Did Marvel Shortchange Its Creators? Miles Morales Creator Sara Pichelli Sets the Record Straight

Here we go again: a creator says they are not seeing money from a character who now sells video games, comics, and movies by the truckload, the internet freaks out, and then the creator says their words were taken out of context. This time it is Miles Morales co-creator and original artist Sara Pichelli in the middle of it.

Quick recap

• In a Spanish-language interview, Pichelli agreed with the interviewer that, despite Miles being everywhere (including the PlayStation games), she gets nothing in royalties.
• A translated clip hit X and blew up, with fans assuming Marvel pays her zero for Miles.
• Pichelli then posted on Instagram saying the headline spinning out of that interview was 'embarrassing clickbait news' and that the writer 'twisted completely the tone' of a relaxed, ironic conversation.
• Fans are split on whether she was joking, being sarcastic, or genuinely airing a grievance.
• The whole mess dredged up older fights over creator compensation, including Stan Lee’s 2002 suit that ended in a $10 million settlement.

What sparked this

In the interview, the host basically said: with Miles in comics, movies, and the PlayStation Spider-Man games, surely she gets royalties. Pichelli’s translated response is the line that set everything off:

'I wish! Don't even mention it... I would be a billionaire. Exactly, but I get nothing. And that's the saddest part of my life.'

When the interviewer joked about starting a political campaign to fix it, Pichelli said: 'Please, do that.'

On its face, that sounds straightforward. But context matters, and tone gets lost fast once a clip starts hopping platforms with subtitles.

Then she tried to put the genie back in the bottle

After the uproar, Pichelli went on Instagram to say her words were being misused. In her post, she pushed back hard on how the interview was framed: she called the headline 'an embarrassing clickbait news,' said the tone of the conversation was 'relaxed and ironic,' and accused whoever wrote it of having 'twisted completely the tone' of what she said.

So which is it? A dry, sarcastic bit that got flattened by translation and clipping, or a real grievance that came out bluntly? Even with her clarification, a lot of fans are unconvinced either way.

The bigger picture: creator pay has been messy for decades

Whether Pichelli was joking or not, this hits a nerve. These characters make billions, but the people who help create them often do not share meaningfully in the windfall. The most famous example: Stan Lee. Back in 2002, he sued over a deal that was supposed to pay him 10% of Spider-Man’s movie profits. Despite the film’s success, the studios’ accounting showed a loss. A judge sided with Lee, and the case ended with a one-time $10 million payment. He did fine in his later years, sure, but even he said he could have done better. And he is not the only one who has felt shortchanged at Marvel or DC.

Bottom line: Pichelli’s comment might have been dry humor, but the reason it blew up is simple — people do not trust that the folks who build these worlds are getting paid fairly. Hard to argue with that instinct.