History Main / ExiledFromContinuity

* After Creator/{{Disney}} snapped up Marvel Comics, its channels ditched all content based off DC properties, while [[Creator/WarnerBros Time Warner]] did the same thing with Marvel content on ''its'' channels (with the sole exception of ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'', which remained on Creator/CartoonNetwork for contractual reasons). Prior to this, both ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' had been airing in reruns on Creator/DisneyXD, while Creator/{{Boomerang}} was running both Creator/HannaBarbera[='=]s ''WesternAnimation/{{TheFantasticFour|1967}}'' cartoon and ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFourWorldsGreatestHeroes'' (the former still airs on occasion internationally, though).

* After Creator/{{Disney}} snapped up Marvel Comics, its channels ditched all content based off DC properties, while [[Creator/WarnerBros Time Warner]] did the same thing with Marvel content on ''its'' channels (with the sole exception of ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'', which remained on Creator/CartoonNetwork for contractual reasons). Prior to this, both ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' had been airing in reruns on Creator/DisneyXD.

* Appears to have been done to ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' and ''VideoGame/Persona2'' in regards to the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona'' franchise. Ever since the directors of these installments left Atlus, the concepts and characters introduced (including the butterfly motif, Philemon, and Nyarlathotep) have not appeared or been referenced in later games. The characters do not appear in spinoffs like ''VideoGame/PersonaQ'' or the ''Persona Dancing'' series, which feature characters from ''VideoGame/Persona3'' onwards throughout their installments. This does not seem to apply to minor nods; the ''Featherman'' series (a show introduced in ''Persona 2'') is referenced with different series throughout multiple games, and the St. Hermerlin and Seven Sisters uniforms are available to wear in ''VideoGame/Persona5'' (which also resurrects the butterfly motif). The games' main themes also appear as DLC in ''[[VideoGame/Persona3DancingInMoonlight Dancing in Moonlight]]'' and ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight Dancing in Starlight]]'' as part of a pack of franchise opening themes.

* Appears to have been done to ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' and ''VideoGame/Persona2'' in regards to the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona'' franchise. Ever since the directors of these installments left Atlus, the concepts and characters introduced (including the butterfly motif, Philemon, and Nyarlathotep) have not appeared or been referenced in later games. The characters do not appear in spinoffs like ''VideoGame/PersonaQ'' or the ''Persona Dancing'' series, which feature characters from ''VideoGame/Persona3'' onwards throughout their installments. This does not seem to apply to minor nods; the ''Featherman'' series (a show introduced in ''Persona 2'') is referenced with different series throughout multiple games, and the St. Hermerlin and Seven Sisters uniforms are available to wear in ''VideoGame/Persona5'' (which also resurrects the butterfly motif).

* Since Creator/{{Sony}} Pictures acquired the film rights to the ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'' franchise, both Barbie and Ken have been placed off-limits from the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' series. This explains why neither character shows up in the specials ''WesternAnimation/ToyStoryOfTerror'' and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStoryThatTimeForgot'', and why it's unlikely either character will appear in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4''. A similar case happened with the ''Trolls'' franchise. The Troll dolls made appearances in the first three films, but shortly following the release of ''Toy Story 3'', Pixar competitor Creator/DreamWorksAnimation acquired the ''Trolls'' intellectual property in order to make [[WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}} a movie out of them]]. As a result, any doll resembling the Trolls isn't allowed to appear in any ''Toy Story'' media anymore.

** {{Irony}} ensues when it didn't stop ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' from including ''Sakura Wars'' AND ''Super Robot Wars'' characters in the same game ([[LoopholeAbuse though not in the]] MechaGame [[LoopholeAbuse capacity]]). This was eventually subverted when ''Sakura Wars'' made its debut in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsXOmega'', albeit using only Ohgami and Sakura, being the {{Mascot}}s of the franchise and the most warring members of the cast. Similarly, ''Mashin Hero Wataru'' made its ''Super Robot Wars'' debut in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'', also subverting this entirely.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' itself is entirely absent from [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Disneyland and Disneyworld]]. While Disney owns the rights to all ''Kingdom Hearts'' characters, they're still not included partly because [[PopCulturalOsmosisFailure a good number of people wouldn't know who they are]], the few that do probably wouldn't care, and they don't want to run afoul of any licensing issues that might come up with Square Enix. Sora could be seen back when [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]] came out, but [[http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/4/47/Sora_DLP.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111030182254 the costume]] [[UncannyValley left much to be desired]]. The Mitsukoshi store at Epcot's Japan pavilion carries some ''Kingdom Hearts'' merchandise, but that's about it.

*** Interestingly, the Dire Wraiths were first mentioned in commercials for the toy, but never received figures of their own. As such, pretty much everything else about them, including their backstory and appearance, was created by Marvel for the ''ROM'' comic book. When IDW began publishing a new ''ROM'' series decades later, they were allowed to use the name "Dire Wraiths," but the creatures themselves had to be completely redesigned so that they'd be visually distinct from Marvel's Dire Wraiths.

** ''ComicBook/{{Micronauts}}'' was yet another toy-based comic. In this case, one concept from it, ComicBook/CaptainUniverse, managed to escape into the greater Franchise/MarvelUniverse. The non-toy based characters have made a few appearances in Marvel under the name "Microns", and one of these, Bug, played a decent-sized role in ''Annihilation: Conquest'', later joining the ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy.

* Creator/BigFinish could not use Grace in ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audios because the character is partly owned by Creator/{{Fox}}. (They could get her actress to voice different characters.)

** Similarly, issues over the ownership of ''Comicbook/DeathsHead'' and ''Circuit Breaker''; Marvel ramrodded both into non-''Transformers'' appearances (Circuit Breaker appeared in cameo in ''ComicBook/SecretWarsII'' and ''Death's Head'' in an editorial cartoon) before they "officially debuted" in their respective ''Transformers'' comics to ensure that they own the two characters and not Hasbro, meaning that their issues can't be reprinted by IDW Comics. Which in the case of Death's Head means that none of his UK stories ("Galvatron: Wanted Dead or Alive" and "The Legacy of Unicron") can be published in the United States (though both stories did see release via comic shops via importing of the UK published trade paperbacks). Circuit Breaker's situation is more complicated, as the first three [=TPBs=] had to replace her early appearances with text summaries, though apparently IDW was FINALLY able to strike some sort of deal with Marvel to reprint #72-80 in full come the release of volume #5 of their reprint series.

* Disney's upcoming Creator/DisneyPlus service is intended to be the exclusive home for the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. Unfortunately, thanks to deals with Turner Broadcasting, all of the ''Star Wars'' movies up to ''Film/{{Solo}}'' won't be available on Disney+ until 2024 at the least. Disney even tried to get Turner to end the deals early, but was quickly rebuffed. You'll just have to wait. Likewise, ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' will be the first MCU film featured on Disney+, as several of the recent movies like ''Film/BlackPanther'' and ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' will still be available on Netflix when Disney+ launches. Also, since ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are technically Sony productions, those will presumably be off-limits as well.

** Herbie the Robot infamously replaced the ComicBook/HumanTorch on ''WesternAnimation/TheFantasticFour1978'' cartoon because Universal had the rights to the Human Torch for another project but never used them. It's not the case as rumored that worrying studio executives feared that children would attempt to light themselves on fire.

** Marvel made a deal with Sony and regained the animation rights for ''Spider-Man'' at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'''s run. Hence, due to only regaining the animation rights at-the-time recently, Spidey wasn't able to appear on ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' despite one: having toys on the ''SHS'' toy line and two: most every other prominent Marvel character appearing in the series as well.

** On the subject of cartoons, Comicbook/GhostRider was barred from appearing in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' because Marvel had pitched a ''Ghost Rider'' cartoon to UPN (the channel that aired ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibleHulk''), which led to Fox refusing to promote a superhero who could have potentially ended up on a rival network. The aforementioned ''Hulk'' cartoon airing on UPN also prevented the Hulk from appearing on ''Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', limiting the character to being occasionally mentioned and preventing him from appearing in the three-part adaptation of ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984''.

*** ...namely, Creator/{{Sierra}} had the game rights to the comic and film incarnations of the Hulk (by proxy of being owned by Vivendi, which also owned Universal Studios, which held the film rights to the character at the time), meaning that only Bruce Banner could appear in Creator/{{Activision}}'s ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' (They did sneak in the Hulk's arm in the FMV preceding the final stage though); after Activision and Vivendi merged into Activision Blizzard, the Hulk was finally released as a Xbox 360 exclusive DLC character, and is an unlockable character in the sequel.

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' script by Creator/JamesGunn prominently featured Ego the Living Planet because he didn't realize at first that the character's rights were owned by Fox.[[note]]Ironically, Ego was chosen because other villains he wanted to use (Annihilus and Kang the Conqueror) were unavailable, on account of being tied up in the Fox-owned Fantastic Four movie rights (while Kang is best-known as an Avengers villain, he debuted in ''Fantastic Four'' and is implied to be a descendant of both Reed Richards and Doctor Doom). How Fox got the rights to Ego is unclear, seeing as he's primarily part of Thor's RoguesGallery.[[/note]] In this case, ExecutiveMeddling actually came to the rescue, as Marvel was able to receive the character rights from Fox in exchange for letting them change the powers of Negasonic Teenage Warhead in the ''Film/{{Deadpool 2016}}'' movie.

