The King of Pop also wanted to be Spider-Man, and to achieve this, he was about to buy the entire Marvel Entertainment company.
Over the course of half a century, two entertainment icons have captivated the world: Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, and Marvel, the home of superheroes. Both revolutionized their industries and transcended their borders., leaving an indelible mark on popular culture. However, between Jackson's heyday in the 1980s and the dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2010s lies the 1990s, a challenging period for both figures. Marvel, before its epic resurrection on the big screen of the 21st century, was on the verge of succumbing to bankruptcy.
The fate of both figures could have taken a completely different path if Jackson's wishes to obtain the rights to Marvel Comics had come true.
Michael Jackson and Marvel were at a crossroads in the 1990s
Maybe we would have seen Jackson climb walls before Tobey Maguire
Both Michael Jackson and Marvel Entertainment, two titans of popular culture with distinctive iconography, faced a turning point in the 1990s.
Jackson, more than the most recognized and successful pop star of the 80s, was possibly the most famous figure in the world. Her influence extended beyond music, deeply impacting fashion, dance, and music videos.
But, beyond music, Jackson also ventured into film, starring in the adaptation of The Magician (1978) and his own anthology film Moonwalker (1988). He even directed the short film Captain EO (1986) for Disney theme parks, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and scripted by George Lucas.
Marvel, on the other hand, was experiencing a decline in the '90s. After booming in the previous decade, the company collapsed in 1996 and was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.. Toy Biz, a maker of toys based on their characters, acquired a stake in the company and they eventually merged. Despite attempts to bring Spider-Man, his most iconic creation, to the big screen, It wasn't until Sam Raimi's 2002 film that the company found resounding success.starting a cinematographic empire based on its characters.
While Jackson sought new horizons beyond musicMarvel was struggling to find its place in the changing entertainment industry.
Michael Jackson had plans to buy Marvel
Spider-Man has long been a goldmine, his charm is undeniable, and both Marvel, Disney and Sony are lucky to have this “friendly neighbor” in their arsenal. Even with the next movie, Spider-Man 4, they are about to make history once again, breaking a record of more than 50 years.
At the time when James Cameron was working on a draft of his own vision of Spider-Mananother legendary entertainment figure, Michael Jackson also dreamed of swinging through the streets of New York fighting crime..
The late musician's nephew, Taj Jackson, revealed in an interview with the YouTube channel Popcorned Planetthat his uncle had openly expressed his desire to buy Marvel from the family. Jackson longed to collaborate with Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man and the iconic figure of the superhero publisher. But of course, this association never came to fruition. According to Taj, “they were prevented from doing so”, and the reasons and details behind this failed deal remain a mystery. However, what is clear is that Both parties were interested in reaching an agreement.
Michael Jackson's dream of being Spider-Man
Michael Jackson and Stan Lee ended up developing a good friendship
Taj has revealed the King of Pop's fascination with the Marvel universe and, in particular, Spider-Man. He claims that Jackson was not only a fan of Marvel history, but I also dreamed of playing Spider-Man.
Stan Lee suspected that Jackson's decision to buy the rights from the company was precisely dominated by his desire to play the spider superhero on the big screen. Even when Lee told the singer that the rights to the character would not be for sale, Jackson insisted and stated that he would buy the entire company.
Despite the failed negotiations, Lee and Jackson met on numerous occasions, which ended up causing a very moving reaction from the creator of Spider-Man. According to Lee, Jackson had a feeling of isolation, after all, being the most popular celebrity in the world for decades is no easy task.
Michael Jackson, it is said, was always very cordial with Stan Lee, and from his experiences, the comic book writer remembered that he was a “nice guy”as does the friendly neighbor, Spider-Man.
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