Jack "King" Kirby & Stan "The Man" Lee WILL get Creator Credit on THE HULK!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... Oh Happy Days! Excelsior!
As I wrote last night, I called Avi Arad immediately upon exiting the Regal Metropolitan Theater's Early Morning X2: X-MEN UNITED screening. I was reeling from the film, currently I'm about 2300 words into my review, but then I was just trying to form basic sentences, when I remembered... I have to call Avi like I said I would.
I talk to Avi about X2 and can hear the delight in his voice at having blown me completely away. That's when I asked about THE HULK situation regarding the lack of Creator Credit on the film.
His first reaction was that he didn't know anything about that, that it was an issue for Universal and not in the hands of Marvel. He then informed me that legally there didn't have to be anything because Stan Lee would of course be getting his EXECUTIVE PRODUCER credit as always.
This is where I told Avi that I wasn't calling solely on Stan's behalf, but for Jack Kirby. That Kirby was the soul, heart, flesh, bone, dynamics and rage of the HULK. That it would be an absolute tragedy to not have his name there as well.
Avi told me that he'd look into it and see what was the situation and asked if it would be ok to call me back tomorrow morning with the information. I told him that'd be fine.
In the meanwhile, I've been working on my X2 review... 4 hours and 35 minutes go by....
The phone rings and it is Avi Arad. "Harry, where did you get this information?"
I told him that it was from very trusted people inside, he then informs me that everything is alright, that Kirby and Lee will be getting credit, that there was no problem and that everything was as it should be. He then stated that they didn't legally have to do this, which I acknowledged, but I then... again stated that it was the RIGHT thing to do. That it just wouldn't be THE HULK without Kirby's name up there... after all... from the trailer it looks like The King storyboarded hunks of the film. Avi then said that it was set up that way by Ang Lee, he then stated he couldn't wait for us all to see the film.
So there ya go. The credit will apparently read: "Based on the Marvel Characters as created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby"
Now... if only they'd take their signatures and have that be how their names were on screen. Wouldn't it be something to actually see Jack Kirby's signature on the front of this thing alongside Stan's... God, I love Jack's signature!