** Only two foreign CN co-productions are included in the crossover: ''WesternAnimation/{{Villainous}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/JorelsBrother''.
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': Eggman Nega has been declared off-limits to the [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog Sonic The Hedgehog comic]] for currently unknown reasons. The character is acknowledged as existing, has been referenced a handful of times, and has even had some build up as an UltimateEvil, but has to be called ''Doctor'' Nega. According to current writer Ian Flynn, it took a lot of effort just to get permission to use that much.

** Creator/GeorgeLucas placed an ExecutiveVeto on new Wookiee or Hutt Jedi in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends''. Lowbacca, an existing Wookiee Jedi, was effectively PutOnABus because of this, and Obsidian had to scrap the plans for making Hanharr a Dark Jedi in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic II''. The ban on Wookie Jedi would be relaxed later, as we see a Wookie padawan in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', though it is mentioned that Wookie Jedi are a rarity.

* Hey, hoping for a crossover between ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' and ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls''? Well too bad, because apparently, Disney has a rule preventing their original animated series from crossing over with each other (possibly due to different animation styles or genres). [[note]]Obviously, this doesn't apply to their live action programs.[[/note]] Considering that the company had allowed for crossovers with their shows in the years past, the (seemingly new) mandate comes off as rather questionable.

** Lucifer made an appearance during issues of Comicbook/TheSpectre, fresh out of Hell and enjoying Australia.

** There was ''ComicBook/ROMSpaceKnight'', who was created [[MerchandiseDriven to sell toys]]. The thing is, while the comics series was a rousing success, the toy flopped. Inexplicably, Marvel has never been able to get the rights back. This has the side effect of preventing other comics in which he appeared from being collected in trades - most notably an issue of ''Heroes for Hire''. (ROM has been able to make a few cameos, unnamed, in his humanoid form.)

* Peter Cushing's "Dr. Who" cannot make appearances in most ''Series/DoctorWho'' media, especially not visual media - he can't even appear in the show in poster format (scuppering a bit of tasty LiteraryAgentHypothesis FanWank that would have appeared in "Day of the Doctor") as the BBC do not own the rights to him. ''Short Trips and Sidesteps'' contained a short Film/HammerHorror-esque story with his Doctor and TARDIS - or rather ''Tardis'' - crew, but due to being a book it did not use his visual likeness. The story also made sure to use his ''Tardis'' team from ''Film/DrWhoAndTheDaleks'', where they were named Ian, Barbara, and Susan (the same names as the companions from the show itself and therefore owned by the BBC), rather than his team from ''Film/DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD'', Louise, Tom, and Susan.
** However, ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' was able to do a Cushing strip in a special about the movies, perhaps related to DWM not being a BBC title. That said, it remains the character's sole original comic.

* The estates of Siegel & Shuster, original creators of Franchise/{{Superman}}, won a court ruling that the concept of ComicBook/{{Superboy}} belonged to them. This is believed to have led to the death of one character, UsefulNotes/{{the Modern Age|OfComicBooks}} clone Superboy, and the renaming of another. Even the ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' cartoon, which was ''based on'' the concept of Superboy, instead has a teenage "young Superman" as its star. And the DVD of the '60s Filmation Superman cartoons had the Superboy shorts deleted. A later ruling determined that Kon-El (the '90s clone Superboy) is different enough from the original Superboy ("our" Superman as a teenager) to be used with impunity. Even more, it's since been ruled that Superboy is now owned by DC Comics instead. However, there was the problem of ''Superman'', which started this mess and what many people think is the main reason for The Comicbook/{{New 52}}. Since then, it's been ruled that DC owns Superman and his concepts flat out.

** And now that ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' has been relegated to ''StarWarsLegends'' (and is the only part of that continuity still in production due to a GrandfatherClause), this makes a trifecta for Creator/BioWare.

** Eventually, some studios were able to obtain both licenses, allowing for the games ''The Battle for Middle-Earth II'' (and its expansion pack) and ''War in the North'' to combine the likeness of actors and design choices with various elements that were AdaptedOut from the movies. The general consensus is that (quality of the gameplay nonwithstanding) this allows for a much more coherent Middle-Earth experience.

* The official [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel]] Universe Wiki has a policy forbidding the creation of articles whose content is licensed to Marvel or is no longer owned by Marvel. This means any article based off ''ComicBook/TheTransformers'', ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', Creator/HannaBarbera or ''ComicBook/MarvelStarWars'' comics are forbidden. This could be either due to the Wiki being focused on characters explicitly in the Marvel Universe and created by Marvel, or due to fears of legal issues from the parent companies or artists of said licensed material. This is not the case with Wikia's Marvel Comics Database, which is not owned by Marvel.

* When Disney bought the rights to ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' in 1995, this included all the merchandising rights for the show. As such, Nickelodeon is not allowed to use any of the ''Doug'' characters in '90s Nick-related merchandise (however, Nick still owns the broadcasting and video rights for the original version of the show). To make up for it, Disney released a few ''Doug'' t-shirts in the late 2000s around the time Nick started releasing their '90s Nick related merchandise at stores such as Hot Topic and Spencers, but haven't ever since (granted, it's very rare for Disney to release any merchandise based off of their older television shows, and when they do it's normally only shows from the first few years of The Disney Afternoon).

* During her run on ''Franchise/WonderWoman'', Creator/GailSimone was denied permission to use Veronica Cale, a villainess created by Creator/GregRucka. Rucka later allowed Keith Giffen to use Veronica as a supporting character in his ''Comicbook/DoomPatrol'' run.
* Similarly, Simone wasn't allowed to use [[Comicbook/Batgirl2000 Cassandra Cain]] in her ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' run because Creator/GrantMorrison had called dibs on the character for his ''[[Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsBatman Batman Inc.]]'' series. This led to Cass being entirely absent from the DCU for almost a year, much to the ire of her fans.

** The [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti Yeti]]. Despite being one of the most popular monsters of Troughton's era at the time, the showrunner at the time fell out with the creators of the Yeti (both of whom fell out with each other at the same time as well - over who should have ownership of legendary shit monster the Quarks) and banned the monster from ever being in the series again to avoid giving them any money. Some have speculated that the Cybermen in "The Invasion" were supposed to be Yeti, as they come up from the sewers in a Yeti-like manner and the story features characters from Yeti serial "The Web of Fear". Note that Professor Travers and Miss Travers from "The Web of Fear" are absent from "The Invasion", replaced by CaptainErsatz versions, so as not to pay for rights - and that Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart has received a promotion to the rank of Brigadier. The Yeti does show up in "The Five Doctors" as Troughton's monster to fight, in the mid-1980s. The Great Intelligence (the HiveQueen controlling the Yeti) has made a reappearance in the new series, but the Yeti still didn't - the GI instead started using ''[[{{Snowlems}} literal]]'' [[{{Snowlems}} snowmen]] instead of the Abominable kind.

** Sometimes this trope is applied on Bandai Namco/Banpresto themselves when they simply don't want to include a series (or are rumored not to), partly because of its premise and/or setting. Examples include ''VisualNovel/LimeIroSenkitan''[[note]]Like ''Sakura Wars'', it takes place in an ancient era, specifically the UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration era, and due to the fact the main battleship ''Amanohara'' relies on DeusSexMachina to work, that aspect is unlikely to change without any form of LampshadeHanging. Ironically, Banpresto is the ''sponsor'' of its AnimatedAdaptation[[/note]], ''Manga/DaimidalerTheSoundRobot''[[note]]The series' premise requires its main pilot to ''grope girls''[[/note]] and ''Anime/{{Vandread}}''[[note]]The BigBad is [[spoiler:''the Earth'']], where most ''Super Robot Wars'' installments usually take place[[/note]]. On the other hand, ''VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}}'' averted this by using its [[BleachedUnderpants tamer TV adaptation]] as its basis rather than its original VisualNovel (though elements from the latter are referenced). Ultimately {{Downplayed}} when ''Daimidaler'' and ''Vandread'' make their debut in ''X-Ω'' without incorporating their respective settings - an easy task as ''X-Ω'' is a TowerDefense game rather than the traditional story-driven TurnBasedStrategy.

** Initially, the writers of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' wanted to do a similar series about [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] rather than Clark Kent. They got vetoed because [[Film/TheDarkKnightSaga another Batman movie was in the works]]. This also prevented them from doing a storyline where Bruce Wayne comes to Metropolis, leading to the recurring 3rd season character Adam Knight (name being a play on [[Series/{{Batman}} Adam West]] and the Dark Knight nickname) who was a CaptainErsatz of Batman before he was turned evil and ComicBook/GreenArrow becoming a recurring character in seasons 6 and 7 and gaining main character status in season 8. As with ''JLU'', other minor DCU characters have gotten the ''Smallville'' treatment and thus have been better highlighted. Interestingly, there's a reference to Oliver Queen as early as the very first episode, implying that they'd seen this coming from the start.

** Herbie the Robot infamously replaced the Human Torch on ''WesternAnimation/TheFantasticFour1978'' cartoon because Universal had the rights to the Human Torch for another project but never used them. It's not the case as rumored that worrying studio executives feared that children would attempt to light themselves on fire.

** Particular oddballs in the licensing issues are ComicBook/ScarletWitch and ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}} who, being equally known in comics as mutants and as Avengers, [[https://moviepilot.com/p/avengers-2-what-s-the-deal-with-the-mutants/395144 have their film rights licensed to BOTH Marvel Studios and Fox]]; the catch is that Marvel Studios cannot have them be mutants in their films and Fox cannot reference the Avengers through them. In ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' it's explained that they got got their powers due to being experimented with Chitauri technology by HYDRA, rather than being mutants. On a related note, the MCU TV series ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' has referred to obviously-mutant characters under other names, such as "gifted".

