Marvel Comics is no stranger to controversial storylines, and while the publisher frequently comes under fire from fans, it's rare that they back down and reverse those creative decisions.
The events of "One More Day," which ended Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's marriage, are proof of that. Then there's what happened to the original Nick Fury (he became a cosmic villain to open the door for his son, a Samuel L. Jackson lookalike, to take over) and Captain America's villainous turn when he joined HYDRA.
However, for Marvel Executive Editor, SVP and Senior X-Men Editor Tom Brevoort, he'd prefer fans to be angry rather than indifferent to Marvel Comics' monthly offerings.
Talking on the World Balloon podcast (via Bleeding Cool), Brevoort opened up on how the backlash surrounding Mary Jane's relationship with Paul Raban compares to that big Steve Rogers twist in 2017.
"That was the only one that I got actual credible death threats for," he said of HydraCap. "I had to cancel at least one convention appearance because there were some sort of death threat letters that came in from a place that was not that far from where the convention was, and it was like, yeah, can't screw around with this because you never know."
"The people who were unhappy made the very quick leap from, 'Oh, he's Hydra,' to, 'Oh, he's a Nazi,' which is not really, in Marvel Comics anyway, exactly the same thing. And also 'Oh, this was going to be it.' Like, Steve Rogers was forever going to be this, and this was going to be the end of Captain America as we know it, and it's a travesty."
"And, you know, Jack Kirby is rolling in his grave, they would tell me. And I'd be like, you know, I think Jack's fine, sir," Brevoort pointed out, saying that while "everybody lost their minds, the fact that people were that upset meant on a certain level they were invested. They were on the ride whether they wanted to be on the ride or not."
It's an interesting approach, and one many fans will surely disagree with. Anger keeps people talking, yes, but it doesn't necessarily mean they'll continue buying a comic book if they're that unhappy.
In fact, indifference appears to be a major problem for Marvel Comics, given that DC Comics is handily beating them in terms of sales.
Explaining why he prefers outrage over apathy, Brevoort noted, "I honestly kind of like it when they go all in like that because it just shows that they are invested in the story and they haven't seen the rope trick so often as to be jaded and not buy into the drama of what's going on because the drama of what's going on is the whole thing. I absolutely want them to take it seriously."
How do you feel about Marvel Comics' apparent take that making fans angry is the best way to maintain interest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.