The Best Entertainment Era

The following day, Bernard Eisinger visited Stan Lee again and brought him a new Fantastic Four comic.

Stan Lee was heartbroken to see his children become like this.

When Bernard Eisinger left, he specifically reminded Stan Lee to pay attention to each issue of the Fantastic Four comics.

In mid-August, the most exciting news in the entertainment circle was not that Charlie Sheen had another derailment, nor was it that a reporter photographed Brad Pitt and Jennifer-Aniston walking into a confession store to buy handcuffs, nor was it media rumors that Stewart- Townsend slapped his girlfriend on the street...

Instead, Stan Lee, known as the Father of Marvel, formally filed a lawsuit in the New York District Court, suing Marvel Entertainment in court!

In the indictment, Stan Lee claims that Marvel Comics has an agreement with Stan Lee that if every character he participates in is made into a film or TV series, he will receive 10% of the company's profits. Ten, but none of the Marvel adaptations, including Spider-Man, cost Stan Lee a single dollar.

Before the lawsuit happened, Ronan got the news and called Avi Allard himself, asking him to contact Stan Lee to solve it.

But Stan Lee still took Marvel Entertainment to court.

Ronan was a little angry, and was quite dissatisfied with the management of Marvel Entertainment, so he called Avi Arad to Los Angeles.

In the conference room on the top floor of the Theory of Relativity Building, Avi Allard was somewhat embarrassed, and Kevin Fitch, who was specially called, was more of a bystander. After all, he really joined Marvel after the establishment of Marvel Entertainment.

Robert Iger looked serious.

Robert Lee's face was gloomy. As the person in charge of the legal affairs and copyright department of the group company, he knew very well what kind of trouble that contract might bring to Marvel Entertainment and even the entire Relativity Entertainment Group if it really existed.

Fortunately, Relativity Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment have always adopted the strictest secrecy measures for the Avengers Project, otherwise the trouble might be ten times or twenty times greater.

I need an explanation, Avi! Ronan stared at Avi Arad coldly: Why didn't I know that there was such a contract between Marvel and Stan Lee? Why didn't anyone from Marvel ask me reported it?

Avi Arad first apologized: I am very sorry, this is my negligence.

Ronan ignored it,

Continued: I need an explanation.

Avi Allard could tell that the super rich man in the entertainment industry, the sole master of Marvel Entertainment and Relativity Entertainment Group, was really angry.

This is the contract signed with Stan Lee when Marvel Comics began to sell a large number of superhero copyrights in the early 1990s. Avi Arad hesitated for a moment, but said truthfully: After that, Marvel Comics fell into crisis. Shares were changing frequently, managers were coming and going, and most people, including me, ignored the contract.

He did not shirk his responsibility: This is my negligence.

Ronan looked at Avi Arad without speaking.

Avi Arad added: After the 20th Century Fox's X-Men movie share arrived, someone at Marvel remembered this contract, but it was rejected by the board of directors...

Before he finished speaking, under Ronan's gaze, Avi Arad changed his words: To be precise, Stan Lee's share was deducted at my behest.

Robert Iger chimed in and asked, In other words, this contract is real?

Yes. Avi Arad couldn't deny it: The owner of Marvel at the time, Perelman, only wanted to use Marvel's listing to make quick money from the financial market, and didn't care about other things at all. We signed such a generous sharing contract with Stan Lee only because of the support of Stan Lee, who is extremely influential.

Kevin Fitch asked: Marvel's equity has changed several times, is this contract still valid?

Robert Lee replied: Unfortunately, it remains legal.

Kevin Feige took a breath: Our Avengers project, all the main creators are Stan Lee's superhero adaptation movies, Stan Lee can get 10% of the profits?

Avi Allard closed his eyes slightly and nodded slowly: According to the terms of the contract, there is nothing wrong with saying that.

This is a serious dereliction of duty! Robert Iger is already the CEO of Relativity Entertainment, and his voice is quite severe: Avi, your negligence may cause the Avengers plan to fall into a great passive.

I'm very sorry. Avi Arad didn't want to lose his current position, so he justified: This contract is legally correct, but from the perspective of company management, it is very unreasonable. Since the late 1990s, Stan - Li's health condition is deteriorating, coupled with Marvel's tight liquidity, in order to maintain the company, I made a decision to withhold the share. Those millions of dollars are nothing to a big company, but to Marvel at the time , belongs to the funds that can save the company.”

Avi Arad further defended: On the other hand, because strictly speaking, Marvel did not breach the contract. The contract stipulated that Marvel earned 10% of the profits, but in fact Marvel has been in a state of loss. .”

