels of autistim. Behavioral patterns of those on the spectrum pretty much varies. Those on the spectrum usually have trouble connecting to people socially—their social skills are rather poor. Granted they’re nerds in real life who are not on the spectrum who also display poor social skills so it’s certainly not a trait exclusive to autistic people. Autism usuallly gets diagnosed at a young age where the symptoms are most displayed but in some cases as they grow older those symptoms can mitigate with some coaching.

A good example is my cousin: When we were little he was very withdrawn often playing by himself and not with the other kids and me, and whenever we talk with him he often made poor eye contact looking downward on the ground everytime he someone talked with him but as time went on, as he grew older, those traits began to wear off and he became able to have one-on-one conversations with people wih great eye contact and he developed decent social skills(not great). If you talked with my cousin now he would hardly strike you as autistic but more a normal down-to-Earth guy so much so that people are usually surprised that he’s autistic: “You don’t seem autistic at all” is what they usually tell him.

 

[Crimz]

I'd be fine with Reed being slightly autistic, even Stan and Jack's Reed wasn't great at socializing and locked himself away in the lab for days at a time. It would be another layer to the character and it wouldn't take away from him being the "man of action". It's all about how they balance it all, as I also hate when writers make him very nerdy as that isn't Reed to me.

I think Johnny is the most geeky one on the team surprisingly.

 

[Detective Conan]

Unfortunately, many of the recent comic-book versions of Reed have leaned toward the overly geeky version and with the film versions added (and some of the casting suggestions I've seen), I'm a little afraid the geeky Reed is creeping into the public consciousness.

I'm hoping to hear Kevin Feige and/or the director of the next film echoing some of the sentiments of those in here, but I'm going to be a little nervous until then.

I see Reed Richards as basically Matt Damon’s character from The Martian. The type of guy who would say something like “I’m gonna science the **** out of this!” whenever he’s in a jam (though much smarter than that character of course) but similar in their cocksure belief in their intellect. Reed Richards is the freakin’ science guru( He’d be dubbed “the American Nikola Tesla” or touted as the second coming of Edison). Richards is not a geek per se but more of a insufferable know-it-all who might have difficulty parsing down his explanations of esoteric science stuff for the layman not in the know like Ben Grimm(which annoys him since that stuff usually flies over his head).

Reed is obsessed with science as it’s one of his first loves not named Sue Storm, but the problem presents itself when that obsession can become unhealthy to the point that he shuts people off and that’s part of why Sue makes for a good companion as she keeps him grounded, along with the rest of the team. Whether it be making a breakthrough in technology or finding a cure for Ben’s condition he has potential to lose himself to it so he needs a family to balance him.

Now that I’ve mentioned him: I don’t think Matt Damon would be a bad choice for Reed(yeah that ship has sailed already with him in Ragnarok but a guy can dream).

Feel free to disagree with my opinion, just saying.

 

[Dark Raven]

They’re quite a few high functioning autistic individuals in real life whom If you ever met them it’d never cross your mind that they were autistic as there are different levels of autistim. Behavioral patterns of those on the spectrum pretty much varies. Those on the spectrum usually have trouble connecting to people socially—their social skills are rather poor. Granted they’re nerds in real life who are not on the spectrum who also display poor social skills so it’s certainly not a trait exclusive to autistic people. Autism usuallly gets diagnosed at a young age where the symptoms are most displayed but in some cases as they grow older those symptoms can mitigate with some coaching.

A good example is my cousin: When we were little he was very withdrawn often playing by himself and not with the other kids and me, and whenever we talk with him he often made poor eye contact looking downward on the ground everytime he someone talked with him but as time went on, as he grew older, those traits began to wear off and he became able to have one-on-one conversations with people wih great eye contact and he developed decent social skills(not great). If you talked with my cousin now he would hardly strike you as autistic but more a normal down-to-Earth guy so much so that people are usually surprised that he’s autistic: “You don’t seem autistic at all” is what they usually tell him.

I know what autism is, and the different spectrums, but what I'm saying is that I don't think Reed was written that way at all but just that people have begun to assume he's that way because people think he's a nerd.

 

[Orba]

I know what autism is, and the different spectrums, but what I'm saying is that I don't think Reed was written that way at all but just that people have begun to assume he's that way because people think he's a nerd.

I think that is a lot to do with how science and scientists are perceived has changed over the decades. Back in the 50s science was seen as a thing of wonder, the atom had been split, people were looking at going into space, and planes were breaking the sound barrier and commercial flights across oceans were becoming more common and the world was opening up. Science was seen as exciting to the public, these days science is seen as boring and about the only people that are interested in most of it are weirdos and nerds.

