If Disney's lawyers can't win this one, I'd say nobody can. But even IF Marvel could regain the rights, should they bother? Don't misunderstand me. I want all of these properties back at Marvel. I'd kill to see a fully staffed Cinematic Universe. But some of these films have been done to death. I have to wonder if Marvel could do them without treading too much old ground.
X-Men
Nobody here can deny that Fox molested this franchise. X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men the Last Stand were truly awful films. First Class is a step in the right direction, but even it had it's fair share of issues. Assuming Marvel could get the rights back, I'd say it's not worth rebooting. The general public is already familiar with the current film incarnation. Reboots seem to cause confusion, even amongst some of the fans. I can't see a total reboot going over too well.
The general public doesn't seem to understand or care about licensing rights. They see a trailer, they go to a movie. Legal issues and rights debates are the concern of studios, fans, and no one else. Explaining why Hugh Jackman was replaced will be a chore, and most audiences won't care about unified continuity. It will create confusion. And an origin flick, even if handled properly, is going to be "more of the same" at this point.
Spider-Man
With the reboot coming in less than a year, I think it's safe to say Marvel has zero chance of getting the rights back anytime soon. But just for the heck of it, assume they can. Retelling the origin, again, is not a very exciting flick. It's time for these stories to move forward. A third origin flick will only prolong the cool stuff we could see in a sequel. It starts to get old. I would hope they go the Incredible Hulk route, and assume the viewer is familiar with the origin story. Compress it into the opening credits and get on with the good stuff.
Fantastic Four
This one might have a shot. The first two were botched badly, and Fox may not want to keep the rights. The rights won't be up for grabs for another couple of years though, so we'll have to see. If Marvel gets the rights and tells the origin properly, this could be cool. And the Four need a redemption after Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Daredevil
I really hate Fox for this one. Marvel was THIS close to getting the rights and Fox curb stomps any chance of a proper Daredevil flick. The DD director's cut was a much better film than the theatrical release, but still not amazing. Out of all the heroes Fox has, Daredevil is the one with the least public exposure. A proper MCU reboot shouldn't feel too stale and could be exciting. I'd say this is my top choice for an MCU re-do.
Ghost Rider
Nicolas Cage is not Blaze. Period. I am not a Cage hater, I actually like Con Air, Nation Treasure, and a lot of his older stuff. But he is not Johnny Blaze. And Ghost Rider was just awful. I have low expectations for Spirit of Vengeance, so maybe I will be surprised. A proper re-do is needed here.
Blade
Yes I know Marvel regained the rights. I'm wondering how they will handle this one. Snipes' Blade will not work in the MCU. The vampire conspiracy stuff will not fly either. In a universe with S.H.I.E.L.D., vampires are not going to be able take over, at least not to the extent shown in Snipes' films. Blade will need a serious overhaul to fit into the MCU, and they would need to stick closer to the comics. Most people I know are unaware that Blade is a Marvel character. Snipes' version is all most people know. Marvel will have an interesting battle ahead of them here.
Punisher
Again, I know they have the rights back. Punisher ranks with Ghost Rider and Daredevil as someone who shouldn't be too stale to reboot. We really haven't gotten a proper Punisher origin, even after 3 films. Start with Frank as Frank, and show the war. Show him as a soldier. Explore the 'Nam stuff, though they might want to update it with Desert Storm or Iraq. But this has a lot of potential if they really give the story some breathing room, instead of jumping straight into the Punisher bits.
Man-Thing
No one is going to see a movie called Man-Thing. This would flop. Hard. Pun intended. Instead, do a Dead of Night flick. Handle it like The Twilight Zone Movie. A film made up of short movies. Do Man-Thing, Werewolf By Night, Shanna the She Devil, Jennifer Kale, Zombie, or any of the more adult and horror oriented stuff. Could have a lot of potential. I would also take a cue from the Man-Thing run of Dead of Night, and have Digger narrate Crypt Keeper style. I always loved that bit. Man-Thing's DoN run would actually work as a film, as they streamlined his origin. Of course any Man-Thing flick would need a post-credits scene setting up:
Howard the Duck
Shut up. All of you. Howard has a chance at success that he did not have in the '80s. If handled properly, and faithfully, this could be the comic book movie that has even non comic fans rolling in their seats. Howard was destined to fail in the '80s. Even if Lucas hadn't botched it, Howard couldn't have worked. Why? Howard has always been a very funny, witty send up of comic book culture (and pop culture in general). Most of the humor in a proper Howard movie won't work without comic movies being established as a genre, which they weren't in the '80s. Now that the market is almost over saturated with comic movies, Howard could be a breath of fresh air. Make it "R". A hard "R". Yes, this cuts down on your potential audience, but Howard is a raunchy book. Gerber was ahead of his time in terms of writing, and I think any Howard movie would have been as well in the '80s. Come on Marvel, I know you can do it...