Will Marvel & Disney seek to reacquire the rights to Power Rangers?
 

We know that Marvel has history with Toei and co-produced a couple of Super Sentai seasons and attempted to adapted it for an American audience before Saban did. Of course we are all aware of the Disney years of Power Rangers.

Now looking at Marvel's activity in recent years they have been attempting to reacquire the movie rights to all their comic book characters. So far they have gotten back Daredevil (from Fox), Punisher (Valhalla Motion Pictures and Lionsgate), Big Hero 6 (shared with Fox as an X-Men property), Ghost Rider (Sony), Howard the Duck (returned to Marvel after Lucasfilms Ltd. was bought by Disney), and most recently they got back a character everyone kept saying Marvel would never want back: Namor the Submariner (from Universal).

Now another route Marvel and Disney has been going is creating shared deals with Sony and Fox. The first deal we saw from this was Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch which Fox holds the film rights to but allowed Disney to use them in the Avengers movies as separate entities from the Fox versions. More recently the unthinkable was done when Kevin Feige struck a deal with Sony to share the rights to Spider-Man and the deal was expanded for Sony and Disney to work together to expand their shared Marvel universe. And now Fox is interested in possibly being a part of this shared universe.

Do you think that if this new Power Rangers movie from Lionsgate is successful will Marvel and Disney look to reacquire the rights to Power Rangers from Saban and Lionsgate or at least go the route they took with Sony?

Nah.
They were so interested in these characters because they're all part of the shared Marvel Universe, and they didn't want the world to seem small with only 7 heroes occupying it, and allowing for greater and larger stories to be told as things expand.

Disney never really cared for Power Rangers, while Marvel's connection with Sentai and Toei has basically been nonexistent since the 70's.

I don't see them trying to get back PR, even if the movie is a hit.

No they dumped it for a reason and they wouldn't need it because by owning Marvel and Star Wars they pretty much own the American boys toy market already.

But looking at the history, never say never.

It's just that there isn't really much reason for them to do so.
Disney never cared about Power Rangers. They picked it up because it was profitable, but it was never a venture they liked for whatever reason (There's like, 4 different reasons for why Disney didn't like PR. I don't know which one is true, though the "Too violent" one seems to be the most cited reasoning).
And after they got Marvel and Star Wars, going to get PR back would be a bit of a downgrade, don't you think? It was a franchise that mainly existed to sell toys, rather than one not mainly developed to do so (Which soon became major toy pushes :lol)

Yeah, it's always possible for someone at Disney to want it, but I just don't see why. The only possible reason is because it's a major boys brands on toy shelves at the moment (Though I don't know how big PR is in comparison to TMNT and TFs these days)

If only to make them full seasons again, not split them up into 2 20-episode seasons over 2 years and get rid of the damn summer hiatuses!

I don't think it will happen. Disney pretty much killed the PR series by giving it bad marketing and awful time slots. After SPD, the ratings got worst and toy sales seem went down as well. I remember Jungle Fury didn't get any TV ads for the show until after the show was over.

I also remember hearing that Toei hated working with Disney. Unlike Marvel and Star Wars, Disney does not have the full control over the PR series since it's a colicence franchise. Disney wanted a animated Power Rangers show, but Toei said no.

No. The answer is no. After Dino Thunder I didn't know other Power Ranger seasons existed until I saw some ads for Samurai on Nickelodeon. From what I've heard in the past few years in this fandom is that Disney did not want Power Rangers anymore. They sold the show and with big franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones under their belt it'd seem useless to acquire Power Rangers again. Also Saban might get big money in the next few years if the movie becomes successful.

Dino Charge has been a decent season. I think Neo Saban can give us good seasons again. With Samurai and Mega Force seasons airing, fans wanted Disney back. Even though fans wanted Saban back during the Disney era :lol.

If nothing else, I think that Marvel should try to seek usage of the series that it had prior "influence" in: Battle Fever J, Denjiman, Sun Vulcan. It is true that Saban has PR and Toei might not like to split their working relationship "down the middle", but all they have to do is site the Marvel copyright inherent in the old shows and that might be just technical enough to work. If that alone isn't enough, I think Saban should act as a "mediator" to try to persuade Toei to allow Marvel to use the likeness of the shows in either comic or animated format. In recent times, Spiderman echoed this old relationship with the minimal but noticable inclusion of Leopardon and the fact that they have streamed some of the episodes of that series. Comic entries like "Spiderman vs. Sun Vulcan" or "Sun Vulcan vs. Denjiman" would be superhero fandom candy and provide a meaningful segue to Shout Factory "dipping its toe" into older series (which carry a Marvel copyright that Saban doesn't have).

