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SPIDER-MAN EXCLUSIVE: Avi Arad, "Grandpa" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

At the press junket for Amazing Spider-Man, CBM editor Ed Gross caught up (very) briefly with producer Avi Arad, the man who ushered Marvel to the big screen as early as Blade and X-Men, just to get his feelings on how far the vision has come.

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By EdGross - 6/10/2012
Not sure if everyone remembers this, but it was Avi who fought the good fight to get Hollywood to start believing in Marvel as the source for feature films, and it's pretty incredible to have gone from the days of Blade to where we are today with The Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man and so many more.


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37 Comments
TheMyth - 6/10/2012, 2:14 PM
I respect the man for what he's done in bringing superheroes to the big screen. He is partly responsible for the success of the modern age of CBM's. Love him or hate him, gotta respect him.
JDUKE25 - 6/10/2012, 2:40 PM
Same here Fark
batzack - 6/10/2012, 2:40 PM
why is every article sending me to naked pictures ? not that im complaining but if i was in the mood for that, i'd be on porn, not cbm.com
Helena - 6/10/2012, 2:45 PM
Snooki isn't porn unless you are into beastiality. CBM got hacked twice today.
Growler - 6/10/2012, 2:53 PM
Yep. I keep getting redirected too. Someone's playing silly buggers and it isn't funny.
iJackSparrow - 6/10/2012, 3:00 PM
Some asshole is sabotaging the Spider-Man articles, it doesn't happen on other articles.
Jollem - 6/10/2012, 3:14 PM
good stuff.

i wonder who the "drunk uncle" of the MCU is?
SeaborneLegend - 6/10/2012, 3:18 PM
Redirects are becoming a bit of a pain, then all last night there were constant articles posted regarding the boxing match, then earlier today with the football (or soccer...)

Not good... :/

Regarding Avi? Guy is class!
iJackSparrow - 6/10/2012, 3:22 PM
Regarding the article, I love Avi, and I hope he and Kevin Feige find an agreement over the use of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

More info on my article, which got rickrolled by the stupid redirectings earlier:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelMovieverseNews/news/?a=61371
iJackSparrow - 6/10/2012, 3:36 PM
@yossarian - The other articles that I've tested work fine. Now this one is working too, but The article I've posted about Arad talking about the possibility of Spider-Man showing up in The Avengers got hijacked by the same thing. I'm on my iPad and there's some weird ads popping up, saying "Jesus loves you" and what not, and this ad in other hand is showing up on every article.
skidz - 6/10/2012, 3:37 PM
@Jollem: Ang Lee.
santoanderson - 6/10/2012, 3:41 PM
The thing I don't really appreciate about Avi is that he's a salesman. He's the guy who says stuff like "Tim Story really understands Fantastic Four" and "People really loved the first Ghost Rider, so we decided to give them what they want and make Spirit of Vengeance". He's an impressive financier, but man, this guy speaks very enthusiastically about shit films.
iJackSparrow - 6/10/2012, 3:46 PM
@yossarian



This is Portuguese for "Jesus loves you", lol.
rocky - 6/10/2012, 3:50 PM
Let's not heap too much credit this guy's way. He was totally against Marvel developing their own studio and against taking the loans they did to jump start it. I think that's why he left shortly after that. Kevin Feige was the man with the vision to do what Marvel has done.

If it was up to Arad all the Avengers characters would be licensed out like Spidey and X-Men
iJackSparrow - 6/10/2012, 4:01 PM
What's the difference of Arad selling Marvel characters to Feige pimpin' the Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy? Some people just have double standards.
santoanderson - 6/10/2012, 4:06 PM
@Firg. Yeah, I know, but that fake charisma just bugs the shit out of me. He knows (at least I hope) the movie is bad. He knows the critics hate it. Yet he still has the balls to say things like "Topher Grace, as Venom, is one of the most frightening villains ever seen on film."

Suffice it to say, whenever Avi talks, my bullshit detector is on high alert.
EarOne - 6/10/2012, 4:16 PM
hey, there's NO argument the man started it all...but, i think that fact kinda got him to blur between good and bad judgments, like when he "suggested" the use of Venom to Sam Raimi in Spidey 3. and..is he currently works for Sony?? cuz, he's out of Marvel, right..??
ForceOfLegend - 6/10/2012, 4:26 PM
I'm glad that he has helped bring CBM's into the public eye. However the guy strikes me as a sleezeball in all of the interviews I have seen him in. Could just be me though...
ForceOfLegend - 6/10/2012, 4:27 PM
Actually come to think of it! He reminds me of the Salkninds who produced the first three Superman films. Those guys were dicks!
EdGross - 6/10/2012, 4:29 PM
Whether the ramifications of Avi's deals are being felt today or not in terms of things like X-Men and Spidey still being under the control of other studios, it was his wheeling and dealing that got things moving in the first place. I honestly do think that he deserves credit - just follow the line from Blade to X-Men to Spider-Man, etc. Besides, back in the day Marvel was in no position to finance their own films - you do what you have to in order to survive.
Oxbow - 6/10/2012, 4:34 PM
didn't know about his part in selling off the character rights. If he IS responsible for spidey not being able to be in the Avengers than he should be doing more than talking about how it's possible. The man should be out there selling it to the people who own the rights! Fix the errors of necessity you made during the bankruptcy days Avi... Get the marvel characters BACK WHERE THEY BELONG
dailycomicsfix - 6/10/2012, 4:58 PM
Marvel was on the verge of bankruptcy...possibly even filed for protection. While Avi Arad was/is only concerned with $$$ tell me business man isn't. He made the best deals he could have given Marvels situation. I am happy Marvel is no longer ine the same position, perhaps in part due to Avi's deals...
juggy4711 - 6/10/2012, 5:10 PM
Exactly Ed and DCF. Avi helped Marvel stay afloat when it was going down in flames. Without him there may have been no Marvel to make IM and the TIH. No reason for Disney to buy em and no fricking Avengers film.
nld3 - 6/10/2012, 5:11 PM
He let too many directors take to many Liberties. Toning down costumes to a 20 ft Hulk. I prefer Feige now. He's no longer with Marvel.
thewolfx - 6/10/2012, 5:12 PM
i respect him but hes done his fair share of stupid shit in the past and will be more in the future

