Marvel is kickstarting the new year with good news. 2023 may not have been kind to the superhero franchise, but it sure is cleaning up its mess before stepping into the new year. With Echo receiving positive reviews for its early release and now Marvel settling its dispute over its two most popular superheroes, things are looking good for the superhero franchise.
Attorneys for the company and the estate of Steve Ditko who co-created the characters have finally reached a deal with the company and ended the battle over copyright termination efforts.
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Marvel Settles Dispute With Steve Ditko’s Family
Attorneys for Steve Ditko and Marvel finally made a joint filing in Manhattan federal court this week, announcing that the two parties “have amicably resolved their dispute”. According to that notice, the Ditko’s estate wanted to reclaim rights from comics including Spider-Man’s 1962 debut ‘Amazing Fantasy,’ and Doctor Strange’s first appearance in 1963’s ‘Strange Tales’.
Not only the art and the stories, the termination notices also include “any character, story element, or indicia reasonably associated with the Works.”
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Marvel Also Had To Fight For Captain America And Other Marvel Characters
Previously, Marvel was in a legal battle with the estate of Jack Kirby, who co-created Marvel’s iconic characters including Captain America, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, as well as many related supporting characters and supervillains.
The lawsuits lasted from 2009 until 2014, and finally, Marvel and the Kirby estate announced a settlement. Although financial terms were not disclosed, Marvel TV series and films featuring Kirby’s characters have credited him.
It dated back to 2021 when Marvel filed a series of lawsuits in response to the copyright termination notices from the estates of Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Don Rico, and Larry Lieber for the characters including Thor, Black Widow, Iron Man along with Captain America and Hulk. However, it all settled in June and now Marvel has also got back Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.
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