The comics giant has issued lawsuits in a bid to hold on to the copyright of heroes including Spider-Man and Iron Man

Marvel has filed a series of lawsuits in a bid to retain full control of characters including Spider-Man and Iron Man.

The complaints, which were obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, came after the estate of the late comic book artist Steve Ditko filed a notice of termination with the US Copyright Office for the copyright of Spider-Man and Dr Strange. Both are currently held by Marvel Entertainment, but the estate of Ditko, who co-created both characters with the late Stan Lee, is looking to terminate the grant of copyright to Marvel by June 2023 through a clause in US copyright law.