** ''Radio/BigFinishDoctorWho'' spent most of its lifespan avoiding recasting dead actors, or those who did not want to reprise their role. And then there were cast members whose advancing age restricts them from reprising their characters except as equally aged characters. This limited storytelling somewhat, as setting stories in certain eras became impossible with an AbsenteeActor, leading to many spinoff ranges (such as giving Sarah Jane a solo show, and partnering Leela and K-9 up with Romana), role changes (Katy Manning plays Franchise/IrisWildthyme, and only occasionally Jo Grant), and prose stories narrated by companions. A few stories did hint around the edges of recasts — a recast Fourth Doctor is heard briefly in "The Kingmaker", a recast (mad but more importantly [[TimeShiftedActor elderly]]) Adric appears in "The Boy that Time Forgot", and companion actors would occasionally 'play' absent parts in the context of their character imitating their friends, but for a long time it was felt that actively recasting would be disrespectful. Fans kept asking, however, and in the mid-late 2010s full-cast First, Second and Third Doctor audios began appearing, with new actors replacing lost Doctors and fan-favourite companions like Barbara and Ben. (In particular, Frazier Hines' version of the Second Doctor in his Companion Chronicles audios was known for being uncannily accurate; he now plays the Second Doctor, as well as his usual role as Jamie.) Which roles are recast still depends on a number of factors: There is no genuine interest in recasting soundalike actors to revisit younger versions of characters played by still living actors/actresses who have simply aged out of their roles (ie. their voice has changed too much with age making it implausible to reprise their character except as older versions) and it is unlikely Sarah Jane will ever be recast, due to the rawness of Creator/ElisabethSladen's death.

* The ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse was a joint crossover project between Creator/DCComics and Creator/MarvelComics, and so neither company can use elements of it without the permission of the other. This means that Marvel couldn't use "Spider-Boy" characters (Franchise/SpiderMan[=/=]ComicBook/{{Superboy}} mashups) in ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' and DC couldn't use any Amalgam character in ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}''. In fact, crossover events in general tend to fall under this trope, since any later {{Continuity Nod}}s that might be made to the crossover will have to be vague by necessity.

* Similar to the ''Torchwood'' example from above, [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids the developers weren't allowed]] to make ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'' and ''Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}}'' levels in the ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelsAvengers'' video game, despite the game being a big celebration of the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]] in general.

* This extends to ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'', despite Marvel having a successful line of Lego tie-ins. The movie was made by Creator/WarnerBros, which is why you see appearances from Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, and the Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}}, but not Spider-Man, the X-Men, or the Avengers.

*** The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver issues seem to extend to the video games as well, to a degree. Neither character is present in ''VideoGame/AvengersAcademy'', with Scarlet Witch having her role in the game's ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' tie-in taken by Sif. They were also absent from ''VideoGame/DisneyInfinity'', despite ''3.0'' having a heavy ''Civil War'' emphasis, making Scarlet Witch the only superhero from that movie who doesn't appear in the game in any form. When asked about the absence of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, John Vignocchi implied that there are legal issues preventing the two from appearing in certain games. This seems to vary from title to title though, as both characters ''are'' playable in ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelsAvengers''. In 2018, following a gradual thawing of relations between Disney and Fox due to the potential buyout, Scarlet Witch was finally allowed to appear in ''Avengers Academy'' as part of the ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' tie-in.
** As a result of this, Ike Perlmutter eventually instituted an extremely controversial embargo on characters whose movie rights were owned by other studios, preventing them from appearing other adaptations. X-Men and Fantastic Four characters were barred from appearing in the later seasons of TV shows like ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'' and ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'', as well as games like ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelsAvengers'', ''VideoGame/DisneyInfinity'', ''VideoGame/AvengersAcademy'' and ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelSuperHeroes2''. Even ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes'', which already had Fantastic Four characters, was forced to stop selling them in 2017. Especially notable (and [[InternetBackdraft controversial]], perhaps the highest-profile case of the embargo) was the complete absence of any X-Men or FF characters in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'', despite characters like Franchise/{{Wolverine}}, Comicbook/{{Magneto}}, Comicbook/{{Storm}} and Comicbook/DoctorDoom having been longtime fan favorites in the previous ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' games.

* This extends to costumes and designs as well, since Marvel comics, cartoons, and video games can usually use costume designs from Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse films, but not Marvel films made by Fox or Sony. For instance, in both ''[[VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance Avengers Alliance]]'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes'', you can use Iron Man's ''Film/IronMan3'' outfit, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}'s ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' outfits, and ComicBook/TheFalcon's ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' outfit, but not Franchise/{{Wolverine}}'s ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' outfit or ComicBook/SpiderMan's ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' outfit. Although in ''Avengers Alliance'', Marvel did eventually come up with a licensing agreement with Sony to use Spidey's new costume from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2''.
* Marvel made a deal with Sony and regained the animation rights for ''Spider-Man'' at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'''s run. Hence, due to only regaining the animation rights at-the-time recently, Spidey wasn't able to appear on ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' despite one: having toys on the ''SHS'' toy line and two: most every other prominent Marvel character appearing in the series as well.
** Spider-Man can really suffer from this. For the many different Marvel cartoons out there, Spider-Man rarely ever crossed over for any team-ups. He did formally appear on the 70s ''Spider-Woman'' cartoon series, but outside of that? Borderline {{Lawyer Friendly Cameo}}es on ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' and ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFourWorldsGreatestHeroes''. In fact, in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'', viewers can see a cameo of ComicBook/ScarletSpider instead of ol' web-head. Before 2012, if Spidey was going to team-up with another hero, it had to be on one of his shows instead of one of theirs.
* On the subject of cartoons, Comicbook/GhostRider was barred from appearing in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' because Marvel had pitched a ''Ghost Rider'' cartoon to UPN (the channel that aired ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibleHulk''), which led to Fox refusing to promote a superhero who could have potentially ended up on a rival network. The aforementioned ''Hulk'' cartoon airing on UPN also prevented the Hulk from appearing on ''Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', limiting the character to being occasionally mentioned and preventing him from appearing in the three-part adaptation of ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984''.
* Video games (at least those in the 6th-7th generations of consoles) were, similarly, not affected by the contracts on virtue of Creator/{{Activision}} holding the video game rights to the ''entire'' Marvel comic book universe before December 2013 as well as those to the ''Spider-Man'' and ''X-Men'' film tie-ins (and before them, there was ''[[VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever Marvel vs. Capcom]]''), with one notable exception...
** ...namely, Creator/{{Sierra}} had the game rights to the comic and film incarnations of the Hulk (by proxy of being owned by Vivendi, which also owned Universal Studios, which held the film rights to the character at the time), meaning that only Bruce Banner could appear in Creator/{{Activision}}'s ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' (They did sneak in the Hulk's arm in the FMV preceding the final stage though); after Activision and Vivendi merged into Activision Blizzard, the Hulk was finally released as a Xbox 360 exclusive DLC character, and is an unlockable character in the sequel.
* Namor was also removed from ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' when it turned out there were legal issues, and all references to his name were replaced with an allusion to "an Atlantean".
* The Bat-Embargo in ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]''; Franchise/{{Batman}} characters couldn't appear in the series, because ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' was airing at the same time, and executives feared "[[ViewersAreMorons confusion]]". A similar restriction was in place for ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', although this one was mutual and prevented Robin from showing up on ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' until the fourth season (which gave us Comicbook/{{Batgirl}} appearing first). Later, when Comicbook/{{Aquaman}} received the failed live-action pilot for the CW, Aquaman and his supporting cast could not appear on JLU either (leading to the creation of "Devil Ray", and, likely, the replacement of Wonder Woman for Aquaman in the plot of "To Another Shore").
** Confusingly, rights or confusion issues didn't seem to get in the way of JLU using ''Superman'' characters when ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' was airing concurrently. Unless "No flights, no tights" makes sense as a justifying distinction.
** Also, both ComicBook/PlasticMan and ComicBook/BlueBeetle were referenced without appearing on-screen in ''Justice League Unlimited''; neither could appear properly due to licensing reasons. Both characters later showed up in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', and even starred in the first two episodes. Beetle eventually became one of the more recurring characters.
** The Bat-Embargo didn't go over entirely badly though, since it made room for [[EnsembleDarkhorse interesting minor DCU antagonists]], like ComicBook/AmandaWaller, to appear in animation for the first time. Just goes to show how good writers can work around any problem. Still... not being able to fully complete the ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'' MythologyGag of including Scarecrow and the Riddler in the new LegionOfDoom was sad, as was the lack of any Ra's al Ghul plots.
** What makes it even sadder is that the writers [[WhatCouldHaveBeen had originally planned]] to do a ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' itself wasn't allowed to use either Two-Face, Scarecrow, or Franchise/WonderWoman. Its first version of Clayface appears to be a CaptainErsatz for the first of these, the second was almost reversed but fell through (with Hugo Strange having to take the role instead), and the last ended up making the Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}}'s use of TheSmurfettePrinciple even worse. Likewise, ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' was denied use of Superman and Wonder Woman during its first two seasons.
* Not that Bat-Embargos were new... back in the days of the ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'', when the ''Challenge'' series (with the Legion of Doom) took place, Creator/{{Filmation}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfBatman'' was still on the air. That's why you'd never see Joker or Catwoman on the Legion of Doom. The Joker and Penguin appeared in one episode each of ''Superfriends'' during the ''Galactic Guardians'' series, after the Filmation cartoon's license on him had run out (and, of course, [[MerchandiseDriven both had figures in the Super Powers Collection]]). On the other hand, Riddler and Scarecrow could not be seen on ''New Adventures'' (except for the former in the opening sequence, inexplicably in a '''pink''' costume).
* It's widely believed that for many years, DC did not allow the character Comicbook/BlackLightning to appear in any DC animation (thus resulting in several [[ElectricBlackGuy expies]]) because that would require paying royalties to the character's creator. This seems to have finally broken in 2009, and the character has since appeared in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanBatmanPublicEnemies'', ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnTwoEarths'', ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', and a series of WesternAnimation/DCNation shorts. According to ''[=BatB=]'''s staff, the entire thing turned out to be because the legal team were under the impression that DC didn't have rights to the character. When the show's staff asked exactly who did, further investigation turned up the fact that there weren't any legal hang-ups with Black Lightning in the first place. Go figure.
* This extends to ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'', despite Marvel having a successful line of Lego tie-ins. The movie was made by Creator/WarnerBros, which is why you see appearances from Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, and the Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}}, but not Spider-Man, the X-Men, or the Avengers.

