Marvel's Daredevil Showrunner Reveals He's Part of Royalties Audit After Series Went to Disney+

At the beginning of May, tensions rose in the entertainment industry as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) initiated a strike. This week, another blow came as the actor's guild, SAG-AFTRA, also decided to go on strike. The ongoing labor disputes have revealed some surprising truths about the industry, with a major point of contention being the decline of residuals in the streaming age. Residuals, which are additional payments made to writers and actors based on the continued use or performance of their work, have become nearly nonexistent in the streaming era.

In a recent Twitter revelation, writer Cody Zigler shed light on the issue. Zigler disclosed that he received a residual check of only $396 for writing one episode of "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law." Despite being a staff writer on the show and being credited for writing the episode titled "Ribbit and Rip It" (also known as the Daredevil episode), the meager payment sparked outrage and further fuelled the ongoing debate.

Steven DeKnight, the showrunner of Netflix's "Daredevil" series, responded to Zigler's tweet, shedding light on his own experience. DeKnight explained that his original deal for "Daredevil" included a small percentage of the backend, which refers to the profits generated by a production. He initially did not expect to see any backend compensation due to the show's presence on Netflix. However, when Marvel/Disney moved the series to Disney+, DeKnight became involved in an audit to pursue the money owed to him and others.

DeKnight revealed a concerning aspect of auditing for owed compensation, stating, "And here's the thing about auditing to get what's owed to you: YOU have to pay for it (divided up among the backend participants). The last time I had to do this, it cost me alone 17K and took over two years." This highlights the significant financial and time burden placed on individuals who seek to recover what they are contractually owed.

DeKnight's final statement expressed his frustration, stating, "Entertainment Corporations will do ANYTHING to keep from paying you what you're contractually owed." This sentiment reflects the growing discontent among writers, actors, and other creatives who feel undervalued and believe the industry is not adequately compensating them for their work. You can check out the tweet below:

So speaking of Daredevil, as showrunner of S1, part of my deal includes a little sliver of the backend. Never expected to see any on Netflix. But then Marvel/Disney pulled it and it ended up on Disney +. Now I’m part of an audit to try to get the money they owe me and others. https://t.co/O7yrTGAaCs

— Steven DeKnight (@stevendeknight) July 15, 2023

 

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher Slams Disney CEO Bob Iger:

In response to the ongoing strike, The Walt Disney Company CEO, Bob Iger, recently expressed his view that the strike is "unrealistic" and described it as "disturbing." He voiced concerns about the potential detrimental impact it could have on the entire business. However, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher strongly criticized Iger's comments during an interview with Variety while participating in the strike picket lines.

Drescher described Iger's remarks as "terribly repugnant and out of touch" and characterized them as a display of being "positively tone-deaf." She expressed the opinion that Iger's comments did not serve him well and suggested that if she were in charge of the company, she would keep him isolated from speaking publicly about the issue. Drescher emphasized that Iger seemed disconnected from the realities experienced by hardworking individuals who earn significantly lower salaries compared to his high seven-figure or eight-figure earnings. She characterized the wealth disparity as "crazy money" and accused entertainment executives of displaying a lack of concern, likening them to medieval land barons.