Toon Zone Talkback - Disney Acquires Marvel Entertainment for $4.3 Billion

[snowpeck]

No April Fool's joke here... just came across the wires here at the TV station I work at...



LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Walt Disney Co. says it is acquiring
Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock,
bringing characters like Iron Man and Spider-Man into the Disney
family.
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel
characters.
Disney said Monday that Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per
share in cash plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they
own.
It said the boards of Disney and Marvel have both approved the
transaction, but it requires an antitrust review and the approval
of Marvel shareholders.

[Ed Liu]

This is the talkback thread for Disney to Acquire Marvel Entertainment in $4 Billion Stock and Cash Deal (http://news.toonzone.net/articles/30942/disney-to-acquire-marvel-entertainment-in-4-billion-stock-and-cash-deal).

Holy crap!

EDIT: OK, now I have all kinds of questions:

- Latest Marvel cartoons live on Nickelodeon/Paramount. What happens now to Wolverine & the X-Men, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, etc?
- Does this increase or decrease the chances of Spectacular Spider-Man Season 3?
- Marvel Studios was also doing pretty well with movies, also distributed by Paramount. What happens with them?
- Do folks like Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar have a place in comics that are essentially owned by Disney?
- Can we finally get the complete Tick series with all the episodes pulled from the prior seasons restored? Please please pretty please?

Will try to hitch onto the call this morning.

Mod Note: Discuss the Marvel Animation aspect to the news here (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=234939) and the comic book side to the news here (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=234938).

[Shawn Hopkins]

Yep. This short item is on Googlenews now, too. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Does Disney have to own everything? I wonder how this will effect Boom Studios, the company that now has the license to the Disney characters for comics. Now that Disney has its own comic book company it would seem redundant to continue that deal. I also worry about how this might affect future movie deals.

[Jin Kazama]

Really? I mean, I hadn't even heard that Marvel was that much in the red. I mean, yeah, every company is loosing money right now, but I didn't think Marvel was in any real danger. At least not as much as when they went bankrupt last time. This whole thing comes off more as a way for Marvel's upper echelon to make a little more money as opposed to Marvel itself loosing it.

They'd be a fool to mess with anything the company is doing from a monthly-comic standpoint. Regardless of if it's as "accessible" or "child friendly" as it once was, it's currently the number one comic company in the US by a decent lead. It'd be stupid to mess with that just because they can.

Although I guess this will clear up rumors on if the Muppet Babies will show up in the upcoming X-Babies mini. :)

[Mikintosh]

...

...

...

I'm sorry, what? Why would the studio that's worked the least with Marvel be the one to buy them?

[Matt Hazuda]

Does this mean Universal shuts down the Marvel section of Islands of Adventure immediately? :sweat:


I'm just wondering what this means for the comics division. You know how new owners love to dip their fingers inside acquired properties and make changes that they think will make sense, but ultimately end up causing more problems.

This could be extremely good for Marvel or (more likely) be a total disaster that ends in a lot of good people being shown the door.

Also, this makes me wonder what happens to stuff like the Boom Studios/Disney comic book dealings. They were doing a lot of stuff and the rumors said they had gotten the rights to the Mickey/Donald/Scrooge comics. I wonder what this means for that as well when they now own their own comic book company.

[dth1971]

But what's going to happen to Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure? Maybe taken over by DC comics characters?

And what about Boom! Studio's deal to revise the Disney comics including Walt Disney's Comics and Stories? Maybe they could move to Marvel Comics (Marvel published Disney comics in the mid-late 1990's).

[ToonFaithful]

I hope not....islands of adventure has alot of things especially the incredible hulk coaster i hope that wont close and plus HHN ugh

[Matt Hazuda]

I hope not....islands of adventure has alot of things especially the incredible hulk coaster i hope that wont close and plus HHN ughYuo do get they wouldn't shut it down, right? All that would happen is a quick remodel and some name and theme changes. They're not knocking down a very expensive setup just cause they don't own the rights to what it was originally based on anymore (if this turns out to be the case).

[macattack]

I suppose this means Marvel Superhero Squad is getting cancelled before it airs on Cartoon Network? :sweat:

Jokes aside, I have mixed emotions about this.