* Sandman could not appear on ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' or the concurrently-running ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' because he was to be the villain in the aborted Creator/JamesCameron film. The writers attempted to get around the Sandman ban by using Hydro-Man in his place. Electro was the other villain meant to be used in the Cameron film, preventing his use for most of the series, but the film fell through while the show was still running, so they eventually wrote him in with a completely different identity than his usual one, which had the interesting effect of highlighting just how dangerous someone with Electro's powers would be if they used them intelligently, something the ordinary Electro struggles with.
* Herbie the Robot infamously replaced the Human Torch on ''WesternAnimation/TheFantasticFour1978'' cartoon because Universal had the rights to the Human Torch for another project but never used them. It's not the case as rumored that worrying studio executives feared that children would attempt to light themselves on fire.
** Rights issues similarly prevented the Human Torch from being in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManAndHisAmazingFriends'' and thus led to the creation of Firestar as a [[GenderFlip Gender Flipped]] {{Expy}}.
** The Creator/HannaBarbera ''[[WesternAnimation/TheFantasticFour1967 Fantastic Four]]'' cartoon was unable to use [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]], since his rights were tied up in ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelSuperHeroes''. Prince Triton was created as an {{Expy}}. Likewise, ComicBook/AntMan couldn't be used in the show's adaptation of "The Micro World of Doctor Doom", so he was simply AdaptedOut.
** The Hanna-Barbera Fantastic Four cartoon also caused problems concerning rights issues with ''The Marvel Super Heroes'' with the episode "Doctor Doom's Day/Doomed Allegiance/Tug of Death". In spite of Doctor Doom appearing in the episode, Grantray-Lawrence Animation could not secure the rights to the Fantastic Four because of their use in the 1967 cartoon, so they got around the restriction by [[RoguesGalleryTransplant making Doom an enemy of the X-Men]], who were referred to as the Allies for Peace for unknown reasons.
* After Creator/{{Disney}} snapped up Marvel Comics, its channels ditched all content based off DC properties, while [[Creator/WarnerBros Time Warner]] did the same thing with Marvel content on ''its'' channels (with the sole exception of ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'', which remained on Creator/CartoonNetwork for contractual reasons). Prior to this, both ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' had been airing in reruns on Creator/DisneyXD.
* Creator/GeorgeLucas has placed an ExecutiveVeto on new Wookiee or Hutt Jedi in the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse. Lowbacca, an existing Wookiee Jedi, was effectively PutOnABus because of this, and Obsidian had to scrap the plans for making Hanharr a Dark Jedi in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic II''. The ban on Wookie Jedi would be relaxed later, as we see a Wookie padawan in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', though it is mentioned that Wookie Jedi are a rarity.

** Lucas also put a similar veto on a ''specific character'': Yoda. Authors are discouraged from exploring much, if any, of Yoda's history prior to the events of the prequel trilogy, including a more specific ban on creating an 'origin story' of sorts, showing his home planet, or giving name to his species. This has also led to a general reticence in creating additional characters of Yoda's species. In all of canonical Star Wars material, only one other member of the species has been shown (Yaddle, a DistaffCounterpart who appears on the Jedi Council in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' without any focus or speaking lines before being promptly PutOnABus prior to the next movie). Non-canon works have only seen 3 other named members of the species in various comics and video games where their scope of importance can be limited to the work in question.
* The contract Creator/BigFinish had with the BBC stipulated that all elements of the new ''Series/DoctorWho'' series cannot be used in their [[AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho Doctor Who audio dramas]]. That didn't stop them from throwing in the occasional implied ContinuityNod and ShoutOut. For example, the framing story for the [[ADayInTheLimelight Companion Chronicle]] ''The Catalyst'' apparently takes place after the Last Great Time War from the new series, which, for legal reasons, they don't explicitly mention. And a ShoutOut to the "What the Shakespeare!" line from the series 1 episode "The Unquiet Dead" appeared in ''The Kingmaker''.[[note]]Along with, ''possibly'' a background appearance by the Ninth Doctor, or just someone described as a "big eared northern chap". Nice and vague.[[/note]]
** As of 2015 the ban has been EX-TERMI-NATED, Big Finish being allowed to use characters introduced in TV stories all the way up to "The Time of the Doctor."
* Initially, the writers of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' wanted to do a similar series about [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] rather than Clark Kent. They got vetoed because [[Film/TheDarkKnightSaga another Batman movie was in the works]]. This also prevented them from doing a storyline where Bruce Wayne comes to Metropolis, leading to the recurring 3rd season character Adam Knight (name being a play on [[Series/{{Batman}} Adam West]] and the Dark Knight nickname) who was a CaptainErsatz of Batman before he was turned evil and ComicBook/GreenArrow becoming a recurring character in seasons 6 and 7 and gaining main character status in season 8. As with ''JLU'', other minor DCU characters have gotten the ''Smallville'' treatment and thus have been better highlighted. Interestingly, there's a reference to Oliver Queen as early as the very first episode, implying that they'd seen this coming from the start.
** Franchise/WonderWoman was also not allowed to appear on ''Smallville'', leading to nearly four seasons where all non-original superheroes who appeared on the show were men. Then ComicBook/BlackCanary came on board. The final season featured a scene where Chloe Sullivan implied that she had met both Batman and Wonder Woman during her globe-trotting adventures, with the implication that they would end up meeting Clark sometime after the show's final episode.
* [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Eggman Nega]] has been declared off-limits to the [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog Sonic The Hedgehog comic]] for currently unknown reasons. The character is acknowledged as existing, has been referenced a handful of times, and has even had some build up as an UltimateEvil, but has to be called ''Doctor'' Nega. According to current writer Ian Flynn, it took a lot of effort just to get permission to use that much.

