Marvel movies originally couldn't include Daredevil, Blade, Ghost Rider, or the Punisher, a new book has revealed.
The rights to certain Marvel characters began reverting back to the studio in the early 2010s, after they had been sold off in the '90s. While Marvel Studios, led by Kevin Feige, was keen to put such characters in the movies, Marvel Entertainment instead decided to use them for a "planned TV empire" separate from Marvel Studios, according to The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (H/T The Direct)
"The film side had no control over those characters, despite their interest in developing them," reads the book. "Instead, they all went to Marvel Entertainment. Ghost Rider appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and the others were placed in different streaming series." The decision was made because the Marvel films were already successful with the Avengers characters, and had the Guardians of the Galaxy crew on the way.