P.S.: This would also serve to answer the nonsensical inclusion of VulEagle alongside Megaforce Red in the Action Card Game.

I don't think it would work. Super Sentai is just too obscure in America. People are aware that PR uses Japanese footage, but that's basically the extent most average viewers know about Sentai.
Marvel doesn't really have any stakes in any shows beyond Spider-Man. While Marvel may have helped produce Battle Fever and Denjiman, they had no hand in Sun Vulcan (It was associated to Marvel by proxy since it was intended to be a sequel to Denjiman), and I think thanks to Toei's contract with Saban, they have more control over those 3 series.

Disney doesn't care about Sentai and Power Rangers, while Marvel doesn't really have any control over the series they helped produce anymore, while Saban has no reason to share with Disney nor act as an in between for Marvel and Toei (Profit share with an unaffiliated company for no real benefit? Saban is a bit too money hungry for that).

I wanted it, especially if Disney decides to merge PR universe with Marvel, but knowing Disney, they'll butcher the series. I mean, they did butcher Marvel when it comes to animated shows. It's only a miracle that Star Wars so far is doing good.

We are all going off about Disney but what about Marvel? Marvel has the final say on what characters they want to absorb. Disney might not like it but they might persue it anyways. There was no reason to go after Namor but they did. And we also have to consider the fact that the only reason Disney didn't like Power Rangers is because they had to play ball with Toei. If Marvel goes after Power Rangers they might ask Disney to buy Toei for full control of Super Sentai and Power Rangers.

Other than Namor being their own character that they may have plans for?

Are you serious with this? There's no way that Disney are going to buy the WHOLE of Toei just to own Power Rangers. Ever.

It's not unpresidented. In the recent past Disney attempted to purchase Warner Bros in an attempts to absorb DC characters, Harry Potter, and Looney Tunes. That purchase was considered a monopoly and stopped by the US government. So it's not far fetched to see them attempt to buy Toei. Not only would they get Super Sentai and Power Rangers but also Kamen Rider, Metal Heroes, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, and Digimon. Disney already has experience with Power Rangers and Digimon. It would be too sweet of a deal to pass up. And because it's a Japanese company they might be able to avoid the monopoly laws.

All I am saying is watch out for the mouse. It gets what it wants even if it hates it.

And you think Power Rangers generates anywhere close to the amount of money Looney Tunes, Harry Potter or DC does?

...What? Did you miss the fact that Disney completely owns Marvel?

Yes they can ask why would they? but in no way do they have any power over Disney at all.

Disney can not buy Toei. Japan has laws against foreign companies owning more than 49% of a Japanese company. While it can be overturned, they aren't going to allow the biggest animation studio in Japan to be owned by foreigners.

Also, Disney doesn't want Power Rangers because they don't solely own it (and can't) and they never wanted it to begin with.

Honestly, I don't think they even had that much to do with Denziman. Battle Fever J started as Captain Japan but took of on its own, very, very strange direction pretty quickly. Marvel and Toei's business deal was for four shows, but after Supaidaman and Battle Fever, it really seems like the last two just had Marvel's name on them to satisfy the agreement, not because of any actual production contributions.

I don't think Marvel would be interested in toku again, besides the company is a great asset for Disney.

Saban would not be spending his time for nothing. If he was "generous", then it would make sense that he would either get an upfront fee for his "efforts" or a cut of whatever finished product would come about. It is true that most don't know Super Sentai, but the inevitable release of Sentai sets by Shout has likely caused an obvious fluctuation in knowledge. Saban also has to answer for the aforementioned ACG usage of VulEagle and the Marvel copyright on the "Marvel-Sentai Three" might require an obligatory cooperation between Saban (who has the rights to Sentai) and Marvel (who has their outdated and barely used mark on the shows) IF those three were ever released by Shout as both have a technical stake in such a deal. If the Marvel copyright was "overruled" by the deal with Saban, then the matter has no conflict. If the copyright is too noticeable and might prompt more questions than answers, then Saban would have to seek Marvel's complicity in order to save face and answer the inevitable "Why?". Even if Saban and Shout have the ability to act on their own, then they should seek Stan Lee's blessing and perhaps even a new short documentary explaining the Marvel relationship.

P.S.: This might explain things a little further: http://ukiyaseed.weebly.com/ukiyasee...ack-in-the-80s

Could it be possible that Marvel no longer owns the copyright to what they did with Super Sentai? Perhaps Toei bought those things from them? I mean this stuff did go down like 30 years ago.

Disney wanted to cancel PR and just have the rights from the start. Only reason it continued was someone convinced them it'd save money to move to New Zealand. After that they just kept riding through toy sales. Hell after RPM when we had MMPR 2010, Samurai was just gonna be a toyline only. Wasn't until Saban bought it back we had a show again, regardless of quality.

