Marvel Wants to Replace Spidey with Iron Man as New Flagship Character

[Username taken]

Seriously though, I don't know why folks want their favorite characters to be at the top of the universe.

Spider-man and X-men have been at the forefront for decades and I don't mind other characters get pushes.

I absolutely love Daredevil and enjoy his series. But I have no desire to see his series eclipse others because it's my favorite.

Besides, it's much too early for this thread when Marvel/Disney are working on bringing Spider-man into the MCU and make billions of Spider-man merchandising.

[Vegeta]

Seriously though, I don't know why folks want their favorite characters to be at the top of the universe.

Really? It seems simple to me. Top of the universe usually means you get the best artists and writers on your title, and you are probably selling in the top 10. If you are one of the top selling books, then you are in no danger of cancellation. Ergo, if you want to continue reading about your favorite hero uninterrupted, then you want them "at the top."

If your favorite hero is for example Moon Knight (certainly NOT at the top of the universe) you are probably tired of the constant cancellations and reimagining of the character, and hoping that THIS change will be the one that actually sells.

[MajorHoy]

. . . But this interview Brevoort gave to Newsarama kind of disrupts that tranquillity:

. . . "I think Iron Man’s prominence is something pretty much everybody who encounters Marvel in every other medium already knows," Brevoort told Newsarama. "While the masked head of Spider-Man has historically been most associated with Marvel as a defacto mascot, in the last ten years in every field outside of publishing Iron Man is Marvel Comics. If you’re talking about the people who see the films, buy the t-shirts or merchandise, watch the television shows, it all comes back to Shellhead. We’re going to make a concerted effort with 'All-New All-Different Marvel' to make Iron Man the forefront of the comic books’ universe as it is elsewhere."

I don't mean to sound paranoid or anything, but why does that statement by Brevoort come off as somewhat dismissive of comic book fans if they're going to focus comic book imagery / pushes on the preferences of people who are supporting Iron Man everything except for his comic book?

[Hypestyle]

There needs to be a Rescue series, or at least a mini-series. Same goes for War Machine. But in the case of WM, give him a combination of some armored adventure and non-armored adventures. Military related suspense and intrigue. I liked the conceit of a previous series where Rhodes could assimilate tech/weaponry to his armored body. I also think that totally forgetting the alien armor was a mistake.

[Confuzzled]

Really? It seems simple to me. Top of the universe usually means you get the best artists and writers on your title, and you are probably selling in the top 10. If you are one of the top selling books, then you are in no danger of cancellation. Ergo, if you want to continue reading about your favorite hero uninterrupted, then you want them "at the top."

If your favorite hero is for example Moon Knight (certainly NOT at the top of the universe) you are probably tired of the constant cancellations and reimagining of the character, and hoping that THIS change will be the one that actually sells.

Not to mention that top of the universe also means the other characters in the series besides the protagonist have a much better chance of having their own spin-off titles, being prominent in pop-culture through television, video game and movie appearances, appear in cross-overs and be chief members of hero/villain teams etc.

One needs not look beyond the privileges the various members of the Bat-universe enjoy in the DC universe to understand this.

[jimishim12]

It's because Spider-Man isn't cool anymore, it's the same with Superman compared to Batman and Mickey Mouse compared to Donald.Spidey just doesn't have that "it" factor that assiociates him with complete dominance, awesomeness and pure attitude(Spidey was once this now he's the campy man child sad clown of the Marvel U). Thats deadpool and ironman, both are catered to modern cultural savvy cool youths and young adults because they are more hardcore and more rebellious.

[Confuzzled]

I don't mean to sound paranoid or anything, but why does that statement by Brevoort come off as somewhat dismissive of comic book fans if they're going to focus comic book imagery / pushes on the preferences of people who are supporting Iron Man everything except for his comic book?

It is exactly being dismissive of comic readers. The thing is though, he doesn't know what he is talking about when he is saying that Iron Man is currently selling the most Marvel merchandise. As proved in the chart posted in the previous page, no other superhero, from DC or Marvel, is any match for Spider-Man.

