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Trevor Thompson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 June 2015
Posts: 346
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 9:17am | IP Logged | 1
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Hi All,
This is mainly aimed at the forum members involved in the industry. I was just wondering is there any reason why those who work for Marvel aren't creating new characters but are instead making derivatives of existing characters or gender/ race swapping them.
To me it would be better to come up with a completely new character who is ethnic, gay, female, etc rather than mess with existing characters. I'm probably answering my own question but could it be due to the not wanting Marvel to own the character, or are Marvel scared of creating a new character in case they flop? Maybe it's a combination of both.
If anyone has an insight into why Marvel are doing such crazy stuff I'd be grateful to read they're opinion.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132628
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 9:34am | IP Logged | 2
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When I was getting started at Marvel, lo these many years ago, a familiar mantra from "creators" was "I'm not going to hand Marvel the next Spider-Man!"The people saying this were most unlikely to create something quite that impressive, but it puffed up their egos to say it, I guess. (Funnily enough, no one had noticed that the "next Spider-Man" had already been created. He was called Wolverine, and it would take a few years for him to climb the ziggurat.) By using existing characters, "creators" can do things that will grab media attention, and not risk losing all control of a character they have created themselves.
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Charles Valderrama
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4737
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 11:08am | IP Logged | 3
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but Rob Liefeld probably is the last guy to create the "next Spider-Man" for Marvel with DEADPOOL.
How ironic.
-C!
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Robert Bradley
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4834
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 11:37am | IP Logged | 4
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Charles - He is, but the Guardians of the Galaxy came together in 2008 using pre-existing characters (Groot from 1960, Drax from 1973, Gamora from 1975 and Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon from 1976)
When you look at the list of Marvel characters who have been in their own movies the mid-70's is about where the well drys up with a couple of exceptions -
1941 - Captain America 1961 - Fantastic Four 1962 - Ant-Man (Henry Pym), Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor1963 - Doctor Strange, Iron Man, X-Men, Avengers (with existing characters) 1964 - Daredevil 1969 - Guardians of the Galaxy (vaguely) 1972 - Ghost Rider 1973 - Blade 1974 - Punisher, Wolverine (Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus from the X-Men series debuted in 1975) 1979 - Scott Lang (who took over as Ant-Man) 1991 - Deadpool 2008 - Guardians of the Galaxy (with existing characters)
Edited by Robert Bradley on 11 April 2017 at 11:39am
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7512
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 11:43am | IP Logged | 5
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Depends on if you think of Squirrel Girl as *maybe* the next Spider-Man. She was created in 1992 by Steve Ditko (hey, a Spider-Man connection!) and Will Murray.
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Robert Bradley
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4834
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 11:50am | IP Logged | 6
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DC hasn't had a whole lot of luck with their newer characters either -
1938 - Superman
1939 - Batman1940 - Catwoman 1941 - Wonder Woman 1958 - Supergirl 1959 - Green Lantern 1960 - Justice League of America (using existing characters including Aquaman from 1941, Flash from 1959 and Cyborg from 1980) 1972 - Jonah Hex 1985 - John Constantine 1987 - Suicide Squad (using existing characters) 1993 - Steel |
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Charles Valderrama
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4737
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 12:03pm | IP Logged | 7
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Depends on if you think of Squirrel Girl as *maybe* the next Spider-Man.
•••••
Don't think Squirrel Girl has achieved the level of success as Deadpool, so it remains to be seen if the character is "the next Spider-Man".
-C!
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Charles Valderrama
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4737
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 12:08pm | IP Logged | 8
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Robert, I'm not sure I'd place the Guardians of the Galaxy in the same category as Deadpool. First, they're popular as a group... second, Deadpool was popular way before the movie came out. As a comic book character, Deadpool was outselling a lot of regular titles I believe.
Like Wolverine, he became the "next Spidey" for the company.
-C!
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Anthony J Lombardi
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 9410
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 12:56pm | IP Logged | 9
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I thought that Speedball was going to be the next SPIDER-MAN. Boy was I wrong.
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Matt Hawes
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 16464
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 1:07pm | IP Logged | 10
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Deadpool is definitely the biggest character since Wolverine. I can't tell you how many people out there who likely never even read a comic book wears Deadpool merchandise, and this started years ago before any film release of the character.
People seem to underestimate his popularity. When the film was just about to be released, I noted on Facebook how big it would likely be and a friend argued with me that I was wrong to think the movie, especially with an R rating, would do so well. I pointed out that over the years as a retailer and comic book dealer, I have watched Deadpool's ascent in popularity, and it isn't a fluke, and that the movie would be a huge success.
History now shows how that turned out.
Love him or hate him, Deadpool is the "next big thing" and he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Squirrel Girl is pure novelty. She won't have the mainstream sucess of Deadpool. She is more of an in-joke for comics fans. She isn't the new Wolverine, she's the new Howard The Duck.
Edited by Matt Hawes on 11 April 2017 at 1:10pm
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Michael Roberts
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 14830
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 1:13pm | IP Logged | 11
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I'm not sure what to consider the new Ms. Marvel. The name and the
lightning bolt emblem from Carol Danvers' Warbird costume are
derivative, but everything else about the character is original.
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Robert Bradley
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4834
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| Posted: 11 April 2017 at 1:19pm | IP Logged | 12
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Michael - I have to consider her and others derivative if they use a previous character's name to gain recognition (like the Flash and Green Lantern did at the beginning of the Silver Age).
Still, that's more acceptable that it is having someone of a different age, race or gender taking over a character's place and having identical (or similar) powers just to promote diversity or cash in on another character's success (and this goes back as far as the Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. as well as Superboy and Supergirl).
Edited by Robert Bradley on 11 April 2017 at 1:20pm
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Topic Closed)
