Marvel resolves differences with co-creator Steve Ditko’s family on ownership of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange
Marvel resolves differences while ,Marvel has some positive news to start the new year. The superhero franchise may not have had a good year in 2023, but it is making amends before the new year arrives. Things are looking up for the superhero franchise with the excellent reviews Echo received for its early release and Marvel’s recent resolution of its conflict over its two most popular superheroes.
The legal struggle over copyright termination attempts has finally come to an end between the company’s attorneys and the estate of co-creator Steve Ditko.
In a joint filing this week, Steve Ditko and Marvel’s attorneys finally said that the two companies “have amicably resolved their dispute” in a Manhattan federal court. That notification stated that the Ditko estate sought to regain rights to comic book adaptations, such as the 1962 premiere of Spider-Man in “Amazing Fantasy” and the 1963 debut of Doctor Strange in “Strange Tales.”
The termination notifications mention “any character, story element, or indicia reasonably associated with the Works,” in addition to the artwork and the narratives.
The estate of Jack Kirby, who co-created several of Marvel’s renowned characters, such as Captain America, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, as well as numerous related supporting characters and supervillains, was previously engaged in a legal dispute with Marvel.
After a protracted legal battle that lasted from 2009 to 2014, Marvel and the Kirby estate ultimately reached a settlement. Kirby has received credit for his work in Marvel TV shows and movies, despite the fact that the financial details were not revealed.
It began in 2021 when Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Don Rico, and Larry Lieber’s estate sent copyright termination notifications for several characters, including Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor. Marvel then responded with a slew of litigation. But everything worked out in June.