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' [[Literature/DoctorWhoNovelisations Target novelisations]] had a rule that no Doctor other than the current incumbent was allowed to be depicted on the cover. This naturally affected almost every single one of the First and Second Doctor books, with a handful of exceptions beyond the point when anyone cared any more. This also affected foreign reprints of the books, leading to many an old-school American fan confused to discover that it had actually been the ''Third'' Doctor rather than the Fourth running around fighting dinosaurs with Sarah Jane.
* Similar to the Bat-Embargo, ComicBook/HarleyQuinn was barred from appearing in Season 3 of ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' because of her role in the ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' movie. She had been given a brief {{Cameo}} in Season 2 (shown only from behind), but future planned appearances were axed once the movie was officially given the go-ahead from WB. Comicbook/{{Deadshot}} and Amanda Waller were killed off in Seasons 3 & 4 respectively for the same reason. [[ComicBook/BlueBeetle Ted Kord]] was intended to have a recurring role in Season 3 (building off mentions to his company Kord Industries); before the season started filming, DC Executives pulled an embargo due to having unspecified plans for Blue Beetle in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse (rumoured to be a team-up/buddy flick with ComicBook/BoosterGold), and the character was rewritten to be [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]]. The writers also got around the Deadshot embargo by having his Earth-2 counterpart (ironically, a ''terrible'' shot, who can't hit a target from six feet away) show up in Season 2 of ''Series/TheFlash2014''.
** Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}} was also exiled from the Arrowverse continuity right around the time Deadshot was killed off. Slade was not dead though - just sitting in his cell in Lian Yu, seemingly never to be seen or heard from again due to his appearances in the upcoming ''Film/JusticeLeague'' movie and the solo Creator/BenAffleck Batman SpinOff. However, as rewrites of DCEU movies resulted in Deathstroke no longer being in the ''Film/JusticeLeague'' movie and ''The Batman'' script undergoing total rewrite, Arrow!Slade's TheBusCameBack, with him appearing again in Seasons 5 and 6. However, now that he HAS appeared in ''Film/JusticeLeague,'' they're apparently losing him again.
* It's believed that a contributing factor to the planned ''Comicbook/{{Nightwing}}'' movie ending up in DevelopmentHell is that the live-action ''Series/{{Titans}}'' TV series currently features Dick Grayson as a main character. Likewise, there has been some speculation that Comicbook/{{Cyborg}} being a main character in the upcoming ''Series/DoomPatrol2019'' TV series may be part of the reason why there's been no movement on the planned ''Cyborg'' solo movie that was announced back in 2014.
* Similarly, one of the alleged reasons that the Franchise/WonderWoman prequel series ''Amazon'' never made it to air is that it was in production right around the time WB finally started serious pre-production on a ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'' live-action movie.
* Despite (and because of) being the most popular character in Creator/ChaosComics's stable, the rights to ComicBook/LadyDeath remained with creator Brian Pulido while the other Chaos! properties were sold. Lady Death is currently being published in her own series by Boundless Comics, while the other Chaos! characters were kept together through several revivals, the latest (as of this writing) by Creator/DynamiteComics. Given how pivotal Lady Death was to the original Chaos! Comics universe, this has led to some in-universe weirdness, like Lady Demon, who started out as Lady Death's [[EnemyWithout split personality]], appearing in her own series by Dynamite, and vague references to Evil Ernie's obsession with Lady Death when he appeared in ''ComicBook/HackSlash.'' In the Dynamite revival, Lady Death has been replaced by [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Lady Hel]].
* The ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse was a joint crossover project between Creator/DCComics and Creator/MarvelComics, and so neither company can use elements of it without the permission of the other. This means that Marvel couldn't use "Spider-Boy" characters (Franchise/SpiderMan[=/=]ComicBook/{{Superboy}} mashups) in ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' and DC couldn't use any Amalgam character in ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}''. In fact, crossover events in general tend to fall under this trope, since any later {{Continuity Nod}}s that might be made to the crossover will have to be vague by necessity.
* The ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' storyline ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' promised to show off "Every. Spider-Man. Ever.", but there are a few that couldn't be used. Eight were mentioned, but seven were confirmed - the Creator/TobeyMaguire Spider-Man from the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'', the Creator/AndrewGarfield Spider-Man from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'', the Spider-Man from ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheNewAnimatedSeries'', the Spider-Man from ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' and Spider-Boy/Spider-Boy 2099 from the above-mentioned ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse''. The Live-Action and Cartoon ones are owned by Sony and the Amalgam characters co-owned by Creator/DCComics as Spider-Boy is one-half Spider-Man, one half ComicBook/{{Superboy}}. However, in ''Spider-Verse'' #2, the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Men were indirectly mentioned as being part of the army of Spider-Men (one Spider-Man mentioned a version of Spidey who "looked just like the guy in ''Film/{{Seabiscuit}}''" while the Spider-Man he was talking to said he thought he "saw the guy from ''Film/TheSocialNetwork''"). In addition, Spider-Boy makes a ([[LawyerFriendlyCameo mostly obscured]]) cameo appearance in the group shot at the issue's end.
* Syaoran and the rest of the four main cast members from ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' didn't appear or were mentioned in the anime adaptation of ''Manga/{{Xxxholic}}'' by Creator/ProductionIG because its anime adaptation by Creator/BeeTrain was airing at that time, which put the TRC characters (including the white Mokona or Soel) in embargo. With that, the staff had to compensate with the appearance of black Mokona (Larg) by having her jump out of the storage room when Watanuki was cleaning on his first day in Yuko's shop instead of being together with Soel in stasis and found by Watanuki in the storage. However, Yuuko did appear in the TRC anime since her role is very vital to Syaoran's group while Watanuki made a few cameo appearances. In fact, this is somewhat similar to Quicksilver's situation above; provided that Yuuko is a very important character in the TRC/xxxHolic-verse, she appeared in both animes but Watanuki would have to be in xxxHolic because it's his story and any connection to TRC would not be mentioned.

* The current Creator/{{Atari}}, Inc.[[note]]Formerly Infogrames[[/note]] cannot acknowledge or use anything pertaining to the post-1984 Atari arcade catalog, due to the arcade division being spun off from the original Atari (the pre-1984 arcade catalog remained with the newly-formed Atari Corporation, though). The catalog changed hands several times throughout the years before ultimately ending up with Creator/WarnerBros in 2009, following their acquisition of Creator/MidwayGames[[note]]Who in turn acquired the arcade division from Warner in 1996, renaming it Midway Games West to avoid getting in trademark trouble with Atari's then-owners Creator/{{Hasbro}}[[/note]]. This has led to a double whammy for both parties: Warner is not able to use the Atari name for future re-releases of the catalog to avoid paying trademark royalties, while Atari completely leaves out the games from any of their compilations showcasing their expansive archive of games.
* The creators of the ContinuityReboot of the classic Disney Comics/Disney Afternoon SharedUniverse ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' wished to include WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse in the rebooted universe, but Disney forbade them from doing so.
* The ''DC Universe'' streaming service is supposed to include almost every media adaptation of works by Creator/DCComics. Unfortunately, the serial films ''[[Film/TheBatman The Batman]]'' and ''[[Film/BatmanAndRobinSerial Batman and Robin]]'' (not to be confused with [[Film/BatmanAndRobin another film from 1997]]) and the 1966 ''Series/{{Batman}}'' TV series (as well as its [[Film/BatmanTheMovie tie-in movie]]) are unlikely to be included in the service as all three adaptations are under different ownership (Sony for the first two; Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox for the third, with WB only being licensed to handle home video distribution for that one). Also affected are the ''Film/{{Red}}'' movies, all of which are owned by Creator/{{Lionsgate}}[=/=]Creator/SummitEntertainment, ''Film/RoadToPerdition'', co-owned between Creator/DreamWorks[=/=]Creator/{{Paramount}} and Fox, and the ''ComicBook/WildCATS'' cartoon, owned by Creator/{{Nelvana}}. The biggest loser from this, though, is ComicBook/SwampThing, as ''all'' of his movies and shows are under different ownership[[note]]To clarify, [=StudioCanal=] and MGM own the first film, the sequel ''Return of Swamp Thing'' is owned by Lightyear Entertainment, the live-action series is owned by Creator/{{Universal}}, and the animated series is owned by Creator/DHXMedia[[/note]].
* Similarly, Disney's upcoming Creator/DisneyPlus service is intended to be the exclusive home for the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. Unfortunately, thanks to deals with Turner Broadcasting, all of the ''Star Wars'' movies up to ''Film/{{Solo}}'' won't be available on Disney+ until 2024 at the least. Disney even tried to get Turner to end the deals early, but was quickly rebuffed. You'll just have to wait. Likewise, ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' will be the first MCU film featured on Disney+, as several of the recent movies like ''Film/BlackPanther'' and ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' will still be available on Netflix when Disney+ launches. Also, since ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are technically Sony productions, those will presumably be off-limits as well.
* The ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'' episode "[[Recap/OKKOLetsBeHeroesS2E18CrossoverNexus Crossover Nexus]]" is jam-packed with cameos and references to many of Creator/CartoonNetwork's shows, both current and past, but there were several programs that couldn't be referenced or represented in the episode because of legal reasons and the short timeframe of the episode.
** ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'', and ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' are not represented in spite of being co-productions with Cartoon Network because the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' and ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchises belong to Creator/{{Hasbro}} and Creator/{{Disney}} respectively.
** ''WesternAnimation/ClassOf3000'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'' were planned to have references in the episode, but according to the show's creator, had their scenes cut for time.
** No Cartoon Network co-productions with Creator/WarnerBros other than ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' are represented, despite the many series made for the network like ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueAction'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow''.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'', ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'', and ''WesternAnimation/MegaManFullyCharged'' are absent due to being owned by the LEGO Group, SEGA, and Creator/{{Capcom}} respectively.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Mixels}}'' is classified as a Cartoon Network Original, but was left out due to LEGO owning a fraction of the franchise through the merchandise.
** There are no representations of the ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' franchise, presumably due to co-ownership with Creator/FreshTV.
** The episode does not include representations of third-party acquired programs, such as anime, that aired on the network at one point or another.
** Only two foreign CN co-productions are included in the crossover: ''WesternAnimation/{{Villainous}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/JorelsBrother''.

* ''Radio/BigFinishDoctorWho'' spent most of its lifespan avoiding recasting dead actors, or those who did not want to reprise their role. And then there were cast members whose advancing age restricts them from reprising their characters except as equally aged characters. This limited storytelling somewhat, as setting stories in certain eras became impossible with an AbsenteeActor, leading to many spinoff ranges (such as giving Sarah Jane a solo show, and partnering Leela and K-9 up with Romana), role changes (Katy Manning plays Franchise/IrisWildthyme, and only occasionally Jo Grant), and prose stories narrated by companions. A few stories did hint around the edges of recasts — a recast Fourth Doctor is heard briefly in "The Kingmaker", a recast (mad but more importantly [[TimeShiftedActor elderly]]) Adric appears in "The Boy that Time Forgot", and companion actors would occasionally 'play' absent parts in the context of their character imitating their friends, but for a long time it was felt that actively recasting would be disrespectful. Fans kept asking, however, and in the mid-late 2010s full-cast First, Second and Third Doctor audios began appearing, with new actors replacing lost Doctors and fan-favourite companions like Barbara and Ben. (In particular, Frazier Hines' version of the Second Doctor in his Companion Chronicles audios was known for being uncannily accurate; he now plays the Second Doctor, as well as his usual role as Jamie.) Which roles are recast still depends on a number of factors: There is no genuine interest in recasting soundalike actors to revisit younger versions of characters played by still living actors/actresses who have simply aged out of their roles (ie. their voice has changed too much with age making it implausible to reprise their character except as older versions) and it is unlikely Sarah Jane will ever be recast, due to the rawness of Creator/ElisabethSladen's death.

* ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'': One of the very few absolute rules for writers of the ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'' was a complete ban on use of the Valeyard, simply because the character's [[EnemyWithout vague]] and [[FutureMeScaresMe confusing]] origin made him such a walking ContinuitySnarl. Later novels in the series did acknowledge his existence without having him actually appear on the page, and he finally appeared in prose ''Doctor Who'' in the BBC Books-era ''Literature/PastDoctorAdventures''.

* Comicbook/{{Hawkman}} was declared off-limits by DC editorial from 1996-2001, due to the character's ComicBook/PostCrisis ContinuitySnarl, caused by the 1989 reboot of the character, even though both Hawkmen were already established in Post-Crisis continuity. For his run on ''JLA'' (which featured the old favorites or their {{Legacy Character}}s), Creator/GrantMorrison created [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Zauriel]] as a stand-in for Hawkman.
* In a similar example, one of the very few absolute rules for writers of the Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures was a complete ban on use of the Valeyard, simply because the character's [[EnemyWithout vague]] and [[FutureMeScaresMe confusing]] origin made him such a walking ContinuitySnarl. Later novels in the series did acknowledge his existence without having him actually appear on the page, and he finally appeared in prose ''Doctor Who'' in the BBC Books-era Literature/PastDoctorAdventures.
* There was a small amount of furor for ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' after its first AnimatedAdaptation ''Divine Wars'' removed nearly every appearance of the Huckebeins, HumongousMecha [[{{Expy}} that basically look like]] Franchise/{{Gundam}}s with the SerialNumbersFiledOff. Many fans feared the exile of the entire line, especially after the previews of the ''Original Generations'' VideoGameRemake on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 also omitted them, as well as all Huckebeins' plastic model kits ceasing sale. These fears alleviated when the game was released, as all Huckebeins were present and accounted for.
** The {{Irony}} is no one was especially afraid after ''Divine Wars'' because the Huckebein ''did'' show up (just briefly in the last episode as a set of blueprints). When the second promotional trailer for ''Original Generations'' was released, the Huckebein animation was removed and replaced with a different unit. At this point, a malicious but clever fan spread rumors then-Bandai (before their merge with Namco) sued Banpresto over its use of the Huckebein. For some indiscernible reason, a large part of the fanbase believed it, ''despite'' Bandai OWNING Banpresto and later merging with them. Cue massive screaming to the point where Banpresto discovered the rumor and intentionally kept it alive [[ItAmusedMe for the sole purpose of their amusement]].
** It happened again in ''The Inspector'', an adaptation of ''Original Generation 2'' and sequel to ''Divine Wars''. One character, who in the games is supposed to use a Huckebein, starts with an anime-exclusive mass-produced Wildschwein, which looks less like a Huckebein. This really didn't matter in the long run, as the character will acquire a more powerful super robot, yet most fans believed Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment ordered the Huckebein removed because they didn't want a knockoff of the popular Gundam making what amounts to a cameo appearance, since most of the cast in ''The Inspector'' will be using their character-exclusive HumongousMecha by the end of the show, none of them being Huckebeins.
*** Fortunately, ''The Inspector'' justifies the disappearance of the Huckebein: InUniverse, TheFederation scraps its development. Rather than relegate another character using a Huckebein, he gets to pilot the "[=EXbein=]", another anime-exclusive unit which, in-story, is the ''[[SuperPrototype prototype]]'' to the intended Huckebein. Then again, any ''Super Robot Wars'' fan is hardly fooled to see the [=EXbein=] ''is'' a Huckebein, with the difference simply removing the signature "V-fin" on its head, while adding a pair of giant visors around the eyes. The fact the mechanical designer for the [=EXbein=] is the same person who designed the Huckebein for the games says something about the similarities between them.
*** ''The Inspector'' essentially chimes in on this trope later with the "Guarbein", a Huckebein with a Guarlion Custom's head and shoulders. HilarityEnsues as its pilot, who's wearing [[PaperThinDisguise a terrible disguise]], is using a Huckebein with a terrible disguise. Lampshaded by the villain when the Guarbein makes its debut:
--->"[=GuarBein=]?! Your camouflage can't fool me!"
** Although the [=EXbein=] makes its way into the games, ''Original Generation'' decided to use this trope to its fullest: [[spoiler:all Huckebeins ever manufactured are destroyed in a mandatory story event]]. At that point, fans were divided on whether this was a mean-spirited joke by Banpresto or there's truly a legal problem to be had with Bandai Namco. However, the Huckebein appears as is for ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'', making this an aversion.
* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' has also now suffered from this as SNK is now eliminating all references to the character K9999 who WAS a CaptainErsatz of [[Manga/{{Akira}} Tetsuo]]. Notably for ''King of Fighters 2002 Ultimate Match'', which is a remake of a game that originally had K9999 in it, they replaced him moveset-wise with the new character "Nameless" or Ж'.

* A similar but slightly more amicable example is Mallow, Geno, Smithy, and the other original characters from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG''. While they (especially Geno) proved popular, Square Enix holds the trademarks to them, essentially cutting them off from the rest of the ''Mario'' universe. Geno was able to make exceedingly brief cameos in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga''[[note]]this cameo was sadly not retained in the remake.[[/note]] and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' (as a DLC Mii Fighter costume for the latter, and alongside a character from [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII a game fully owned by Square Enix]]) with permission from Square. As a result, {{exp|y}}ies of the Seven Stars that were the game's {{MacGuffin}}s appeared in ''VideoGame/{{Paper Mario|64}}''.
* When ComicBook/GreenArrow was brought back by Creator/KevinSmith, he insisted on a one-year moratorium that forbade Ollie from showing up in any other titles (despite half the DCU being featured in Kevin Smith's run on the book, including a cameo from the usually exiled [[Comicbook/TheSandman Morpheus]]). The reason? Smith was afraid some moron would botch up his "this'll take a year to resolve" plotline by dropping misleading hints or botching the "amnesia" sub-plot or mucking up the story's timing (the entire 12-issue run takes place over [[ExtremelyShortTimespan only a very short period of time]]). It made sense, so DC ran with it.

* [[Characters/BatmanAndBatFamily Jean-Paul Valley]], the first ''Comicbook/{{Azrael}}'', was never seen nor heard from again after his death in ''Azrael: Agent of the Bat'' #100, (aside from briefly popping up in ''Comicbook/BlackestNight'', where he did nothing but walk past Scarecrow and kill a few random shmucks.) This is mainly because the editors didn't really know what to do with him after ''Comicbook/{{Knightfall}}'' ended. This was exacerbated by factors such as that Jean-Paul had never appeared outside of his own title in anything but a Bat-book and one issue of ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders'', where he appeared as [[FanNickname AzBats]], not ever being particularly popular, and having the exact same creative team for the entire run of his own title. Ironically, Jean-Paul's death took place at the same time as ''ComicBook/BatmanHush'', which focused on how Batman interacted with his allies, enemies, and loved ones. ''[[SarcasmMode Real nice DC]].''
** Jean-Paul finally returned in ''ComicBook/BatmanAndRobinEternal'', ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'''s CosmicRetcon allowing him to start over fresh with the Batfamily.
* During the 90's, Marvel Comics held a contest where readers were able to design a villain for the ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' title. The winning character, Charcoal, proved popular enough that he was added to the team as a main character. The fan who created Charcoal soon threatened to sue Marvel for ownership of the character right around the time he was [[DeathIsCheap supposedly killed off]]. Though the death was meant to be temporary and the lawsuit never gained any traction, the writers decided to leave Charcoal dead due to the actions of his creator. He has not been seen or mentioned since.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} The anime adaptation]] has three examples, one involving a ''move''.
*** Porygon has never been featured (and the evolutions not shown ''at all'') in the anime, except as a FreezeFrameBonus during a montage at the beginning of one of the movies and in the Poké Rap (despite the show's [[MerchandiseDriven nature]]) after the first form's "[[TheScapegoat involvement]]" in an incident involving EpilepticFlashingLights. Qualifies as a combination of Legal and Corporate, as the episode containing the incident in question is under an actual legal ban.
*** The move "Earthquake" has twice been banned from being depicted in the anime, due to two earthquakes in Japan.
** The ''TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}}'' TCG has Kadabra, with this sometimes extending to its entire family, due to Kadabra having similarities to Uri Geller, who threatened to sue. A Kadabra card hasn't been seen since ''Skyridge'' (Abra and Alakazam appeared in ''Mysterious Treasures'', but not Kadabra), Abra hasn't been seen since ''Mysterious Treasures'', and Alakazam hasn't been seen since ''Rising Rivals''.
*** In addition, Kadabra has been exiled from other Pokémon-related things as well, as it hasn't been seen in [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} the anime]] since the episode "Fear Factor Phony" and ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRanger Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia]]'' featured Abra and Alakazam, but not Kadabra.
*** Alakazam was featured as a Pokémon-EX and Mega Pokémon in an ''X and Y'' set, more than six years after its last appearance. However, Kadabra is still subject to its current fate in the TCG.
** It must be noted that these edicts only apply to [[AlternateContinuity the Anime]]. Porygon and Kadabra can and have made appearances in the various manga series. Porygon and its evolutions continue to appear in the TCG as well.
* After ''Comicbook/GhostRider'' was abruptly canceled in 1998, Danny Ketch made a single appearance in ''Peter Parker: Spider-Man'', where the dangling plotlines from his own book were tied up in a very quick and unsatisfactory fashion, but leaving him still active within the Franchise/MarvelUniverse. His predecessor Johnny Blaze was soon brought back as Ghost Rider, but Danny was barely - if at all - mentioned, and for reasons unknown, never once appeared in any Marvel comic until a decade later.

