The Rebooted "Keep Hope Alive" (that the rights can revert back to Marvel) Thread - Part 7

[wobbly]

Wouldn't the New Mutants and Xforce films count as Xmen films extending its contract? Because they are about to be real busy.

I think they would. I imagine the Wolverine solo's do as well. That's why I'd say Fox's hold over the X-Men isn't in question at all atm: There's all manner of spin-offs they can employ with them to keep that one going, even if the main X-Men films falter

However, it's not inconceivable the contract does specifically state they do have to produce an 'X-MEN' film within the time frame (there was 5 years between Last Stand and First Class).

With the FF (and before anyone asks, nope, they cant crossover and have the Thing or Torch turn up in a X-Men film to keep the FF rights) their options are far more limited. A Silver Surfer solo might be enough, assuming the originally separate deals are now combined post ROTSS. But I honestly cant see Fox going there.

 

[Dasher10]

Hopefully X-men is only 5 years like Spider-man.

X-Men reverting will NEVER happen. Not after X-Men Apocalypse still made money despite average reviews and Deadpool became a huge critical and commercial success. Logan is looking to be another hit.

Right now the only rights which may conceivably revert are Fantastic Four and Hulk. Namor recently reverted. Marvel can do a solo Namor film now. That's great since Namor is one of the few characters who Marvel have who needs a film budget to do right.

Hulk is presumably going to head back in 2018. The production rights are on a timer and it's likely they're for a ten-year period. Fantastic Four has less than six years to go. Since it's doubtful that we're getting an FF sequel with the announced dates, we're either looking at a 2020 release which is a five-year wait for a sequel or we're not looking at any sort of FF sequel.

 

[ehh]

Hulk is owned by Universal Studios, but it's been 8 years since TIH came out. So I don't know if any when they are reverting back to Marvel. I also don't think it really matters since Marvel has put the Hulk to good use in the MCU despite him not having another solo movie.

My only GRIPE is that there are some unresolved plots from TIH that have been swept under the rug.

 

[Jordacar]

My larger GRIPE is lack of She-Hulk in the MCU.

 

[Orba]

Hulk is owned by Universal Studios, but it's been 8 years since TIH came out. So I don't know if any when they are reverting back to Marvel. I also don't think it really matters since Marvel has put the Hulk to good use in the MCU despite him not having another solo movie.

My only GRIPE is that there are some unresolved plots from TIH that have been swept under the rug.

Marvel have the production rights, they just don't have the distribution rights. So Marvel can make Hulk films but it would mean sharing some of the profits with Universal. It just means that we will continue to just get Hulk stories within other character's movies until the rights have completely reverted.

 

[NotNickFury]

So couldn't Marvel just make a film and share profits like with Sony? Marvel is owned by the Mouse- they have tons of money already, anyway. Unless this is just some matter of principle.

 

[Dasher10]

So couldn't Marvel just make a film and share profits like with Sony? Marvel is owned by the Mouse- they have tons of money already, anyway. Unless this is just some matter of principle.

No. The Hulk deal is like the Spider-Man deal. Marvel has to make the movie but Universal get the profits. The last Hulk film bombed at the box office despite solid reviews and Hulk also failed to move merchandise so neither studio profited.

 

[Zarex]

No. The Hulk deal is like the Spider-Man deal. Marvel has to make the movie but Universal get the profits. The last Hulk film bombed at the box office despite solid reviews and Hulk also failed to move merchandise so neither studio profited.

That's no true. The Hulk deal is a distribution deal. Marvel Studios produced and received the profits for the 2008 film. Universal distributed the film and received a fee for their efforts. TIH was the only Phase 1 solo film not distributed by Paramount.

 

[wobbly]

That's no true. The Hulk deal is a distribution deal. Marvel Studios produced and received the profits for the 2008 film. Universal distributed the film and received a fee for their efforts. TIH was the only Phase 1 solo film not distributed by Paramount.

Yup. Marvel do own the film rights, and they can make a Hulk solo, but Universal would distribute it. How long this lasts is any ones guess.

 

[wobbly]

So couldn't Marvel just make a film and share profits like with Sony? Marvel is owned by the Mouse- they have tons of money already, anyway. Unless this is just some matter of principle.

