Sony could have bought movie rights for all Marvel characters in the 1990s for $25 million, and they turned it down.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/26/why-...ommentary.html
Eric: One of the most interesting stories in the book is the opportunity, when Marvel was coming out of bankruptcy. Sony could have bought the entire IP catalog from Marvel for $25 million. Sony management wasn't interested. [Marvel – now owned by Disney — owns the rights to "Spiderman", as well as "Iron Man", "Black Panther", "Guardians of the Galaxy", "X Men", and others. However, Sony only struck a deal to license the rights to make "Spiderman" movies, instead of renting — or buying — the rights to the rest of the Marvel catalog.]
Was that a Japanese or US decision?
Ben: That was a US decision. The Sony Pictures' execs couldn't see any value in any characters other than Spiderman, which was the only character with awareness beyond the comic book crowd. Who would ever want to see a movie with Captain America, or the Black Panther, or Guardians of the Galaxy? Those seemed like worthless characters, so they said no way. They told their lawyer to go back and get Spiderman rights only, because all anyone cared about was Spiderman.