Also, the Ultimate Spider-Man animated show (though I personally loathe it) has insane ratings and is selling its own shiploads of merchandise so Brevoort is wrong about "people watching television shows" being most interested in Iron Man as well.

[jimishim12]

Spidey is now for the same demographic as My Little Pony and other kid shows, do we really want a Kid Appeal Spidey that is treated like Ultimate Spider-Man show. Spidey used to be the cool hip hero for grown ups cooler than batman and superman now people are calling him a g rated deadpool with no sense of puberty.

[Confuzzled]

It's because Spider-Man isn't cool anymore, it's the same with Superman compared to Batman and Mickey Mouse compared to Donald.Spidey just doesn't have that "it" factor that assiociates him with complete dominance, awesomeness and pure attitude(Spidey was once this now he's the campy man child sad clown of the Marvel U). Thats deadpool and ironman, both are catered to modern cultural savvy cool youths and young adults because they are more hardcore and more rebellious.

Which again is a wrong notion if you look at the merchandise revenue data chart posted on the previous page. Spidey is still the coolest superhero for a majority of global consumers of all ages.

[Loose Threads]

Which again is a wrong notion if you look at the merchandise revenue data chart posted on the previous page. Spidey is still the coolest superhero for a majority of global consumers of all ages.

I'd argue there's little in merchandising outside of comics that caters to the young adult market or beyond that...the movie will target teenagers and the longest-running Spider-Man cartoon of all time presently airing is entirely childish. Even with comics, books like Superior and RYV, which cater towards our level, have a set finite life span

[Confuzzled]

Coolest superhero to young scamps maybe, but there's little in merchandising that caters to the young adult market or beyond that...the movie will target teenagers and the longest-running Spider-Man cartoon of all time presently airing is entirely childish.

The Spider-books have been topping the charts for the past 2-3 years now. Those definitely aren't because of "young scamps". Yup, you could say that the dark and edgy Superior inflated the earlier numbers but even after Peter returned, the book has been buoyed initially with the celebration of his return and then by an epic like Spider-Verse. Even last month, the top selling non-Star Wars/Secret Wars titles were Spider-Gwen and Amazing. It shows that the character and his universe have still got it if interesting stories are written and innovative concepts are introduced.

[jimishim12]

The Spider-books have been topping the charts for the past 2-3 years now. Those definitely aren't because of "young scamps". Yup, you could say that the dark and edgy Superior inflated the earlier numbers but even after Peter returned, the book has been buoyed initially with the celebration of his return and then by an epic like Spider-Verse. Even last month, the top selling non-Star Wars/Secret Wars titles were Spider-Gwen and Amazing. It shows that the character and his universe have still got it if interesting stories are written and innovative concepts are introduced.

What about compared to Batbooks or Deadpool books? And outside the comics, Spidey is generally kid catered with the whole ultimate spiderman cartoons giving him more of a cartoonish personality.

[Highland Chicken]

It's because Spider-Man isn't cool anymore, it's the same with Superman compared to Batman and Mickey Mouse compared to Donald.Spidey just doesn't have that "it" factor that assiociates him with complete dominance, awesomeness and pure attitude(Spidey was once this now he's the campy man child sad clown of the Marvel U). Thats deadpool and ironman, both are catered to modern cultural savvy cool youths and young adults because they are more hardcore and more rebellious.

You might have a point if Spidey didn't consistently out sell the rest of the MU, even the spinoffs such as USM, 2099, Silk, Gwen and SW outsell Iron man. The manchild bit will change as soon as Slott stops writing him that way.

[Loose Threads]

Those definitely aren't because of "young scamps"..

How would you know that for sure?

There was pretty dark/zany Spider-Man content when I started as a young scamp.

[jimishim12]

You might have a point if Spidey didn't consistently out sell the rest of the MU, even the spinoffs such as USM, 2099, Silk, Gwen and SW outsell Iron man. The manchild bit will change as soon as Slott stops writing him that way.

If the Spidey comics mattered why give Tony the centerstage of the marvel new comics, outside of comics Spidey is always the second comer to Ironman and the Avengers, he's like robin status now.