From Disneys pov I'd say they simply don't want to help fill rivals coffers if they dont have to.

Spider-Man (Marvels most popular character) is an exception.

 

[Spiderine]

They are not gonna waste time making a deal with Universal over distribution rights when they currently use Hulk how they please. Hulk has a big story in Ragnarok next year. They could care less about Hulk solos at the moment. Your Hulk solo is in Thor.

 

[ehh]

Hulk just doesn't make money. ALTHOUGH I think now that the character's popularity has gone up since the Avengers, I think another solo movie could work. The Incredible Hulk was only Marvel's second movie, which was preceded by the poorly received Ang Lee film. The MCU wasn't really popular yet and audiences weren't really as familiar with the shared universe concept.

If they came out with a Hulk film today, I think it would do much better. Probably not on the level of The Winter Soldier or Doctor Strange, but I could see it getting Ant-Man levels of critical and financial success.

 

[Dark Raven]

They probably shouldn't have tried to launch Hulk as the second MCU film. If they waited and just launched him in the Avengers ( which is effectively what they ended up doing anyway) things would've been very different. I don't know what they would have had instead of that film, but they didn't really need that film in 2008 anyway. Iron Man was enough.

 

[Spiderine]

I think the idea at the time was to establish the four key Avengers with their own solo films before the Avengers release. And to distance their version of Hulk from anything associated with Ang Lee. I think they also thought it would be successful enough to stand on its own.

 

[Spiderine]

Hulk just doesn't make money. ALTHOUGH I think now that the character's popularity has gone up since the Avengers, I think another solo movie could work. The Incredible Hulk was only Marvel's second movie, which was preceded by the poorly received Ang Lee film. The MCU wasn't really popular yet and audiences weren't really as familiar with the shared universe concept.

If they came out with a Hulk film today, I think it would do much better. Probably not on the level of The Winter Soldier or Doctor Strange, but I could see it getting Ant-Man levels of critical and financial success.

Its not worth paying Universal a dime when Hulk can be featured heavily in other MCU films for free. Hulk will give Thor a HUGE boost at the box office.

 

[wobbly]

Hulk could make big money. His tv show back in the day was popular, and Hulk 03 broke the opening weekend record for a June release at the time. Interest was certainly there.

Problem is Hulk 03 wasnt good at all and that affected the Norton reboot, which was better, but made the same mistake that Marvel have persisted with even in Avengers: They give the Hulk no real personality. He grunts, he growls, and has a knack for bluntly intererrupting bad guys mid sentence, but little beyond that.

Give the big guy his comic persona (they have a few to choose from ffs) I think a Hulk solo can do very well.

Another Banner running around, Hulking out 3 times for some action, maybe getting a few words of dialogue... Not gonna do so good.

 

[ehh]

Ehh. I think a Hulk film will happen at some point. I want to see a follow up to TIH.

 

[Spiderine]

Hulk could make big money. His tv show back in the day was popular, and Hulk 03 broke the opening weekend record for a June release at the time. Interest was certainly there.

Problem is Hulk 03 wasnt good at all and that affected the Norton reboot, which was better, but made the same mistake that Marvel have persisted with even in Avengers: They give the Hulk no real personality. He grunts, he growls, and has a knack for bluntly intererrupting bad guys mid sentence, but little beyond that.

Give the big guy his comic persona (they have a few to choose from ffs) I think a Hulk solo can do very well.

Another Banner running around, Hulking out 3 times for some action, maybe getting a few words of dialogue... Not gonna do so good.

From what I hear if you believe the rumors that's suppose to be changing. He may be more intelligent and Banner may have more control. I don't doubt Hulk couldn't make money alone. I don't think it makes a difference to them whether its solo or you called the movie Antman and stuck Hulk in it. Its all making money. Ragnarok is essentially a Hulk and Thor film without Hulk in the title.

 

[wobbly]

From what I hear if you believe the rumors that's suppose to be changing. He may be more intelligent and Banner may have more control. I don't doubt Hulk couldn't make money alone. I don't think it makes a difference to them whether its solo or you called the movie Antman and stuck Hulk in it. Its all making money. Ragnarok is essentially a Hulk and Thor film without Hulk in the title.

