Ed Brubaker Clarifies His Harsh Words About Falcon And The Winter Soldier
Earlier this year, Marvel comic book writer Ed Brubaker, whose run on series such as "Captain America: Winter Soldier" formed the basis for much of the storyline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), made headlines when he said that trailers for the Disney+ show, "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier," made him feel "sick." The comments came during an interview with Kevin Smith for the director's "Fatman Beyond" podcast.
Brubaker was airing the grievances which are not unusual for comics writers who were commissioned for work prior to the launch of the MCU. Disney has come under fire time and again for its treatment of the people who make their cash cow properties into stories worth telling. In his original interview, Brubaker said, "These movies are making billions and billions of dollars, and it feels like we just kind of got a bad deal." He explained, "A lot of the emotional architecture of ['Captain America: Civil War'] was, like, stuff that would not exist had I not written these comics."
In other words, Brubaker wants a piece of the pie he helped bake. "Being a co-creator of The Winter Soldier ... I should not have to be worried about providing for my wife if I die." Now, in a new interview, Brubaker is back at it, this time attempting to roll back and clarify his scathing — if justified — remarks.
Brubaker clarifies his comments: 'I was actually laughing when I said that'
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ed Brubaker was asked about the comments he made to Kevin Smith regarding his frustration with Marvel Studios' payment model for comic book writers. He specifically addressed his comments about the work he did on the Winter Soldier storyline in the comics, saying, "They didn't own a movie studio when I wrote that story." Brubaker was quick to clarify his stance, and to point out that the tone of voice he used did not come across in text articles recapping his statements. "When I was on Kevin's podcast, I didn't intend to talk about it as much as I did. If you listen to the way I'm talking about it, I'm not yelling or upset. I know what the situation is and I'm just explaining the situation."
In fact, Brubaker claims he had productive conversations with some higher-ups at Marvel after expressing his frustration over "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. " I haven't talked about it to anybody outside of a couple of people inside Marvel. I'm hoping that there will be some kind of happy ending to it at this point because I feel like they definitely got the message."
Brubaker says he's finally watched "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier," and has previously had kind words for its star, Anthony Mackie. He notes that he received an outpouring of support from the comic book-reading community after his initial remarks, including many who asked how they can support writers. "They can't pay me for what Disney is not paying me," Brubaker said, laughing. "What can you do? You can support people's original work."