$tan the Man!

Stan 'the Man' Lee has just won a court case granting him a percentage of the profits from the Spider-Man films.

Does he deserve them?

He did create the character back in '61, along with many of Marvel Comics most successful characters like The Fantastic Four and the Hulk. Nowadays Stan Lee is to Marvel what William Shatner is to Star Trek; a popular face to a cult empire. But he had little involvement with the actual films, aside from a cameo and an executive producer credit.

Personally, I believe in creators rights and don't think the film would not have succeeded if it had not been heavily influenced by Stan's many years writing the character. So yes, he should be entitled to a share of its success. But I also agree with Stan's statement that it's a shame it had to go through the courts.

You can read more about Stan and the court case at BBC Online:
The comic book genius of Stan Lee

On a brighter note: there is now a online trailer for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. Check it out at www.fantasticfourmovie.com
It looks fab, I have high hopes for this one.