One of the stories I spotted last week was that Frank Miller is not happy that Elektra is going to be in season 2 of Daredevil. Anyone who has followed comics even a little would know that it’s not surprising Miller would react negatively to someone treating one of his characters differently than he would have (he did kill her off, after all). Thankfully, the showrunners on Daredevil have a good deal of sense and really don’t give a damn what Miller thinks – she’s a great character and a huge part of Matt Murdock’s story, plus the fans have wanted her ever since we saw the fantastic job done on season 1.

But this brings up a bigger issue: creator control over a creation. Now there are some things, like a medical device or piece of industrial equipment, that require tweaks, repairs, upgrades through the span of their lives. Makes sense so things operate correctly, efficiently, etc. When you think about the world of art, however, there comes a point when the artist needs to let it be.

An author will write a draft of a novel, put it through proofing and editing and beta reading and, hopefully, have it published. That’s it… it’s out there for the world to enjoy (or not). Whether he has regrets or not, the author isn’t going to go back to that work and tweak it, then re-release version 2.0. The same goes for visual arts. Sure, there may be multiple versions of a drawing or painting, but each is it’s own thing and there will often be one that an artist looks at and decides “this is it, this is the ultimate expression” and that’s the one that goes to the gallery.

And it’s the same with movies, whether live action or animated. Of course, the exception to this rule is George Lucas, who couldn’t keep his damn hands off his Star Wars movies until they were ripped from him in the sale to Disney. (Seriously, that man needs to learn that just because you think you can “improve” a film after it’s been released, it doesn’t mean you should do it! Stop it… STOP!)

So back to Miller, and all the other creators who let their babes out into the world, sell the rights, “complete” the creation. It’s out of your hands what is done with it or how people will perceive it, so suck it up and move on. You may get asked what you think of how a character is used or about the reboot of or sequel for your franchise, but don’t be bitter. If you want to criticize, make it constructive and not a little tantrum that makes you look bad. Your creation is out in the world being appreciated by hundreds or thousands or millions of people – be happy about that, celebrate the enjoyment you’ve brought to others. (And don’t forget about those dollars in your bank account as well.)