* In the wake of DC's ''Comicbook/{{New 52}}'' reboot, former Batgirls [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl 2000}} Cassandra Cain]] and [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl 2009}} Stephanie Brown]] have been declared off-limits by editorial. Creator/GailSimone pitched a team book that would have starred Stephanie, Bumblebee, Misfit, and Black Alice, but it was not approved, and Steph was subsequently pulled from a scheduled guest appearance in the ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' comic. Meanwhile, Cass has not been seen or mentioned in ''[[Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsBatman Batman Inc]]'', despite the fact that she was one of Bruce's agents (as well as the Batman of China) in the pre-New 52 volume.
** Creator/ScottSnyder and Creator/GrantMorrison also have mentioned wanting to use them, but being barred. Those two are also bunched with Donna Troy and pre-New 52 Wally West in the exiled club.
** Stephanie finally turned up in a cameo in 2014 in ''Batman'' #28, and later as a newly debuted Spoiler in Comicbook/BatmanEternal. Donna Troy (or at least some version of her) was introduced in Meredith & David Finch's run on Wonder Woman. Cassandra returned in ''Comicbook/BatmanAndRobinEternal'', while Wally returned in ''Comicbook/DCRebirth''.
* After ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', Marv Wolfman and George Perez took the opportunity to revise the history of the ''Comicbook/TeenTitans''. While some of the past Titans that they didn't care for got to stay in revamped forms (such as Bat-Girl becoming Flamebird), the character of Duela Dent/Harlequin was one that Wolfman wanted completely gone. She was excluded from the Post-Crisis backstory, and for a time, she was forbidden to be referenced in the comics. Phil Jimenez attempted to set up a plot thread for her in the ''Team Titans'' book, but had the story nixed by the editorial team. Duela was finally allowed to be fully re-introduced in the JLA/Titans miniseries, although her past with the Teen Titans was now inconsistent. Some writers retconned her as only being an occasional ally to the original team, while others depicted her as a member in flashbacks.

* The Vehicle ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'' and all the characters associated with it seem to have met this fate. The Lion Force Voltron is simply more popular and more iconic. There is also the fact that Voltron is a licensing of ''Anime/{{Golion}}'', the licensing of which is probably expensive, given the popularity it gained as ''Voltron''. It is possible that WEP simply chose not to renew the licensing for ''Anime/DairuggerXV'' as its lack of popularity probably gives them little incentive to do so.
* When adapting ''Disney/BigHero6'' from an obscure Marvel comic to a Disney animated movie, both Disney and Marvel mutually agreed to divorce ''Big Hero 6'' from the Franchise/MarvelUniverse entirely. Not only does the movie not reference any Marvel elements, but Marvel exiled the team from the comics as well, [[note]]Even if they legally could, it wouldn't happen. Marvel Universe movies target adults while Disney's animated projects always target families. [[/note]][[KeepCirculatingTheTapes declining to reprint the original comic]] or bring the characters out of ComicBookLimbo (their most recent appearance in the main Marvel continuity was in 2012, when they appeared in ''The Amazing Spider Man'' storyline ''ComicBook/EndsOfTheEarth''), which disappointed fans, who were hoping the success of the film would result in the characters making a return to the main Marvel comics. Also, because of the above-mentioned issues with Fox, Sunfire and Silver Samurai were excluded from the movie (since both are technically ''X-Men'' characters). Silver Samurai and Sunfire don't appear in this movie because Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox has film rights to all ''[[Film/XMenFilmSeries X-Men]]'' related and mutant characters.

* Comicbook/KittyPryde was pretty much the only major member of the team to never appear in the beloved 90s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon. According to the creators, this was because the execs didn't want her involved due to the failure of the ''WesternAnimation/PrydeOfTheXMen'' pilot a few years earlier.

* Like ''ComicBook/JemAndTheHolograms'', ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' is not branded with the ''ComicBook/Revolution2016'' label. However, unlike Jem (who is part of the following ComicBook/HasbroComicUniverse via references, cameos and other, subtle means), the MLP universe is the one mainstream Hasbro IDW comic not a part of the shared comic universe. The settings are apparently too incompatible, though the authors are hoping to one day avert this. One can only imagine the fan reactions when they do...
* Hey, hoping for a crossover between ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' and ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls''? Well too bad, because apparently, Disney has a rule preventing their original animated series from crossing over with each other (possibly due to different animation styles or genres). [[note]]Obviously, this doesn't apply to their live action programs.[[/note]] Considering that the company had allowed for crossovers with their shows in the years past, the (seemingly new) mandate comes off as rather questionable.

* ''Radio/BigFinishDoctorWho'' spent most of its lifespan avoiding recasting dead actors, or those who did not want to reprise their role. And then there were cast members whose advancing age restricts them from reprising their characters except as equally aged characters. This limited storytelling somewhat, as setting stories in certain eras became impossible with an AbsenteeActor, leading to many spinoff ranges (such as giving Sarah Jane a solo show, and partnering Leela and K-9 up with Romana), role changes (Katy Manning plays Franchise/IrisWildthyme, and only occasionally Jo Grant), and prose stories narrated by companions. A few stories did hint around the edges of recasts - a recast Fourth Doctor is heard briefly in "The Kingmaker", a recast (mad but more importantly [[TimeShiftedActor elderly]]) Adric appears in "The Boy that Time Forgot", and companion actors would occasionally 'play' absent parts in the context of their character imitating their friends, but for a long time it was felt that actively recasting would be disrespectful. Fans kept asking, however, and in the mid-late 2010s full-cast First, Second and Third Doctor audios began appearing, with new actors replacing lost Doctors and fan-favourite companions like Barbara and Ben. (In particular, Frazier Hines' version of the Second Doctor in his Companion Chronicles audios was known for being uncannily accurate; he now plays the Second Doctor, as well as his usual role as Jamie.) Which roles are recast still depends on a number of factors - There is no genuine interest in recasting soundalike actors to revisit younger versions of characters played by still living actors/actresses who have simply aged out of their roles (ie. their voice has changed too much with age making it implausible to reprise their character except as older versions) and it is unlikely Sarah Jane will ever be recast, due to the rawness of Creator/ElisabethSladen's death.
* In a downplayed example, ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' is technically part of the Palladium Megaverse, and there are conversion rules for Robotech mecha in the ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}} Conversion Book''. However, there have been no canonical crossovers between the two universes. In the case of the Robotech-verse, this is plainly because ''Robotech'' was a strong property of its own and its tone might clash badly with the ''Rifts'' kitchen sink, but it's also speculated that ''Rifts'' doesn't carry canonical ''Robotech'' material because Palladium only owned the license off-and-on and didn't want to have to scythe it out of existing ''Rifts'' material.
* The ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' bird species Kahu and Kewa (aka Goko-Kahu) were considered non-canon for years, due to LEGO receiving legal threats from Maori activists for using words from their language to promote toys. LEGO introduced a new type of bird called Gukko to fill in their roled instead. Later on, the Kahu and Kewa have been accepted back into canon, explained away as being Gukko sub-species. A number of other Maori-inspired names were however forever lost, and the Matoran villagers' former name, "Tohunga" was de-canonized.
* ''The'' ''FanFic/BrideOfDiscord'' ''Verse'' seems to have done this with Flutterby Lily, the daughter of The Shining Armor and Cadence in this universe, ever since the introduction of their canon daughter in the show, Flurry Heart. DF mentioned at her panel at [=BronyCon=] 2018 that when deciding what elements to omit when adapting ''Daughter of Discord'' as an audio drama, Flutterby Lily was one since most people are more familiar with Flurry Heart by this point. She also hasn't been seen in any of the fanfics set in the BOD universe since Flurry Heart debuted.
* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': Disney green-lit ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' as a SequelInAnotherMedium because they didn't have any interest in another film at that time. ''2.0'' spun off its own (small) canon with a sequel game and a comic book miniseries. But between ''2.0'' and the runaway success of the "Space Paranoids" level in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', Disney changed its mind about a second film, and made ''Film/TronLegacy'', declaring all 2.0 material non-canon. The main difference in the canons is the fate of [[SmallRoleBigImpact Lora Baines-Bradley]] who was killed (becoming [[VirtualGhost Ma3a]] in 2.0 canon), but is alive in ''Legacy'' canon and features in the AlternateRealityGame establishing the film's backstory. The other difference is in Tron's fate; [[spoiler: in 2.0, he was uploaded to archive and became a KingInTheMountain, upgraded and restored in the system's time of need. In ''Legacy'' canon, he is put through a TraumaCongaLine and his ultimate fate is to be ReforgedAsAMinion before suffering a DisneyVillainDeath and falling into the dead Simulation Sea and UncertainDoom.]]

** Series whose rights are tied toward a specific platform (such as ''Gunparade March'' for Sony consoles, and ''Franchise/StarFox'' for Creator/{{Nintendo}} consoles) are very unlikely to appear anytime soon, since it's very likely Bandai Namco only prefer to use series which can be used in whatever console they like, especially in remakes and ports.

