The Avengers opens up with week in the UK and next week in the US, and there has been a small controversy brewing because of Stan Lee receiving a creator credit on the film and Jack Kirby has not.
Moviefone asked Lee why he though Kirby didn't receive credit on the film.
"I don't know how to answer that because in what way would his name appear," He responded. When pushed harder on the matter Lee said,
"Well it's mentioned in every comic book; it says "By Stan Lee and Jack Kirby." Moviefone didn't stop there they pressed the comic book king a little harder until he finally said they are talking to the wrong guy, that he has nothing to do with the credits on the film. He went on to say that he is credited as an executive producer because it is in his contract, and with Kirby not being an executive producer he doesn't know what he would be credited as.
This is not the first time Jack Kirby's work has been in the spotlight. Last year Marvel won a case against them filed by Kirby's estate that claimed characters such as Thor, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, as well as many other belonged to Kirby. The New York circuit court though sided with Marvel, who claimed that Kirby created the characters as works for hire.
UPDATE:
Moviefone has updated their story with the following revealing that Jack Kirby does indeed receive a co-creator credit:
After attending a NY press screening, Moviefone can confirm that Jack Kirby's name is listed in the end credits as a co-creator. Previously, we referred to Kirby's omission from promotional materials of the upcoming film. Original story appears below.
The Avengers stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård , Samuel L. Jackson and will be released in the US on May 4, 2012 and in the UK on April 26, 2012.