It’s already been some months since we learned in an interview that Loki may potentially be the set-up towards a multiversal clash in the form of Secret Wars. While the name has never been outright stated, there was some evidence in the series with the mention of a “Multiversal War” early on in a section featuring Miss Minutes. It seemed likely Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would continue to build upon that foundation alongside the newly released What If animated series.
Well, it seems more evidence is popping up of its inclusion, as the creator of the comic storyline Jim Shooter revealed he was approached by Marvel Studios about adapting the storyline during 2021’s Megacon Orlando. In a question, if he saw the Marvel Cinematic Universe developing to adapt that storyline, he started telling a story about how Marvel was trying to secure the rights for everything involving his original Secret War run.
This one clown called me from Marvel. He wasn’t an editor but some executive of property management which was a little odd. He asked me if I wanted to write a novelization of Secret Wars.
He goes on to describe the received a gigantic document with a deal that wasn’t acceptable. Shooter would go on to turn it down and get a call from Jeff Bogart, who apologized for the dubious contract. The writer highlighted that the reason they sent such a large contract was simple, they don’t hold the rights to a plethora of characters:
They didn’t have a single piece of paper that said the Beyonder, Titania, Vulcano and other characters, new Spider-Woman for that matter, and the whole black costume thing, no piece of paper that said they own it.
He then asked if they are making a movie due to these contracts, as they are trying to make sure everything has been a “bulletproof chain of title,” as Shooter describes it. He also mentions that Hollywood was a bit looser in the past and recently focused more on securing any rights in advance to not get sued. It may explain why we’ve seen Spider-Man’s Black Suit in the third Sam Raimi film, but they only made sure to own it now. While the film might not be in development currently, Marvel Studios is famous for planning and might’ve already been trying to secure all the necessary rights. The highlight of Spider-Man’s black costume is also quite interesting.
If you are interested, you can check out the entire panel, where he also discusses the current state of comics and creators:
Source: YouTube