** Sometimes this trope is applied on Bandai Namco/Banpresto themselves when they simply don't want to include a series (or are rumored not to), partly because of its premise and/or setting. Examples include ''VisualNovel/LimeIroSenkitan''[[note]]Like ''Sakura Wars'', it takes place in an ancient era, specifically the UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration era, and due to the fact the main battleship ''Amanohara'' relies on DeusSexMachina to work, that aspect is unlikely to change without any form of LampshadeHanging. Ironically, Banpresto is the ''sponsor'' of its AnimatedAdaptation[[/note]], ''Manga/DaimidalerTheSoundRobot''[[note]]The series' premise requires its main pilot to ''grope girls''[[/note]] and ''Anime/{{Vandread}}''[[note]]The BigBad is [[spoiler:''the Earth'']], where most ''Super Robot Wars'' installments usually take place[[/note]]. On the other hand, ''VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}}'' averted this by using its [[BleachedUnderpants tamer TV adaptation]] as its basis rather than its original VisualNovel (though elements from the latter are referenced).

** ''ComicBook/NickFury'' appeared in a 1998 MadeForTVMovie ''Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' and was supposed to appear in the second ''Film/FantasticFour'' movie. Fox had the rights to the character in 1998, but during production of ''Rise of the Silver Surfer'' found out that their rights to the character had expired and reverted to Marvel, so the writers had to create the character of General Hager as an {{Expy}}. Nick Fury himself kicked off the entire MCU with his then-unexpected appearance in TheStinger for ''Film/IronMan1''.

* Similarly, Disney's upcoming Disney+ service is intended to be the exclusive home for the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. Unfortunately, thanks to deals with Turner Broadcasting, all of the ''Star Wars'' movies up to ''Film/{{Solo}}'' won't be available on Disney+ until 2024 at the least. Disney even tried to get Turner to end the deals early, but was quickly rebuffed. You'll just have to wait. Likewise, ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' will be the first MCU film featured on Disney+, as several of the recent movies like ''Film/BlackPanther'' and ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' will still be available on Netflix when Disney+ launches. Also, since ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are technically Sony productions, those will presumably be off-limits as well.

** ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'', and ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' are not represented in spite of being co-productions with Cartoon Network because the ''Franchise/Transformers'' and ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchises belong to Creator/{{Hasbro}} and Creator/{{Disney}} respectively.

* The ''DC Universe'' streaming service is supposed to include almost every media adaptation of works by Creator/DCComics. Unfortunately, the serial films ''[[Film/TheBatman The Batman]]'' and ''[[Film/BatmanAndRobinSerial Batman and Robin]]'' (not to be confused with [[Film/BatmanAndRobin another film from 1997]]) and the 1966 ''Series/{{Batman}}'' TV series (as well as its [[Film/BatmanTheMovie tie-in movie]]) are unlikely to be included in the service as all three adaptations are under different ownership (Sony for the first two; Fox for the third, with WB only being licensed to handle home video distribution for that one). Also affected are the ''Film/{{Red}}'' movies, all of which are owned by Creator/{{Lionsgate}}[=/=]Creator/SummitEntertainment, ''Film/RoadToPerdition'', co-owned between Creator/DreamWorks[=/=]Creator/{{Paramount}} and Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox, and the ''ComicBook/WildCATS'' cartoon, owned by Creator/{{Nelvana}}. The biggest loser from this, though, is ComicBook/SwampThing, as ''all'' of his movies and shows are under different ownership[[note]]To clarify, [=StudioCanal=] and MGM own the first film, the sequel ''Return of Swamp Thing'' is owned by Lightyear Entertainment, the live-action series is owned by Creator/{{Universal}}, and the animated series is owned by Creator/DHXMedia[[/note]].
* Similarly, Disney's upcoming Disney+ service is intended to be the exclusive home for the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. Unfortunately, thanks to deals with Turner Broadcasting, all of the ''Star Wars'' movies up to ''Film/{{Solo}}'' won't be available on Disney+ until 2024 at the least. Disney even tried to get Turner to end the deals early, but was quickly rebuffed. You'll just have to wait.
* Likewise, ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' will be the first MCU film featured on Disney's streaming app, as several of the recent movies like ''Film/BlackPanther'' and ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' will still be available on Netflix when Disney's service launches. Also, since ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are technically Sony productions, those will presumably be off-limits as well.

* Disney was unable to reuse Bowser from the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' franchise in the ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' sequel ''Disney/RalphBreaksTheInternet'', whilst once again omitting Mario from the feature after having previously cut him from ''Wreck-it Ralph'', after the ''Super Mario Bros.'' franchise's movie rights were acquired by Creator/{{Universal}} Studios almost a year before its release. To make up for their absence, an EasterEgg was added to where the background of Spamley's shack one scene has yellow question mark blocks hidden in a stash full of game items. It should be noted that Creator/{{Nintendo}} ''did'' give Disney permission to use Mario in ''Wreck-it Ralph'', but the filmmakers didn't know where to fit him without turning the whole movie into a full-blown ''Mario'' adaptation. On the flip side, [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic and Dr. Eggman]], both of whom appeared in the previous film and whose [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2019 movie rights]] were tied up with Creator/{{Paramount}}, were allowed to appear in ''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' at Paramount's blessing.

* When adapting ''Disney/BigHero6'' from an obscure Marvel comic to a Disney animated movie, both Disney and Marvel mutually agreed to divorce ''Big Hero 6'' from the Franchise/MarvelUniverse entirely. Not only does the movie not reference any Marvel elements, but Marvel exiled the team from the comics as well, [[note]]Even if they legally could, it wouldn't happen. Marvel Universe movies target adults while Disney's animated projects always target families. [[/note]][[KeepCirculatingTheTapes declining to reprint the original comic]] or bring the characters out of ComicBookLimbo (their most recent appearance in the main Marvel continuity was in 2012, when they appeared in ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' storyline ''ComicBook/EndsOfTheEarth''), which disappointed fans, who were hoping the success of the film would result in the characters making a return to the main Marvel comics. Also, because of the above-mentioned issues with Fox, Sunfire and Silver Samurai were excluded from the movie (since both are technically ''X-Men'' characters). Silver Samurai and Sunfire don't appear in this movie because Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox has film rights to all ''[[Film/XMenFilmSeries X-Men]]'' related and mutant characters.

* In a downplayed example, ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' is technically part of the [[Creator/PalladiumGames Palladium Megaverse]], and there are conversion rules for Robotech mecha in the ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}} Conversion Book''. However, there have been no canonical crossovers between the two universes. In the case of the Robotech-verse, this is plainly because ''Robotech'' was a strong property of its own and its tone might clash badly with the ''Rifts'' kitchen sink, but it's also speculated that ''Rifts'' doesn't carry canonical ''Robotech'' material because Palladium only owned the license off-and-on and didn't want to have to scythe it out of existing ''Rifts'' material.

* ''The'' ''FanFic/BrideOfDiscord'' ''Verse'' seems to have done this with Flutterby Lily, the daughter of The Shining Armor and Cadence in this universe, ever since the introduction of their canon daughter in the show, Flurry Heart. DF mentioned at her panel at BronyCon 2018 that when deciding what elements to omit when adapting ''Daughter of Discord'' as an audio drama, Flutterby Lily was one since most people are more familiar with Flurry Heart by this point. She also hasn't been seen in any of the fanfics set in the BOD universe since Flurry Heart debuted.

* Disney was unable to reuse Bowser from the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' franchise in the ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' sequel ''Disney/RalphBreaksTheInternet'', whilst once again omitting Mario from the feature after having previously cut him from ''Wreck-it Ralph'', after the ''Super Mario Bros.'' franchise's movie rights were acquired by Creator/{{Universal}} Studios almost a year before its release. To make up for their absence, an EasterEgg was added to where a background in one scene has yellow question mark blocks hidden in a stash full of game items. It should be noted that Creator/{{Nintendo}} ''did'' give Disney permission to use Mario in ''Wreck-it Ralph'', but the filmmakers didn't know where to fit him without turning the whole movie into a full-blown ''Mario'' adaptation. On the flip side, [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic and Dr. Eggman]], both of whom appeared in the previous film and whose [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2019 movie rights]] were tied up with Creator/{{Paramount}}, were allowed to appear in ''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' at Paramount's blessing.

* It's believed that a contributing factor to the planned ''Comicbook/{{Nightwing}}'' movie ending up in DevelopmentHell is that the live-action ''Series/{{Titans}}'' TV series currently features Dick Grayson as a main character. Likewise, there has been some speculation that Comicbook/{{Cyborg}} being a main character in the upcoming ''Series/DoomPatrol'' TV series may be part of the reason why there's been no movement on the planned ''Cyborg'' solo movie that was announced back in 2014.

* Likewise, ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' will be the first MCU film featured on Disney's streaming service, as several of the recent films like ''Film/BlackPanther'' and ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' will still be available on Netflix. Also, since ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are technically Sony productions, those will presumably be off-limits as well.

* Likewise, ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' will be the first MCU film featured on Disney's streaming service, as several of the recent films like ''Film/BlackPanther'' and ''Film/ThorRangarok'' will still be available on Netflix. Also, since ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are technically Sony productions, those will presumably be off-limits as well.

* Similarly, Simone wasn't allowed to use [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl2000}} Cassandra Cain]] in her ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' run because Creator/GrantMorrison had called dibs on the character for his ''[[Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsBatman Batman Inc.]]'' series. This led to Cass being entirely absent from the DCU for almost a year, much to the ire of her fans.

** Elements from "Yesteryear" ended up being used in the flashback sequences in the [[Film/StarTrek reboot Star Trek film]]. For instance, the scene with Spock being bullied by his classmates has dialogue that is almost taken word for word from a similar exchange in the original episode.