As if tensions weren’t high enough following Sony and Disney’s split over Spider-Man, Stan Lee’s daughter has now thrown her two cents into the mix. And believe it or not, they may very well add more fuel to the fire.
Speaking recently with TMZ, not only did JC Lee seem to agree with Sony over the financial dispute, but she then went on to criticize executives at both Walt Disney and Marvel Studios over the treatment of her late and legendary father.
On the very off chance you haven’t heard by now, here’s a quick recap. Earlier this week, reports emerged online that the House of Mouse had been battling with Sony over a co-financing deal on all future Spider-Man films – requesting a 50/50 split as opposed to the 5% of grosses they’ve taken until this point. After the fans offered a more than vocal reaction to the news, Sony released an official statement on Peter Parker’s departure from the MCU, while also hoping for a negotiation in the future.
But this greed-filled request from Disney didn’t go unnoticed by Lee, who expressed animosity over her father’s work being used solely as a gold mine. Here’s exactly how she put it:
“Marvel and Disney seeking total control of my father’s creations must be checked and balanced by others who, while still seeking to profit, have genuine respect for Stan Lee and his legacy.”
The Marvel publisher and writer, who passed away last November, helped create hundreds of characters for the comic book company. Along with Spider-Man, they included the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Thor, the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man, among others. With most having been used in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these heroes now maintain a dignified place in pop culture, as well as film history.
With that said, JC went on to say that neither Disney nor Marvel Studios offered their condolences in the wake of her father’s passing – an action she surely didn’t appreciate.
“When my father died, no one from Marvel or Disney reached out to me. From day one, they have commoditized my father’s work and never shown him or his legacy any respect or decency. In the end, no one could have treated my father worse than Marvel and Disney’s executives.”
While never actually hearing from either studios is something worth being upset about, Lee’s claims that they didn’t honor Stan’s legacy is rather strange, given that many younger generations of MCU fans might only know him from his dozens of cameos throughout the franchise.
But as this is among the hottest topics in Hollywood at the moment, we want to know what you’re thinking. Do you think JC’s animosity towards the House of Mouse is justified? And does this sway your opinion on the Marvel/Sony split? Let us know your thoughts about this, and also what you think the next move for Spider-Man should be in the comments section below.