It would be nice if the MCU went back to the 50s model, a scientist who is seen as discovering wonders rather than someone that just spends all his time looking at data. TBH I think they would need to if they want the FF to really work.

 

[Detective Conan]

I know what autism is, and the different spectrums, but what I'm saying is that I don't think Reed was written that way at all but just that people have begun to assume he's that way because people think he's a nerd.

If you only go by original Kirby/Lee version then sure, but characters evolve and change. Just because it wasn't written that way then doesn't necessarily mean it can't be now. IMO it would be refreshing to see a mainstream superhero with a disability since those are quite rare. Granted the idea of Reed being autistic was only done in the mediocre Fantastic Four: Season One however I think it's one of the few ideas that if written well can make Reed into someone more unique. Regardless, just throwing the idea out there.

 

[Dark Raven]

I think that is a lot to do with how science and scientists are perceived has changed over the decades. Back in the 50s science was seen as a thing of wonder, the atom had been split, people were looking at going into space, and planes were breaking the sound barrier and commercial flights across oceans were becoming more common and the world was opening up. Science was seen as exciting to the public, these days science is seen as boring and about the only people that are interested in most of it are weirdos and nerds.

It would be nice if the MCU went back to the 50s model, a scientist who is seen as discovering wonders rather than someone that just spends all his time looking at data. TBH I think they would need to if they want the FF to really work.

Exactly. This. They don't need to make Reed someone who is so absorbed in his books or research and as if he can't do anything else ore know how to properly relate. The 50s and 60s models have scientists (particularly in films) as more all-rounders who are just as much a man of action and someone who can socialise.

In the Hitchcock movie "Torn Curtain", they had Paul Newman as a genius maths scientist married to Julie Andrews. He had to go on some mission behind the iron curtain, but he also ended up in a very brutal fight with another spy. And he also had to do his fair share of socialising, because that's what some of these scientists would need to be able to do in order to get in with other scientists or people who would fund their research.

He was another character who would've been a good template for Reed.

It's not that Sue should be the sociable one and Reed is too other worldly to engage in this sort of thing at all. On the contrary, it would be that Reed is confident and skilled at these interactions, and that Sue, a much younger woman, would see how confident and distinguished he is and would be attracted to him.

 

[UltimatePyro9]

I think that Reed Richards would have a worthy interpretation in the MCU. The MCU has gotten its heroes right for the most part and Reed will be fine. Can't be any worse than Miles Teller anyways. Let's just see who is cast as the MCU Reed anyways.

 

[Detective Conan]

Maybe Reed Richards should basically be the white Neil Degrasse Tyson? Intelligent, charismatic and cool with a bit of glib nature to him. He makes science cool for those too-school-for school average joes who soon rather kick a football than listen to a science lecture.

 

[Dark Raven]

Patrick Wilson is a bit like Paul Newman. He could play Reed and be like the 50s/60s gung ho scientist adventurer.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Isn't the idea of the autism 'spectrum' that just about everybody falls along there somewhere (with one side being very subtle and the other being fairly extreme)?

In Reed's case, I don't think we need to diagnose him. We know that:

1. He is extraordinarily smart. But not just in terms of having extreme technical knowledge - he also has common-sense and problem-solving skills.

2. He is confident (to the point of being a bit arrogant).

3. He doesn't concern himself to any great extent with the feelings of others (but he's not completely oblivious or uncaring and he does have a sense of duty and love with a willingness to sacrifice when it comes to those he cares about).

4. He is extremely curious.

5. He charges ahead with a knowledge of where he's going and why he's going there and the people around him can either come with him or get out of the way.

I think that sums up some of Reed's key personality traits. Whether one chooses to try to fit him into one classification or another doesn't mean much as long as the film-makers and actor playing him understand his key characteristics well enough to bring his character to life.

 

[Big Bang]

I know what autism is, and the different spectrums, but what I'm saying is that I don't think Reed was written that way at all but just that people have begun to assume he's that way because people think he's a nerd.

If anything, Reed is just aloof at times.

 

[ADollarADay]

With an ISP under the Disney umbrella the Mouse could threaten to throttle Comcast or AT&T offerings if either company were to hamper the launch of Disney streaming services. Sky is a useful chip even if it never crosses the Atlantic.

I get it, but Disney could threaten that without owning Sky and Sky ownership wouldn't change that stance too much. But yeah, it is true what you guys are saying and something worth considering.