Marvel keeps contingency plans in case they regain character rights

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

For once, I'm willing to follow some of you down the Marvel Studios rabbit hole, willing to consider the pipe dream possibilities that they could regain rights to a number of characters who make their cinematic home elsewhere at the current moment. Whether it's the Fantastic Four or the X-Men, there's always a wonder of what things might be like if their rights reverted back to Marvel. What would Marvel do with them? How quickly could they slot them into the MCU? When would they get their own movies?

Last night at an Hero Complex Gallery event in L.A. to promote the home release of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, Kevin Feige was asked handling the introduction of a character they previously didn't have the rights to, much as they've done with Spider-Man after striking their agreement with Sony Pictures. While his answer is a bit Spidey-specific, it's quite clear that they lay out these contingencies for others, just in case…

The short answer is: the most important thing is the standalone movie, relaunching Spider-Man with a standalone movie with a new storyline that fits into this universe – that’s job number one for us. And as is the case, the connectivity is great but it doesn’t drive the train. That being said, if I understand what you’re asking, we had… this has been a dream of ours for a long time, and we always had contingency plans should you know — which we always do anyways. Are we going to be able to make another movie with this actor? If we are then we’ll do this, if not, we’re going to do this. If we get the rights to a certain character that’d be great, then we’d do this, if not, we’d do this. So we always sort of operate with those alternate timelines available and are ready to shift if something happens.

Alternate timelines? Sneaky sneaky.

While I may not be a devout lover of all movie things Marvel makes, this is one of the easiest reasons to point to for their level of success. Their attention to detail is second to none, and they prepare for everything. They're set to do this, this and this, but… oh… now we have the Silver Surfer, so let's pivot to this, this and that. Wait… the Silver Surfer thing fell through? Okay, back to this, this and the other thing again.

They are prepared for anything to happen, so, in the event that it does, they can spring into action without missing a beat, taking full advantage of fans' enthusiasm and excitement for a shiny new toy being dropped on their doorstep. It is a very forward way of thinking – something other universe-building attempts desperately lack – and one that has my interest piqued in a number of ways.

After all, who isn't curious about what Marvel might be thinking in the event they could get their hands on the Fantastic Four again? Or Wolverine for that matter?