One certainty though is that the rights limbo the 90's Marvel cartoons are in have been resolved, permanently.

[ToonFaithful]

I suppose this means Marvel Superhero Squad is getting cancelled before it airs on Cartoon Network? :sweat:

Jokes aside, I have mixed emotions about this.
Man....thats gonna be a letdown cuz it comes out the 19th of september.

[soundmonkey44]

so...this is a joke right....RIGHT!!!!:crying:

This had better not affect the Quality of the comics, I don't care if it puts more restrictions on the Toons, but if this affects my Deadpool or Runaways in any way:mad:....may god have mercy on there souls!!!!:evil::evil::evil:

seriously am I the only one having a bit WTH moment right now, i mean Universal heck even Fox wolda made some since, but disney, my god what were they on when they made this deal!!!

This Must be the Work of Norman Osborn, I knew his Dark Reign would end in Disaster!!!! Darn U noraman! DARN YOU!!!!!:radda:

[ToonFaithful]

sup monkey and ummm yes this is a wth moment im just getting ready to kill myself *joking* but i hope they wont make kiddy spider man shows.....that would be lame

[AlgeaX]

My first and formost question is how will this affect Spectacular Spider-Man? Everything else negotiable as far as I'm concerned but I pray to Odin this doesn't mess-up Weisman and Cooks chances of getting the show back on it's feet.

Beyond that I'm really not sure how to feel about this, It could either turn out really good for Marvel or really bad.

[Vyse]

/jaw drops

/picks jaw back up from ground

Wow. This is big and totally unexpected. I expect all the deals in place will be set through (Iron Man 2 will still be distributed by Paramount; the Spider-Man movie/tv rights will still be owned by Sony, etc) but, man.

[Matt Hazuda]

My first and formost question is how will this affect Spectacular Spider-Man? Everything else negotiable as far as I'm concerned but I pray to Odin this doesn't mess-up Weisman and Cooks chances of getting the show back on it's feet.Considering Sony still owns the rights to Spidey, unless the new deal breaks that contract, the show could have a chance to survive. They'd just be directly negotiating with Disney now more than likely instead of shopping it around to everyone.


Off hand, I wonder when the first official Mickey dressed as (Marvel character) will show up. Should make for some cool merch at the least. Marvel in Kingdom Hearts: (Insert Stupid Subtitle Here) would be interesting :sweat:

[Shawn Hopkins]

Really? I mean, I hadn't even heard that Marvel was that much in the red. I mean, yeah, every company is loosing money right now, but I didn't think Marvel was in any real danger. At least not as much as when they went bankrupt last time. This whole thing comes off more as a way for Marvel's upper echelon to make a little more money as opposed to Marvel itself loosing it.


I don't think this was a desperation move. More like a corporate merger type-thingy, Disney getting access to Marvel's properties. Doesn't sound like was terrible for the Marvel stockholders, either, they get a payout and Disney stock.



Also, this makes me wonder what happens to stuff like the Boom Studios/Disney comic book dealings. They were doing a lot of stuff and the rumors said they had gotten the rights to the Mickey/Donald/Scrooge comics. I wonder what this means for that as well when they now own their own comic book company.

That is officially announced and Boom had big plans for that stuff. I also wonder how it will hold up in the face of this deal, where it would seem to be in Disney's interest to do comics through a company with bigger name recognition and wider distribution. Of course,the comics are such a small part of their business it's probably not one of their primary concerns, anyway.

[Matt Hazuda]

Conference call jsut started at http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=129198&p=irol-eventDetails&EventId=2413571 for anyone interested in listening in.

http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/presentations.html for eventual replay and transcript in case you miss it.

[Leviathan]

How... out of the blue this is.

The Henson family is still feeling the effects of Disney's Muppet buyout from a few years back (they can't even retain Kermit in their releases of Emmet Otter), so I can only shudder at the ramifications a Disney buyout of Marvel would have.

