Marvel Cinematic Universe, Phase Three and BEYOOOOONND

[zslane]

I don't think it is merely a matter of distribution rights. Paramount distributed the first four MCU movies, yet they are all available on Disney+. The "solo film rights" to the Hulk remain in Universal's hands, along with theme park rights and so on. Too many revenue streams still belong to Universal, and I just find it strange that Universal does nothing whatsoever with any of them, all the while Disney has chosen not to solve the problem by throwing money at it like they usually do.

[archer]

4 hours ago, zslane said:

I don't think it is merely a matter of distribution rights. Paramount distributed the first four MCU movies, yet they are all available on Disney+. The "solo film rights" to the Hulk remain in Universal's hands, along with theme park rights and so on. Too many revenue streams still belong to Universal, and I just find it strange that Universal does nothing whatsoever with any of them, all the while Disney has chosen not to solve the problem by throwing money at it like they usually do.

 

Disney is in it to make money. Maybe they don't think those properties are valuable enough at this time to throw money at.

 

In addition, if this COVID thing continues to stretch out and theaters don't reopen like gangbusters, those other studios might be willing to sell the properties back at a discount in order to get money to stay afloat.

[Ternaugh]

Marvel has the film production rights for the Hulk, but Universal has the right of first refusal to pick up the distribution on any Hulk movie.

[Spence]

23 hours ago, unclevlad said:

 

No argument here.

I suspect Disney's policy is, the only things we're gonna show on Disney+ is material we own outright;  we will not be held hostage to a distributor's greed.  Some of this is probably the incredibly acrimonious rebroadcast negociations;  they've been...well, maybe not common, but recurring with some regularity.  The entertainment market is splintering *badly* between satellite, cable, and the streaming services;  cable/satellite is down about 8-9% since 2018...not very long!  Meanwhile, the number, size, scope, and significance of the streaming services is skyrocketing.  Obviously, cord cutters may, and probably commonly do, subscribe to multiple streamers, but still, it's getting more and more crowded all the time.

 

Splintering badly may be an understatement. 

I am actually a bit happy with it.  I mean I am a little sad that am missing shows that sounded good, but the extra time I have picked up by not being able to see them means I am catching up on my reading. 

I haven't seen anything in the last ten fifteen years that was so great it impacted my life.  Even the "good" shows are OK, not something that makes me want to watch them over and over like movies used to.  

 

I will not subscribe to a zillion different streams. 

I will "rent" or "buy" a movie through a common service if I think it is really good.  But all it means when they place a show exclusively on a service like Disney+ or CBS All Access is that I will not see it. 

 

You don't miss what you can't see.

[Matt the Bruins]

Even if you do, eventually there are other options. I took a pass on DC's streaming service, and am now catching up on TItans (and later, Doom Patrol) via DVDs from my local library. I'm enjoying so far, but not feeling huge regret about waiting to see the episodes.

[Greywind]

I've seen s1 of Titans, Swamp Thing, The Boys, and Doom Patrol. While I enjoyed them, none of them made me want to spend money to catch them first hand/run.

[zslane]

18 hours ago, archer said:

Maybe they don't think those properties are valuable enough at this time to throw money at.

 

Yeah, pretty much my thoughts as well (i.e., when I said this showed how little Disney valued the IP).

[Spence]

15 hours ago, Matt the Bruins said:

Even if you do, eventually there are other options. I took a pass on DC's streaming service, and am now catching up on TItans (and later, Doom Patrol) via DVDs from my local library. I'm enjoying so far, but not feeling huge regret about waiting to see the episodes.

I watched GoT on Blu-ray.  And with what is available via Amazon Prime I don't really need too many streaming services.  I have two streams I subscribe to.  When one of those runs dry I may shift to another.  But I only will if you do not have to go month to month.  My current 2 streams allow you to pay an annual fee.  I  will never do another ongoing monthly fee again.  They are virtually impossible to turn off without extended calls and complaints.

[zslane]

I am interested in Disney+, but I won't subscribe until there are at least three Marvel (MCU) shows available to watch.

 

I am interested in HBO Max, but I won't subscribe until I can watch it through my Roku box.

 

In the mean time, I am content with Netflix and Amazon Prime.

[Lord Liaden]

 

[Starlord]

I realize that some of that enthusiasm is about 'plugging' the show, but I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I realize that superheroes are now incredibly cool and that 'serious' actors are genuinely excited and actually proud to be playing them.

[Scott Ruggels]

On 10/12/2020 at 10:31 AM, zslane said:

I don't think it is merely a matter of distribution rights. Paramount distributed the first four MCU movies, yet they are all available on Disney+. The "solo film rights" to the Hulk remain in Universal's hands, along with theme park rights and so on. Too many revenue streams still belong to Universal, and I just find it strange that Universal does nothing whatsoever with any of them, all the while Disney has chosen not to solve the problem by throwing money at it like they usually do.

 Disney is practically out of money. The whole Fox aquisition was ego driven , and they spent  far too much money. Then the parks, cruises and Hotels closed due to COVID.  

[zslane]

Disney is certainly in no position to go acquisition hunting right now, that's true. But Disney had many years where they could have thrown money at the Hulk rights but never did. That says to me that Disney/Marvel does not--and never did--see value in the Hulk beyond that of a supporting role (in the MCU).

[Grailknight]

The Hulk has had two movies.

 

The first was bad and the second was average. The problem I see with the character is that the Hulk persona is very monotone and Banner is either whiny and depressed or a nerdy scientist. 

