The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a rising star in entertainment. But without its comics, it would not be possible to achieve such success. Names like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are constantly thrown around in connection with the Marvel universe, but there have been countless creators involved since the company was founded in 1939 as Timely Comics.
Marvel Comics is constantly expanding its list of villains and heroes over the years. Just recently, Ms. Marvel broke the record for having the longest gap between comic appearance and her live-action debut.
Given the millions of dollars that go into the creation of superhero movies and the huge paychecks actors get, many would expect the heroes’ creators to live a luxurious lifestyle. The reality is that Marvel and DC both have a bad reputation for underpaying comic creators. This will only worsen with the new news.
Marvel Black Widow Yelena Belova Creator
The Hollywood Reporter published an article recently that showed how Marvel Studios could have duped Yelena Belova, the creator of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in adapting her to the MCU.
Comic author Devin Grayson, and J.G. Jones, who created Yelena in 1999, were under the impression they would each receive $25,000 for Black Widow after signing a contract agreeing to compensation for Belova’s use outside of comics. Their eventual payment in November instead came in at $5,000 with no reasoning given.
After Yelena later appeared in three episodes of Hawkeye, Grayson should have received $2,000 per installment, or $1,000 if she were to split it with Jones. Grayson recently made contact with Marvel in July and was told they had calculated the original figure wasn’t right and offered $300 per episode instead.
The report goes on to describe how Marvel maintains ownership of the character, but Grayson signed a “Special Character Agreement” in 2007. The agreement promises Marvel will compensate her with $25,000 for a theatrical appearance, $2,000 per episode of television over 30 minutes, and $1,000 for under half an hour.
Any action figures produced of the character should entitle the writer to $5,000 for a figure released in one year, $10,000 for two years, and $25,000 for anything over three years. Video games create a pot of at most $30,000 which will be split among the creators with characters involved.
However, the agreement contained language that permitted Marvel to substantially lower its promised payments. Grayson and other creators speaking to The Hollywood Reporter described the language as misleading, with the $25,000 offer most prominently shown in the document.
Jones was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter, and confirmed that he had received an amount similar to Grayson. Based on his conversations with other creators, he referred to Marvel’s financial promises as a “bit of a bait and switch:”
” I’ve spoken with a lot of creators and they seem to be a little bit like a switch. The initial payout .”
is large, but they gradually reduce it.
Is Marvel Mistreating Comic Creators?
Marvel seems to be renowned for its treatment of creators. Around the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, America Chavez creator Joe Casey even shared his regret for creating the character under Marvel due to their “spotty track record on dealing fairly with creators:”
” In all seriousness it wasn’t the smartest move of my part to create new characters for Marvel Publishing — given their poor track record in dealing with creators. However, America Chavez was a case where I made it happen and I am psyched that she will be in a film that is more expensive than some developing countries’ GNP. “
While The Winter Soldier was being promoted, Ed Brubaker (co-creator of The Winter Soldier) shared a similar feeling. The Marvel veteran shared his feeling that he and other character creators “kind of got a bad deal” as MCU ventures rake in billions while they are only compensated with a few hundred or thousand:
” As the years passed, I began to wonder why I wasn’t getting any for it. It’s like, how are we supposed to get credit or thanks, when these films make billions, billions, and trillions, it seems like we got an awful deal .”
Considering how poor Marvel compensates its creators for their work, Disney and their publisher need to do more. Legally, Marvel owns these rights, but it would be an important gesture to compensate the creators.
Although there have been far fewer complaints about DC’s treatment of its creators of comic books, most claim it provides a comparable payday to Marvel. These record-breaking feats would not have been possible without the brilliant creators of the villains and heroes. It’s now time for them to be compensated accordingly.
Even the numbers in this report seem ridiculous when compared with the amount of money that superhero blockbusters make. To those who have made superheroes what they are today, it’s truly offensive to learn that Marvel is paying more than the agreed amount.
Black Widow and Hawkeye are streaming now on Disney+.