[soundmonkey44]

Well. I guess om ok as long as disney just planes on using this to acquire the rights to the rest of the marvel toons on XD & mabye even a few of the movies, if Disney lets Marvel still be a free entitiy like they do for the most part with ESPN & ABC, im fine....But i repeat if they touch the Marvel Comics in anyway...im gonna go down to disney headquarters in my deadpool suite & take som names!!!:evil:

On a bright note, this might help with the Production of the Marvel DTV's in Proudction pace & may even slightly increase the quality if they can get some of the animators from CN that went to Disney recently.:sweat:

[ToonFaithful]

why does everything have to change....

[Burgundy Ranger]

Wow!! There are so many ramifications in so many directions from this that it's hard to capsulate them all in a brief post.

At first read, my immediate questions are (some are repeats from Ed and others):

* How does this affect animated Marvel product on non-Disney outlets? I don't think they would just go out and blow up existing contracts but ... you never know.

* How does this affect the movies ... the plans for Spidey 4 and 5 and the entirety of the Iron Man/Avengers series?

* Is Disney going to get overly involved in the comics? I'd think they might keep their paws out of the general operation of that branch.

Also, again I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds but I think it would be a good idea to mirror this thread over on the Marvel forum. I don't see anything there yet.

[ToonFaithful]

Is Spider-Man 4 even in production?

[joltman]

* How does this affect animated Marvel product on non-Disney outlets? I don't think they would just go out and blow up existing contracts but ... you never know.

* How does this affect the movies ... the plans for Spidey 4 and 5 and the entirety of the Iron Man/Avengers series?
I could be wrong, but I would think any current contracts (ie with Sony for Spider-Man) would stay in place until they were already due to expire. As for Iron Man/Avengers movies, that shouldn't be a problem, because Marvel themselves were producing them, Paramount only distributes them. The only way I would see an issue here is if Disney decides to take over the production instead of letting Marvel do it themselves.


Also, again I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds but I think it would be a good idea to mirror this thread over on the Marvel forum. I don't see anything there yet.
I agree, I was thinking the same thing.


Is Spider-Man 4 even in production?

I believe it's in pre-production.

[Shawn Hopkins]

On the Webcast they're saying that the deals Marvel already has in place will generally remain in place. I'm assuming this mainly means the pre-existing movie deals.

Edit: But new "revenue synergies" will start to emerge as those existing deals "sunset."

[ToonFaithful]

Yeah i hope that Marvel Superhero Show on Cartoon Network doesn't get cancelled.

[Matt Hazuda]

* How does this affect the movies ... the plans for Spidey 4 and 5 and the entirety of the Iron Man/Avengers series According to the call, all deals remain in place with outside parties. I guess this means that as they expire, they just won't be renewed unless they choose otherwise.

Iron Man was a deal with Nick and a ton of foreign companies. Avengers is probably along the same lines, but partners haven't been announced yet.


Is Spider-Man 4 even in production?Yes.


Yeah i hope that Marvel Superhero Show on Cartoon Network doesn't get cancelled.All deals remain in place. Marvel paid for the show with their own money, so it would just end up on a disney network if the CN deal dies for whatever reason.

[ToonFaithful]

So the movies will stay?

[ShadowGUN]

Perhaps Disney and Marvel shall co-exist similar way that DC and the WB do?

[RedNinja84]

wow, this just shocks me. I can't imagine Disney owning not only the muppets but Marvel too. I'm worried that this might be the ruin of some of the greatest comic characters ever.

[Matt Hazuda]

Perhaps Disney and Marvel shall co-exist similar way that DC and the WB do?You mean with an impotent parent company that has no clue how to make a live-action movie unless it features Batman? :sweat:

[ToonFaithful]

lol the background changed when it was official lol that was funny from blank to boom!! boom! pow!

[James Harvey]

Threads discussing both the comic book (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=234938) and Marvel Animation (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=234939) aspect have been created. This one, which seems to look more at the Disney side of things, can stay right here.

[soundmonkey44]

Im listening to the meeting, baiscally just sounds like Marvel & Disney Just wanna use one another, wich is fine with me i guess, after all if you can't beat the beast, use it i guess...& vice versa.


also i agree about the movies, I doubt this will affect any movie proucts currently in produciton or Pre-production.