Robert Iger agrees with Avi Allard: Marvel hasn't been profitable for a few years.

Ronan said: The key point of this contract is not the past and present, but the future.

Everyone in the conference room understood what Ronan was talking about. Based on accounting calculation rules and company changes, it would not be difficult to get rid of the profits of the past few Marvel movies, but what about the Avengers Project in the future? How much will it cost? Do you want to make all the movies a loss? Who would believe that a series of films with large investment and loss were shot and produced in succession?

This lawsuit, if it enters the legal process. Ronan asked Robert Lee: What is our chance of winning?

Robert Lee said: I asked a lawyer to read the contract, and Lawyer Dana's opinion is at most 50%.

Robert Iger said: The best way is to reach an out-of-court settlement.

Kevin Feige reminded: The key is the contract!

Avi Arad spoke again: Marvel has been in contact with Stan Lee. According to the current situation, Stan Lee's daughter played an important role in it.

Stan Lee's daughter? Ronan asked.

Avi Arad knew about Joan Claire Lee's best, so he roughly introduced the basic situation to Ronan and others.

Robert Iger was a little surprised: There are still such people.

Ronan shook his head secretly. He seemed to have read the news about this before, but he didn't remember it very clearly. Anyway, in the last ten years or so, Stan Lee has been surrounded by too many people with bad intentions.

From lawyers to family members to assistants to babysitters, it seems there are too many people wanting what wasn't theirs in the final days of the comic master.

I remember reading a report, it seems that Stan Lee's lawyer, assistant and nanny accused him of molesting the female nanny, and it turned out to be a colluding frame-up or something.

With such a superb daughter, one can imagine the future life of this manga master.

Ronan asked, Except for Stan Lee's daughter?

If it was just Stan Lee's greedy daughter, the problem would be easier to solve.

Avi Arad understood what Ronan meant, and said, I haven't noticed anyone else intervening for the time being.

Ronan looked at Robert Lee: You have someone in New York, go and check the specific situation of Chastain Lee's daughter, and check carefully.

Okay. Robert Lee picked up his phone and started texting.

Kevin is right. Ronan continued: The biggest problem with this contract is not how much revenue share Stan Lee can get from Marvel's past and present superhero movies, but the future!

He emphasized: We can't let this contract continue to exist!

Robert Iger agreed: This means that we may pay a painful price in the future. He had communicated with Ronan before: At present our advantage is that the Avengers plan is still in the confidential stage, so we must use the fastest Speed ​​up and solve the problems brought about by this contract, otherwise, once Iron Man is released, this contract will become a sharp knife that cuts Marvel's flesh and blood!

Ronan glanced at Avi Allard, temporarily suppressed his dissatisfaction, and said, This matter must be dealt with immediately. I need Marvel to understand the situation and establish a direct communication channel with Stan Lee. An agreement was reached outside of court.

Robert Iger exchanged a few words with Ronan in a low voice, and said, If necessary, you can pay a certain price to buy out this agreement.

Avi Allard took the initiative to take a step back: I am personally willing to give up this year's salary as an expense in this regard.

Ronan did not speak, and Robert Iger was directly responsible for the internal management of the company.

Robert Iger said: Now is not the time to pursue accountability. Let's settle this contract and talk about other things.

Ronan had no problem with that.

Robert Iger said directly: Avi, you return to New York and set up a crisis public relations team in Marvel to deal with this incident.

Avi Arad knew he couldn't hesitate: I'll be back in the afternoon.

Robert Iger continued: Li, you join Lawyer Dinah, take your department's elite staff, and rush to New York immediately, and take full responsibility for handling it.

Avi Arad was a little disappointed, but he couldn't object, because Marvel's internal management had lost the initiative to deal with it.

Marvel Entertainment will fully cooperate. Avi Arad stated immediately.

Now that Marvel Entertainment has been delisted, and more than 90% of the shares are held by Relativity Entertainment, it is not difficult to replace the CEO.

Kevin Fitch looked at Avi Allard and immediately responded positively, while showing his presence: What can I do?

Ronan understood his thoughts and said, You are in charge of the Iron Man project, and don't let this matter affect the crew.

I see. Kevin Fitch said enough.

Robert Iger said no more: Do it now.

Ronan and Robert Iger left the conference room first, and the two discussed the situation of Marvel Entertainment while walking. When Iron Man succeeds, the situation of Marvel Entertainment stabilizes, and adjustments to Marvel Entertainment are necessary.