"coff" venomspinoff "coff"
CharlesTheIncredible - 6/10/2012, 5:31 PM
Yea much respect goes to Avi for helping start the whole thing but just look at the direction he allowed them to go. Feige and everyone wanted to take a chance with the loans and he bounced to stick around and milk those other franchises he helped license off
jonedc - 6/10/2012, 5:35 PM
I'm on the fence with this guy it's true he paved the way with seeing my favorite characters on film but he sold his soul to the devil( Fox/Sony) now Marvel Studios has nothing to work with besides the members of the Avengers.
ISleepNow - 6/10/2012, 5:37 PM
The 'vision' has hopefully progressed to a point beyond which his further participation will be necessary
Nighmarewalking117 - 6/10/2012, 6:58 PM
Exactly @Grif, I notice that a lot from every show that "Spider-Man" was in and had a show and yeah true that @BaneKill7, now guys ask me something: Don't you find it "odd" that he's letting Webb have more "freedom" over-production, then they gave Raimi, because supposedly "Spider-Man 1" was going to be dark. There's a-thing on YouTube, where Toby Maguire, is just kicking these guys asses, but as he does-it, he's all-serious. Its cool and from it, looks-like an "alleyway-scene", but check-it-out!
EastcoastAvenger - 6/10/2012, 7:14 PM
Rocky - I agree with you. Props for Avi for making Marvel Movies before the MCU. However, being part of the MCU is now the high quality stamp of Marvel films. Anything else in just guess.
hartley07 - 6/10/2012, 7:43 PM
pffft he still likes the elektra/daredevil fight scene in the park.
CPBuff22 - 6/10/2012, 8:21 PM
Blade is still one of my favorite Super Hero Movies. I think the list reads something like...

1. Avengers
2. Watchmen
3. Blade
4. X-Men 2
5. Batman Begins
6. Spider-Man
7. Captain America
8. Thor
9. Spider-Man 2
10. X-Men

I feel I missed one but not sure what one.
iJackSparrow - 6/11/2012, 12:06 AM
@Owlman

Agreed. He is flawed as any other movie producer, but we own him A LOT.
Ortonito - 6/11/2012, 1:36 AM
This man's importance gets massively overplayed! He's a money lusting toy maker whom is notorious for shitty decisions! All he has ever done is throw money around and bullied things according to his wants!

I'm thankful that he isn't part of Marvel's bankroll of current producers. The man has no passion outside of money!

First he told us not to expect Spider-Man to have any involvement in The Avengers, now after all of its plaudits and more importantly its box office success, old cash register eyes changes his tune.

The man isn't a legend! The man is a massive twat!

Viva Kevin Feige!
plasticman - 6/11/2012, 8:33 AM
While I don't like some of the decisions that he has made or left up to others to make I do respect that he got us to where we are today. Would this site even exist if there was never a Blade or X-Men? Probably not.
Was he a Marvel visonary? No. He has Hollywood corporate written all over him, but that is what Marvel needed to get to where they are today. Only because of the success of Iron Man and accquisition by Disney do we really long for all of the rights to revert back to Marvel for continuity sake. But that was not to be expected twenty years ago.
The thing that Marvel is experiencing now with lack of rights for its characters is the same catch-22 that the writers and artists that have developed the characters that we all love face. Selling out for a dollar only to see someone else benefit from their ideas. From a business standpoint it had to be done.
It is sad though to think that their is a better chance for Hulk to share a movie with Kermit the Frog than Wolverine.
CharlesTheIncredible - 6/11/2012, 10:27 AM
plasticman you just brought something up that i hadnt thought of before. I hate that xmen got licensed off because Wolvie first showed up in a Hulk comic. And lately we've been debating license issues but who appeared in what with who. Just imagine the epicness that would have been if Wolvie had appeared in a hulk movie first before the xmen (im not talking ang lee's hulk, tho they prolly woulda put him in the yellow and blue costume). Heads would still be exploding to this day
Rhino4508 - 6/11/2012, 2:15 PM
I'm sorry, but Avi is nothing special. Never cared much for him at all. Now Stan, he's The Man.

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