I do worry about future projects, such as the Dr.Strange & Runaways films.


Also, on the Bright side, i hope this means Wolverine & the X-men,Iron man adventures, & the upocoming avengers toons will show reruns on XD.

& mabye even the Iron man anime. that would be great.

& mabye its just me but it seems that Disney just wants marvel for the Membrobillia. Wich enforces my belife that they won't mess with the comics. wich is a VER VERY good thing.

[ToonFaithful]

oh i just saw this thread in the marvel animation forum then when i refreshed it was right back here lol

[Matt Hazuda]

John Lasseter has already met with Marvel people before the deal was finalized and they're rather excited to work with him.

This could lead to good things :D

[Burgundy Ranger]

I made a mess of an attempt to get this one thread on both boards. James set up the other threads and I just cleaned up all the double posts I created.

Move along ... nothing to see here. ;)

[ShadowGUN]

You mean with an impotent parent company that has no clue how to make a live-action movie unless it features Batman? :sweat:

Hahaha probably. Say now that I think about it maybe Disney will probably make a live action series with Spider-Man (a la Smallville) on the Disney Channel :p.

Btw since Disney own Marvel, does this mean there a chance we will see Marvel characters on the Kingdom Hearts video games?

[ToonFaithful]

So everything is fine with the Marvel/Disney thing?

[ToonFaithful]

Hahaha probably. Say now that I think about it maybe Disney will probably make a live action series with Spider-Man (a la Smallville) on the Disney Channel :p.

Btw since Disney own Marvel, does this mean there a chance we will see Marvel characters on the Kingdom Hearts video games?
Dude that would be nice! Marvel Superheros on Kingdom hearts would be a excellent idea

[Matt Hazuda]

So everything is fine with the Marvel/Disney thing?Fine in the sense that nothing major changes in the short term until the deal actually closes? Yes.

[ToonFaithful]

Fine in the sense that nothing major changes in the short term until the deal actually closes? Yes.
Sweet that means no worries for me! I just wonder how the future of Disney/Marvel programming and attractions will be.

[ToonFaithful]

Speaking of attractions i can't wait for new marvel rides at Disney World and Disney Land and now i'm getting confused cuz we already have island of adventure which is at Universal Studios....

[sdp]

I guess re-runs for the 90s show had very strong ratings.

Anyways I always thought it'd be DC/Warner who'd buy Marvel if they were ever in a bad situation again.

[Matt Hazuda]

Speaking of attractions i can't wait for new marvel rides at Disney World and Disney Land and now i'm getting confused cuz we already have island of adventure which is at Universal Studios....The Universal deal still stands for however long it's signed for. Disney probably won't make any moves at Orlando in this regard till the deal ends so they can brand themselves as the only place to meet Marvel characters and ride their rides.

Maybe Tomorrowland gets a rebrand of some sort to tie it into Marvel. Fantastic 4's Journey into Space (Space Mountain renaming) or something like that.

[Flame Alchemist]

Speaking of attractions i can't wait for new marvel rides at Disney World and Disney Land and now i'm getting confused cuz we already have island of adventure which is at Universal Studios....
It's possible that whatever deal was made between Universal and Marvel will stay in place. When it comes time to renew the deal, Marvel will probably drop Universal for Disney World and Disneyland. They're not going to get rid of an expensive roller coaster. It'll be re-branded. They probably have other characters they could use.

I'm really interested in what happens with the TV shows for Cartoon Network and Nicktoons Network. It's absolutely possible that these new shows will continue to air on Nick and CN, or maybe they'll be moved to Disney XD.


Maybe Tomorrowland gets a rebrand of some sort to tie it into Marvel. Fantastic 4's Journey into Space (Space Mountain renaming) or something like that.
Yeah, no thank you.