Disney is way too busy with both Marvel and Star Wars to care about Power Rangers again. Plus we have a movie coming out with Lionsgate, the toyline is doing great, and even the show is doing pretty well I think. So I very highly doubt Saban would even consider selling the rights again when we are about to be in the height of popularity as a franchise again.

A lot of people seem to look at this from only the Disney perspective not the Marvel perspective. If Marvel wants it they'll get it. That's what I mean. I am not talking about Disney minus Marvel I am talking about Disney through Marvel. Marvel is going after what they own and that might also mean they feel entitled to Power Rangers.

I also love how we're just looking at the rights (sarcasm) and not the other more likely option I stated: a shared universe where Saban and Lionsgate keep the rights but allow their characters and Marvel characters to cross over and interact.

A cooperation between companies and rights-holders to form something of a dream team (likely in animated or comics format). There have been several variations on this and it would have to be a good deal for both to agree to it. If it worked though, Spiderman and Power Rangers could hang outside of an old Fox Kids Summer lineup of reruns. Marvel could revisit the older Super Sentai it "helped" Toei with, fans of both would stand worried, dumbstruck, and overjoyed at such an extensive collaboration. There are a plethora of possibilities which could have lasting ramifications, like Shout releasing the Japanese Spiderman to disc. But the lasting question is: Would they agree? Take Freddy vs. Jason for example, as that match-up took years as New Line and Paramount couldn't come to terms. It only gave rise when New Line got the character rights and after several years and a bunch of rejected drafts, they finally came out with... something. Would Marvel and Saban suffer through the same or similar?

Marvel's been credited in Gokaiger episodes that featured characters from those three shows and was credited as recently as on the Zyuohger movie's website. I think they're going to be holding onto it for a while still.

That's the thing even if Disney wanted to claim partial ownership of Sentai all they'd be able to do at most is stop Toei/Saban from using/referencing those three shows Marvel helped produce.

Why everyone think Disney buy PR again ?

I guess it's because of the success of Marvel and Star Wars. If you ask me, I feel like Power Rangers belong to Marvel, since they had a hand in creating Super Sentai.

Not really. Gorenger was retroactively made the first Sentai, but Battle Fever J was basically just aping Gorenger's style.

And how involved was Marvel, anyway? Battle Fever is kind of unrecognizable from what it was intended to be.
Though technically, yeah, they did have a hand.

Aside from the opinion that I don't think Marvel gives a shit what Toei does with Sentai in Japan, or Saban does with Rangers- I really, really, really doubt we will ever get a team up between a Ranger team and Marvel heroes. That would involve a hell of a lot of companies, and a hell of a lot of people to agree to it. Comics? I could see a one shot if Boom Studios and Saban did something with Marvel. Movies? No. That will not happen. Marvel as a movie studio or even company is too focused on their own characters and their stories to worry about another franchise that Lionsgate is helping. You don't see Luke Skywalker or Rey and Finn helping Captain America or Star Lord, do you?

I really don't see where this mindset of "Marvel owns Toei" or "Marvel started Sentai". They co-helped w what? Battle Fever J and Toku-SpiderMan? Regardless, if Marvel wanted to do something with that, and it somehow affected the way Saban Brands did Power Rangers, I still do not think nothing would change as it is right now.

Why Marvel would be interested in toku ?

Yes Toei basically copied Gorenger in forming Battle Fever J. At least in terms of costumes. The team however is actually influenced by The Avengers with even an intent of including Spider-Man down the line. Plus without Spider-Man there would be no megazords. Yes Gorenger was first but Marvel and Toei's collaboration Battle Fever J is the foundation all modern Super Sentai is based on. Marvel is one of two parents that conceived Super Sentai and Power Rangers. Saban is the step dad.

They have been since the 1970s

I'm just saying that, in terms of the spectrum, Battle Fever leans a lot closer to Gorenger than the original Captain Japan concept Marvel originally intended.

Spidey did pave the way for mecha, but that's more just Leopardon being stupid popular and Toei catching on quickly (Though if Supaidaman is brought back in the next Hero Taisen movie, I'mma scream :lol)

No, without anime like Getter Robo and Mazinger Sentai would have no robo as the entire reason Leopardon exists is because Toei wanted to cash in on the 70s giant robot craze.

If the movie is successful enough to warrant renewed interest from Disney, there's NO WAY IN HELL Lionsgate or Saban would sell the rights. Why would they give up something profitable enough to inspire envy from one of their primary competitors? It's just not logical.

Unless Saban Brands get in bankruptcy someday.

Is this why Saban sold the franchise originally?