Fans are revisiting a surprising chapter in pop culture history after reports resurfaced claiming Michael Jackson once wanted to buy Marvel Studios, all so he could step into the role of Spider-Man himself.
A clip of the claim has recently resurfaced online featuring the late, acclaimed Stan Lee, who co-created the iconic Spider-Man character. However, Michael’s reported attempt to purchase the studio never came to fruition, as his offer was ultimately rejected.
Years after the King of Pop’s death, his nephew confirmed the claims were true and also revealed that Michael had been a major Marvel fan.
Fans are divided after resurfaced claims revealed that Michael once attempted to buy Marvel Studios so he could play Spider-Man.
The claim first emerged years ago from Lee, but is now being revisited by fans imagining what the franchise might have looked like if the singer had achieved his goal.
On X, one fan believed it would have worked perfectly, writing, “Thriller-era Michael would have made a great Peter Parker.”
Another echoed the sentiment, saying, “He definitely had the Spider-Man build, I’ll give him that.”
However, others pushed back against the idea, with one person arguing that Michael “wouldn’t have been a good fit for Spider-Man, though.”
Stan Lee Recounted Spider-Man Conversation With Michael
Lee first made the claim about Michael back in 2009 while attending the annual San Diego Comic-Con.
“He wanted to do Spider-Man,” Lee revealed, per The Telegraph. “I’m not sure whether he just wanted to produce it or wanted to play the role. Our conversation never got that far along.”
According to Lee, Michael approached him with the proposal because he believed the comic legend could make it happen. However, the comic book creator recalled telling the singer that he didn’t have the authority to make such a deal happen himself.
“He would have to go to the Marvel company,” Lee remembered telling Jackson at the time. “But we did become friendly, and he was a great guy.”
Lee Claimed Marvel Would Be Less Successful If Michael Jackson Bought It
Lee doubled down on the claims three years after first making the remarks. At the time, the comic creator said Michael wanted to purchase the then-struggling movie studio because he believed it was the only way he could ultimately play Spider-Man.
However, unlike some fans celebrating the idea online, Lee suggested Marvel’s future may not have turned out as successfully if the “Thriller” star had taken over the company, particularly given the singer’s history with business ventures.
“I can’t imagine it would have been totally different, of course, but maybe not as successful,” Lee said. “Michael was not a great businessman.”
Michael’s Nephew Confirmed The Marvel Rumors
Michael’s nephew, Taj Jackson, later confirmed the same claims in a separate interview, while adding that the deal ultimately fell apart because the board did not support it.
“He wanted to [buy Marvel] with Stan Lee, and they had been talking and discussing that. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. They were shut down from doing that,” Taj said during a sit-down with “Popcorned Planet.”
Sharing more details about Michael’s plans, Taj admitted he never learned exactly why the singer failed to secure the deal, but recalled that board members were firmly against making it happen.
Taj Says Michael Jackson Was Obsessed With Marvel
By any measure, wanting to buy Marvel Studios just to play a character is an unconventional move, and only someone with Michael’s level of wealth could realistically consider it. However, his nephew explained that the motivation was not purely financial, but also rooted in the singer’s genuine love for Marvel stories and characters.
“Besides Spider-Man, he was a huge Marvel fan. He knew all the characters. So it was not only Spider-Man [he wanted to buy]. But yeah, he probably wanted to be Spider-Man,” Taj added.
He also shared that he believes the late performer “would love” the way Marvel has since evolved its characters into a massive cinematic universe where different superheroes can appear together in the same film.
“He would be so excited about it,” Taj said. “He was such a movie buff in that way that I think he would have thought this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, all these characters coming together.”
