The following day, Bernard Issinger visits Stan Lee again and brings him a new Fantastic Four comic.

Stan Lee's heart aches to see his children look like this.

When Bernard Issinger said goodbye, he specifically reminded Stan Lee to pay attention to each issue of the Fantastic Four comics.

In mid-August, the hottest news in the entertainment industry was not Charlie Sheen cheating again, nor was it that a reporter photographed Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston walking into the store admitting to buying handcuffs, nor was it a media rumor that Stuart Townsend gave his girlfriend a resounding slap in the face on the street......

Instead, Stan Lee, known as the "father of Marvel", officially filed a lawsuit in the New York District Court and took Marvel Entertainment to court!

In the indictment, Stan Lee claimed that Marvel Comics signed an agreement with Stan Lee that he would receive 10 percent of the company's profits from every character he participated in creating if it was made into a movie or TV series, but all Marvel film adaptations, including "Spider-Man", did not give Stan Lee a dollar.

Before the lawsuit took place, Ronan got the news and personally called Avi Arad and asked him to contact Stan Lee to resolve the matter quickly.

But Stan Lee took Marvel Entertainment to court anyway.

Ronan was a bit of a big fire, quite dissatisfied with the management of Marvel Entertainment, and called Avi Arad to Los Angeles.

In the conference room on the top floor of the Relativity Building, Avi Arad was a little embarrassed, and Kevin Feige, who was specially called, was more of a bystander, after all, he really joined Marvel after Marvel Entertainment was established.

Robert Iger looked serious.

Robert Lee's face was gloomy, and as the head of the legal and copyright department of the group company, he knew very well what kind of trouble that contract might bring to Marvel Entertainment, and indeed the entire Relativity Entertainment Group, if it existed.

Fortunately, Relativity Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment have always taken the strictest secrecy measures against the "Avengers Project", otherwise the trouble may be ten or twenty times greater.

"I need an explanation, Avi!" Ronan stared coldly at Avi Aradd, "Why didn't I know that there was such a contract between Marvel and Stan Lee? Why didn't anyone at Marvel report this to me?"

Avi Arad first apologized: "I'm very sorry, it was my negligence. ”

Ronan ignored it and continued, "I need an explanation. ”

Avi Arad can see that the super-rich man in the entertainment industry, the only master of Marvel Entertainment and Relativity Entertainment Group, is really angry.

"This is the deal with Stan Lee in the early nineties, when Marvel Comics began selling superhero rights in large quantities. Avi Arad hesitated for a moment, but still said truthfully: "Since then, Marvel Comics has been in crisis, with frequent share changes, managers coming in and out, and most people, including me, have ignored this contract. ”

He did not shirk responsibility: "It was a dereliction of duty. ”

Ronan looked at Avi Arad and didn't speak.

Avi Arad added: "After the Twentieth Century Fox's X-Men movie was paid, someone at Marvel remembered the contract, but it was ...... by the board of directors"

Before he could finish speaking, under Ronan's gaze, Avi Arad changed his words: "To be exact, it was at my behest that Stan Lee's share was withheld. ”

Robert Iger interjected and asked, "That is, the contract is real?"

"Yes. Avi Arad couldn't deny: "Perelman, the owner of Marvel at the time, only wanted to use Marvel's listing to make quick money from the financial market, and didn't care about anything else, in order to win the support of Stan Lee, who was extremely important in Marvel at that time, he signed such a generous sharing contract with Stan Lee." ”

Kevin Feige asked, "Marvel has changed shares several times, and this contract is still valid?"

Robert Lee replied, "Unfortunately, it still has the force of law. ”

Kevin Feige gasped: "Our Avengers Project, where all the main creators are Stan Lee's superhero adaptations, and Stan Lee gets ten percent of the profits?"