Yeah, I hope Ragnorak takes a step in the right direction with the Hulk. Assuming it's Gladiator Planet Hulk then going with the more intelligent 'Green Scar" persona would work well. It's different, more flexible and layered than the simplistic 3rd person speaking "Hulk Smash", and would finally give him a personality audiences can take in, as opposed to basically being the go to guy for happy slapping the big bad in an Avengers film.

 

[InCali]

From what I hear if you believe the rumors that's suppose to be changing. He may be more intelligent and Banner may have more control. I don't doubt Hulk couldn't make money alone. I don't think it makes a difference to them whether its solo or you called the movie Antman and stuck Hulk in it. Its all making money. Ragnarok is essentially a Hulk and Thor film without Hulk in the title.

That's not the impression I got from reading what the director had to say.

 

[Aztec]

Its not worth paying Universal a dime when Hulk can be featured heavily in other MCU films for free. Hulk will give Thor a HUGE boost at the box office.

Actually with Namor in the same boat rights wise it might be very worth it. Also they could get the distribution rights retroactively to TIH (like they did for the Paramount films) which would make them some $$$$$ for box sets and blu-ray sales.

In fact, the only way it's not worth it is if there is a time limit (there doesn't appear to be though) and it is expiring soon.

 

[InCali]

Actually with Namor in the same boat rights wise it might be very worth it. Also they could get the distribution rights retroactively to TIH (like they did for the Paramount films) which would make them some $$$$$ for box sets and blu-ray sales.

In fact, the only way it's not worth it is if there is a time limit (there doesn't appear to be though) and it is expiring soon.

I'd love to see Namor in an upcoming movie. That'd be pretty awesome.

 

[Dasher10]

That's no true. The Hulk deal is a distribution deal. Marvel Studios produced and received the profits for the 2008 film. Universal distributed the film and received a fee for their efforts. TIH was the only Phase 1 solo film not distributed by Paramount.

It's still true that neither studio made enough money to warrant a second one.

 

[wobbly]

Actually with Namor in the same boat rights wise it might be very worth it. Also they could get the distribution rights retroactively to TIH (like they did for the Paramount films) which would make them some $$$$$ for box sets and blu-ray sales.

In fact, the only way it's not worth it is if there is a time limit (there doesn't appear to be though) and it is expiring soon.

I suspect the distribution deal (for the Hulk at any rate) may well have been set for a specific number of films. I doubt Marvel (this was before Disney) would have tied themselves to Universal indefinitely (they didn't with Paramount), but signing off for a trilogy perhaps might have been deal sweetener Universal would have been happy to take when they let the hulk back early. It's not like they were gonna do anything with him anyway.

I have no idea where Namor stands, but I'd guess its the same kinda thing. Marvel could use him in another's film though when the time is right (..when they get the FF back...)

 

[Dark Raven]

Yeah, I hope Ragnorak takes a step in the right direction with the Hulk. Assuming it's Gladiator Planet Hulk then going with the more intelligent 'Green Scar" persona would work well. It's different, more flexible and layered than the simplistic 3rd person speaking "Hulk Smash", and would finally give him a personality audiences can take in, as opposed to basically being the go to guy for happy slapping the big bad in an Avengers film.

Let's be clear here. MCU Hulk is barely the 3rd person-speaking savage Hulk from the comics. Even that version had more personality and spoke quite a lot. MCU Hulk has only said the odd few words - 2 at most in the Avengers and none in AOU. He is little more than the 70s TV Hulk who said nothing whatsoever and the version the general public seem most familiar with. It's the version that keeps perpetuating the idea that Hulk can't speak and has no personality.

If the MCU even gave us 3rd person-speaking Hulk that would be a big change and he would be more entertaining than what we have now. That version in the comics was in the Defenders and he was funny and interesting. He bought a whole trolley full of beans at a supermarket after trashing some crooks who were trying to rob the store, and then the Defenders had to eat that for a month while Hulk enjoyed it at the dinner table, telling them that "beans are good."

This same Hulk had nicknames for his team mates like bird nose for Nighthawk or cat girl for Hellcat.

So even he would be a huge improvement over what we have, which is NOT him.