With usual excellent timing Avi Arad has left Marvel and formed his own production company, not only has he taken with him the rights to keep producing the Spider-Man movie franchise, but he's also secured deals to produce two of the long line-up of upcoming Superhero movies he secured while at Marvel.

This guy is a smart business man, we've seen it in about every comment that comes out from him, he's wise to marketing and knows how to release a great quote. This story from The Hollywood Reporter through Moviehole just goes to prove it even more. He's lined up a load of Superhero movies, managed to secure the financials for Marvel to do them alone, then jumped ship and formed his own production company, so where are Marvel going to look first to get their movies made? Internally with new talent? Externally with an expensive and unknown company? Or straight back to Arad at his new company with a deal based on box office returns? Clever man.

What this means to us the viewers? Not that much. As long as Arad keeps on these movies we'll get the same level of movie as we've come to expect from Marvel. Now, you could take that positively or negatively...which would you? Let's also remember that although he's retained rights to produce Spider-Man movies with Marvel, he's only lined up for two of the Marvel slate so far...could fresh blood be a good thing?

Which two films has he been secured to produce? Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. That leaves such movies as Magneto and Wolverine back at Marvel.