Avi-Arad closed his eyes slightly and nodded slowly: "According to the terms of the contract, there is nothing wrong with saying this." ”

"You are a serious dereliction of duty!" Robert Iger is already the CEO of Relativity Entertainment, and his voice is quite stern: "Avi, your negligence may cause the Avengers Project to fall into great passivity. ”

"I'm very sorry. Avi-Arad did not want to lose his current position, but still defended: "This contract is not legally problematic, but from the perspective of the company's operation, it is very unreasonable. From the late nineties, Stan Lee's health deteriorated, coupled with Marvel's cramped liquidity, and in order to maintain the company, I made the decision to withhold the share. Those millions of dollars were nothing to a big company, but for Marvel at the time, it was money that could save the company. ”

Avi Arad further defended: "On the other hand, because strictly speaking, Marvel has not breached the contract, and the contract stipulates that Marvel will make ten percent of the profits, but in fact Marvel has been in a state of loss. ”

Robert Iger agrees with Avi Arad: "Marvel has really not been profitable in recent years. ”

Ronan said: "The key to this contract is not the past and the present, but the future. ”

Everyone in the conference room understood what Ronan was talking about, and it was not difficult to make the profits of the past few Marvel movies with the accounting calculation rules and company changes, but what about the "Avengers Project" in the future? What will be the price to be paid for the "Avengers Project"? Will it be necessary to make all the movies lose money? Who would believe that one after another loss-making movies will be continuously filmed and produced?

"This lawsuit, if it goes into legal proceedings. Ronan asked Robert Lee, "What are our odds of winning?"

Robert Lee said: "I looked at the contract with a lawyer, and Dinah's opinion was 50 percent at most. ”

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

Kevin Feige reminded: "It's the contract!"

Avi Arad spoke again: "Marvel has been in contact with Stan Lee, and according to what we know so far, Stan Lee's daughter has played an important role in it. ”

"Stan Lee's daughter?" Ronan asked.

Avi Arad knew that Joan Clea Lee was the best, and roughly explained the basic situation to Ronan and the others.

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

Ronan shook his head secretly, he seemed to have roughly seen the news about this, but he didn't remember it very clearly, anyway, in the last ten years or so of Stan Lee, he was surrounded by too many people with bad intentions.

From lawyers to family members to assistants to nannies, it seems that too many people want to acquire what is not theirs in the final years of the comic book master.

I remember reading a report that seemed to be Stan Lee's lawyer, assistant, and nanny who accused him of harassing a female nanny, which was later turned out to be a complicity in the framing or something.

has such a superb daughter, the future life of this comic master can be imagined.

Ronan asked, "What about the other than Stan Lee's daughter?"

With Stan Lee's greedy daughter alone, the problem would have been easier to solve.

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

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

"Good. Robert Lee picked up his phone and started texting.

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

"We can't keep this contract going!" he stressed.

Robert Iger agrees: "That means we could pay a terrible price in the future. He had communicated with Ronan before: "At present, our advantage is that the Avengers project is still in the secret stage, so we must solve the problems caused by this contract as soon as possible, otherwise once "Iron Man" is released, this contract will become a sharp blade that cuts Marvel's flesh and blood!"

Ronan glanced at Avi Aradd, temporarily suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart, 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, and strive to reach an agreement outside the courtroom." ”

Robert Iger whispered a few words to Ronan and said, "If necessary, you can buy out this agreement at a certain price." ”

Avi-Arad took the initiative to take a step back: "Personally, I am willing to give up this year's salary to cover this purpose. ”

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

Robert Iger said: "Now is not the time to hold accountable, we will settle this contract and talk about anything else. ”

Ronan has no problem with that.

Robert Iger said directly: "Avi, you return to New York and set up a crisis public relations team at Marvel to be responsible for responding to this incident. ”

Avi-Arad knew not to hesitate: "I'll go back in the afternoon." ”

Robert Iger continued: "Lee, you join Attorney Dinah and take the best people from your department to New York at once, and take full responsibility for the matter. ”

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

"Marvel Entertainment will fully cooperate. Avi-Arad immediately spoke.

Now that Marvel Entertainment has been delisted, with more than 90% of the equity in the hands of Relativity Entertainment, it is not difficult to remove the CEO at all.

Kevin Feige looked at Avi Arad and immediately responded positively, while also making his presence felt: "What can I do?"

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

"I see. "Kevin Feige is in moderation.

Robert Iger no longer said, "Act now." ”

Ronan and Robert Iger were the first to leave the conference room, and the two discussed the situation of Marvel Entertainment as they walked, and when "Iron Man" was successful and the situation of Marvel Entertainment stabilized, it was necessary to make adjustments to Marvel Entertainment.