A longstanding struggle in the superhero industry has been comic-book creators asking for fairer compensations when the characters they created get adapted for other forms of media (e.g., films, video games and TV shows). Now, another voice has joined the cause; Joe Casey, co-creator of America Chavez.
Created by Casey and artist Nick Dragotta, Chavez — a young superhero with super strength, the power of flight and the ability to jump between universes — was introduced in 2011 in the pages of "Vengeance" #1. The character has gone on to appear in various Marvel's adaptations, such as the Marvel Rising animated franchise and numerous video games, including Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, Marvel Strike Force and Marvel Contest of Champions.
Now, the hero is making the jump to the big screen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she will be portrayed by Xochitl Gomez. With the film's release nearing, Joe Casey has spoken out about the "pittance" he was offered by Marvel for his character's MCU introduction.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Casey revealed that, even though he is happy to see Chavez' legacy grow, he is disappointed by the fact that he has not been compensated in a way that he finds fair for his role in creating the character.
"Marvel has paid me nothing for America Chavez, not only for appearing in the Doctor Strange sequel, but in numerous animated TV episodes, for the numerous action figures they've made of her, for video games she’s appeared in. [...] They seem to be fine with that."
The creator then told THR that he is not trying to start a dispute over character rights, since he understands the hero belongs to Marvel — he is simply trying to obtain more respect for comic-book creators: "The fact is Marvel owns America Chavez. That's not in dispute on any level, but there are still systemic flaws in the way that creators are neither respected nor rewarded."
Casey further told the trade that he reached out to Marvel when he learned that America Chavez would be used in Multiverse of Madness. The company reportedly sent him a character agreement alongside an offer for monetary compensation, but he declined it, calling it an "insult of an offer." He explained that he's not interested in money, but in paving the way for future generations of creators to be better paid for their work: "For me, it's not about money. It's not even about the respect. I would never expect to be respected by a corporation. [...] If I'm in a position where I can afford not to take their insult of an offer, and be able to talk about it, maybe the next guy — where that kind of money could change their life — would get a fair shot of receiving that money."
According to THR, a source at Marvel stated that negotiations with Casey over pay for America Chavez are still happening. He, however, feels the company is stalling.
Creator-Company Struggles
As mentioned, there have been several cases of comic-book creators being disatisfied with the compensation they receive for the characters they created. In 2017, Thanos co-creator Jim Starlin took to Facebook to state that he had received more money for KGBeast's appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (a character he co-created), than he did for Thanos, Gamora and Drax for their roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
"Just received a very big check from D.C. Entertainment for my participation in [sic] Batman V Superman, Dawn of Justice (Anatoli Knyyazev), much bigger than anything I've gotten for Thanos, Gamora and Drax showing up in any of the various Marvel movies they appeared in, combined. Guess I'll finally have to sit down and watch the movie."
Starlin ultimately made a new deal with Disney for his character, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Then, in 2021 Winter Soldier co-creator Ed Brubaker stated in his newlsetter that he had mostly received "thank yous" for partly coming up with the concept of the antihero:
"And of course, today the FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER show debuts on Disney+, which I sadly have very mixed feelings about. I'm really happy for Sebastian Stan, who I think is both a great guy and the perfect Bucky/Winter Soldier, and I'm glad to see him getting more screen time finally. Also, Anthony Mackie is amazing as the Falcon, and everyone at Marvel Studios that I've ever met (all the way up to Kevin Feige) have been nothing but kind to me... but at the same time, for the most part all Steve Epting and I have gotten for creating the Winter Soldier and his storyline is a "thanks" here or there, and over the years that's become harder and harder to live with."
America Chavez will make her live-action debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which arrives in theaters on May 6, 2022.