The paltry sum Disney pays comic book writers and artists whose work is featured in film and on television is a story that's simply not going away, and more details have been revealed in a piece from The Guardian. The story itself goes into the legalities of how creators are paid royalties (or not) for characters they've created, but there are a few specific points that will leave you speechless.
Multiple sources tell the site that when a writer or artist's work is featured heavily in a Marvel Studios blockbuster, Disney's standard practice is to send them an invitation to the premiere with a cheque for $5000. That's it.
Often, this acknowledgement will vary between the $5000 and nothing at all, and there are a lot of complicated contractual hoops these creators have to jump through to even be considered. Should their creations be deemed not original enough, then they're unlikely to get more than a "Special Thanks" in the credits (and even that's unlikely for those who don't play ball).
"I’ve been offered a [special character contract] that was really, really terrible, but it was that or nothing," one anonymous comic book creator tells the site. "And then instead of honouring it, they send a thank you note and are like, ‘Here’s some money we don’t owe you!’ and it’s five grand. And you’re like, ‘The movie made a billion dollars.’"
Ed Brubaker, the co-creator of the Winter Soldier, has been vocal about this in the past and it's been revealed that he and Steve Epting turned up at the premiere party for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, only to learn they weren't invited. When Brubaker texted Sebastian Stan, they were let it.
It's difficult to say how much Disney, and Marvel Studios, should be paying these creators. Should it be hundreds of thousands? Millions? Where is the line drawn when it comes to characters like Monica Rambeau and Throg given how the size of their roles on Disney+ differed? Whatever the answer may be, it's clear something needs to change.
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