If you thought Michael Jackson’s moonwalk was the most mind-blowing thing he ever did, wait until you hear about the time the King of Pop tried to become the King of Marvel. Yes, you read that right.
Michael Jackson, the glove-wearing, high-note-hitting legend, once set his sights on owning Marvel Comics—home of Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, and yes, even the Hulk.
It sounds like something out of a bizarre alternate universe where Michael trades his fedora for a cape. But this actually happened—or at least almost did.
Welcome to one of the most jaw-dropping, lesser-known stories in entertainment history. Buckle up, because this one’s got superheroes, ambition, and just a dash of “wait, what?” energy.
When pop met pow: The origins of the Marvel dream
In the 1990s, Marvel wasn’t the blockbuster machine it is today. Back then, the company was drowning in debt, comic book sales were plummeting, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t even a twinkle in Kevin Feige’s eye. Marvel was up for grabs, and Michael Jackson, ever the visionary, saw an opportunity.
According to several sources—including statements from Stan Lee himself—Jackson was dead serious about buying Marvel. And not just to have a cool comic book collection in Neverland.
No, MJ wanted to own the rights to Marvel characters, particularly Spider-Man.
And here’s where it gets even more interesting: Michael didn’t just want to buy Marvel. He wanted to be Spider-Man.
Michael Jackson as Spider-Man? Yes, that almost happened
Imagine it: Instead of Tobey Maguire shooting webs in 2002, we’d have had MJ spinning through Manhattan while “Smooth Criminal” played in the background. Forget “with great power comes great responsibility”—it would be “with great moonwalking comes even greater box office.” This wasn’t just fantasy.
Jackson reportedly wanted to play Peter Parker in a live-action movie and thought the best way to make it happen was to buy the company that owned him.
Some insiders say he even approached Stan Lee with this ambitious plan. The Marvel legend, flattered but slightly stunned, admitted in interviews that Michael was very passionate about the characters, especially Spidey. In one retelling, Lee said Michael came to him saying, “I want to buy Marvel and I want to play Spider-Man.” Stan, possibly trying to picture Michael in red and blue tights, didn't say no… but didn’t say yes either.
Why Michael couldn’t snatch the infinity gauntlet of IP rights
So why didn’t this incredible crossover event ever happen? Simple: logistics and money. Despite being one of the richest entertainers on Earth, Michael didn’t have the financial or legal muscle to outmaneuver the tangled web of Marvel’s bankruptcy and licensing deals. Not to mention, Hollywood execs were skeptical about giving the King of Pop a superhero franchise when studios still didn’t take comic book movies seriously.
Also, there were whispers that Jackson was trying to team up with business partners to buy Marvel as a group investment. But when the rubber hit the road, the deal never materialized. And soon after, Marvel clawed its way out of financial doom with hit movies like “Blade” and “X-Men,” eventually leading to Disney snapping it up in 2009 like Thanos grabbing the last Infinity Stone.
Alternate timeline: MJ’s Avengers
Still, let’s indulge in a little “what if” scenario, shall we?
Imagine an MCU where instead of Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man is played by Prince (because MJ and Prince always had that friendly rivalry and you just know he'd cast him). Imagine Captain America choreographed by Janet Jackson. Imagine all the Avengers doing a synchronized dance routine after defeating Thanos. Post-credit scenes would be literal music videos. And instead of Nick Fury, we’d have a glitter-covered Samuel L. Jackson saying, “I’m putting together a team… of superstars.”
The world wasn’t ready. And maybe it still isn’t.
More than just a superhero dream
Michael Jackson’s attempt to buy Marvel might sound wild, but it shows just how forward-thinking the man was. He saw what Marvel could become before most people did. He knew the value of characters that could live on long after him. And he wasn’t afraid to dream big—like “swinging-through-skyscrapers-in-a-spandex-suit” big.
In a world where Disney now owns Marvel and churns out billion-dollar superhero movies like popcorn, MJ’s early interest looks almost prophetic. If he had succeeded, who knows how different the landscape of entertainment would be today? Would we have had a Thriller–themed Marvel ride? Would Spider-Man have dance battles instead of fistfights? The possibilities are as endless as a Doctor Strange multiverse.
Final thoughts: Thriller meets Thor? We were this close
So next time you’re watching an MCU film or seeing Spider-Man swing across your screen, take a moment to remember that we were this close to having Michael Jackson at the center of it all. He didn’t just change music—he nearly moonwalked into the superhero business and left us with one of the most fascinating “almosts” in pop culture history.
Who knew the glove almost fit the Marvel Universe?
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