 

I would love a movie that dealt with the multiple personalities aspect of the character. I 'd be even more fired up for just a Joe Fixit movie or one set in the Bannertech arcs. World War Hulk, unfortunately is out as too much was used in Thor Ragnarok and we don't have the in universe history of the Hulk being a menace to be shot into space.

[Twilight]

So how many people have actually written Spider-Man well? I mean giving him stories with actual character development and such, rather then heaping calumny on Peter and calling it story telling.  'Cause, due to chatting with somebody on the subject, it's starting to seem like it's been a long line of hacks weeing all over the character's history and such with the Clone Saga, One More Day and "Superior" Spider-Man being particular low points.

[Bazza]

Not many. 

[drunkonduty]

5 hours ago, Twilight said:

So how many people have actually written Spider-Man well? I mean giving him stories with actual character development and such, rather then heaping calumny on Peter and calling it story telling.  'Cause, due to chatting with somebody on the subject, it's starting to seem like it's been a long line of hacks weeing all over the character's history and such with the Clone Saga, One More Day and "Superior" Spider-Man being particular low points.

 

 

I've enjoyed the various writers on the Renew Your Vows series.

 

Umm... <checks title pages> That's Dan Slott, Gerry Conway, & Jody Houser. 

[Twilight]

3 hours ago, drunkonduty said:

 

 

I've enjoyed the various writers on the Renew Your Vows series.

 

Umm... <checks title pages> That's Dan Slott, Gerry Conway, & Jody Houser. 

Of course Slott also wrote Superior Spider-Man and Spiderverse, so I'm a tad conflicted on that recommendation.  I mean Into the Spiderverse was awesome but the Spiderverse comic was just interesting alternate versions of Spidey being slain by uninteresting characters related to a villain I can't stand.  I mean seriously, I'd take a Spider Ma'am comic over anything involving the Inheritors any day of the week.

[slikmar]

17 hours ago, Twilight said:

So how many people have actually written Spider-Man well? I mean giving him stories with actual character development and such, rather then heaping calumny on Peter and calling it story telling.  'Cause, due to chatting with somebody on the subject, it's starting to seem like it's been a long line of hacks weeing all over the character's history and such with the Clone Saga, One More Day and "Superior" Spider-Man being particular low points.

One More Day story arc was awful (and IIRC forced by editors due to wanting to reboot him from being public ID etc that had happened when he worked for Stark), but up to that point I enjoyed Straczinski's run. Also, the stuff that came right after was terrible, but eventually they actually got to a point where Peter was working at a think tank and respected. He became a serious member of a couple Avenger teams. Basically, the opposite of heaping calumny on him. Sadly, didnt last.

[Twilight]

1 hour ago, slikmar said:

One More Day story arc was awful (and IIRC forced by editors due to wanting to reboot him from being public ID etc that had happened when he worked for Stark), but up to that point I enjoyed Straczinski's run. Also, the stuff that came right after was terrible, but eventually they actually got to a point where Peter was working at a think tank and respected. He became a serious member of a couple Avenger teams. Basically, the opposite of heaping calumny on him. Sadly, didnt last.

Very sadly.  I'm guessing Slott was the one who decided to begin stripping away the interesting new stuff from Peter in order to return him to the status quo since crapping on Peter Parker is the only thing he seems capable of.

[Scott Ruggels]

One more day ruined Spider-Man for a lot of my friends. They stopped buying Marvel, and now, like me buy only. Crowd funded comics. 

[Spence]

9 minutes ago, Scott Ruggels said:

One more day ruined Spider-Man for a lot of my friends. They stopped buying Marvel, and now, like me buy only. Crowd funded comics. 

I pretty much gave up on comic decades ago.   I try a few now and again, but if anything they got worse.  As for indies and crowd funded, I  haven't really found much there either.  The one's I've seen have either continued the grim dark dark everybody's a "insert issue/addiction of choice" or they are charging forward with their social issue of choice.  No one can just write about superheroes.  I'm pretty sure the genre is dead.

 

 

[unclevlad]

I stopped a long time ago too, for various reasons, but a big one was that the art was so often TERRIBLE.

 

I'm just as glad I did.  All the retconning and multi-universe merging and junk...UGH.  I get why;  after a time, the story box gets to be pretty constrained.  Doesn't mean I have to like it.  And they can't stop so...reboot, yeah!!!  <gag>

 

Of course, that whole argument means MCU phase 4 probably won't appeal to me...

[Spence]

8 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

 

I'm just as glad I did.  All the retconning and multi-universe merging and junk...UGH.  I get why;  after a time, the story box gets to be pretty constrained.  Doesn't mean I have to like it.  And they can't stop so...reboot, yeah!!!  <gag>

 

Well, the only alternative would be be creative and write original storylines using original heroes.

[unclevlad]

11 minutes ago, Spence said:

 

Well, the only alternative would be be creative and write original storylines using original heroes.

 

But even that isn't available, unfortunately.

 

I'm on a couple of FB groups for certain authors;  who doesn't matter.  A VERY common refrain is "when can I get more of ... " when the storyline's totally played out, or it'd just be More Of The Same.  I know of at least one where...ok, maybe there's room for new stories here, but it's mostly same-old, same-old...and we know the ultimate outcome too, BTW.  Not only that, but there's quite a bit of momentum...read, sales...that continue long past the point where the story should have ended.

 

So, it's REALLY hard to completely retire a popular character.