[Vyse]

Since some of us are on a gaming high, it's time to look at the deals Marvel has in place since, well, Disney has a very capable gaming unit (Spectrobes, Pure, the stink that is Turok, the upcoming Split/Second):

-Activision: a huge chunk of Marvel games, including Spider-Man, X-Men, and Ultimate Alliance (the sequel's coming out on the 15th)
-Sega: Iron Man and Hulk, both based on the movies and Iron Man 2 coming out the same time as the big sequel hits theaters
-Capcom: The whole shaky one-time deal/existence of Marvel Vs Capcom 2 on the console download platforms

Like was said earlier (and implied via the conference call), these deals will continue to exist until they run their course. And Disney, like Warner Bros, has used outside sources to create their games, like Kingdom Hearts with Square Enix and the Pixar games with THQ. But, as Disney continues to build their gaming portfolio (who would have thought they would employ Warren "Deus Ex" Spector and the people who created one of 2008's surprise hits with Pure?), we may see the Marvel games, in the far future, be published 100% under the Disney banner.

Also, who thinks the buyout may lead to Capcom use Marvel as a stepping stone to get the old-school Disney/Capcom games to be re-released? Or if this may make Marvel Vs Capcom 3 a bigger pipe dream?

[ToonFaithful]

It's possible that whatever deal was made between Universal and Marvel will stay in place. When it comes time to renew the deal, Marvel will probably drop Universal for Disney World and Disneyland. They're not going to get rid of an expensive roller coaster. It'll be re-branded. They probably have other characters they could use.

I'm really interested in what happens with the TV shows for Cartoon Network and Nicktoons Network. It's absolutely possible that these new shows will continue to air on Nick and CN, or maybe they'll be moved to Disney XD.


Yeah, no thank you.
They probably would put some reruns of "Iron Man: Armored Adventures" on Disney XD and X-Men. I'm kinda worried of "Marvel Superhero Show" that will be on Cartoon Network.

[Matt Hazuda]

They probably would put some reruns of "Iron Man: Armored Adventures" on Disney XD and X-Men. I'm kinda worried of "Marvel Superhero Show" that will be on Cartoon Network.Iron Man was financed by Nick and a bunch of other companies, so I think their rights are pretty secure. The only show Marvel funded themselves in recent history is Superhero Squad, so if their deal with CN ends, it would just move to a Disney network.

Of course all of this is speculation and depends on the deal between Marvel and Disney being finalized first.

[ToonFaithful]

Iron Man was financed by Nick and a bunch of other companies, so I think their rights are pretty secure. The only show Marvel funded themselves in recent history is Sueprhero Squad, so if their deal with CN ends, it would just move to a Disney network.

Of course all of this is speculation and depends on the deal between Marvel and Disney being finalized first.
Oh.

[EinBebop]

I doubt there will be much short-term impact, since all the major and most of the minor characters have their movie rights tied up with other companies.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Does Disney have to own everything?

Evidently yes.

[Vyse]

I just heard the stupidest/most awesome thing today. On Fox Business (who are now talking about the deal), the host said the following: "What if Goofy and Wolverine were in a cage match to the death?"

Also, everyone will still have their jobs and Marvel will still be called Marvel and the female reporter on the story said that Disney is better than Time Warner when it comes to managing the brands and characters.

[soundmonkey44]

I just heard the stupidest/most awesome thing today. On Fox Business (who are now talking about the deal), the host said the following: "What if Goofy and Wolverine were in a cage match to the death?".

I would pay anything to see that...it would just be so one sided...It would be PRICELESS!!!:evil:

[ShadowGUN]

Also, everyone will still have their jobs and Marvel will still be called Marvel and the female reporter on the story said that Disney is better than Time Warner when it comes to managing the brands and characters.

But I wanted Joe Quesada to be fired :(.

[Juu-kuchi]

Does this mean Universal shuts down the Marvel section of Islands of Adventure immediately? :sweat: You read my mind.

I'm REALLY mixed about this, since this is the kind of acquisition I never would expect. I do hope this means good things, but then again that makes me wonder about all the Marvel property that's carted around on multiple networks.

[rmarti3926]

I can't believe it.

Hell has frozen!

Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty meet Ghost Rider and The Punisher!

Walt himself would spin in his grave!

[danreyes1]

Okay, that's definitely an 11 on the weird-o-meter. WB owning DC is one thing, that's been around for longer than many of us were born. But Disney owning Marvel, that's just... hard to comprehend. Somehow the once whimsical world of Disney and the anti-hero-laden realistically-inclined world of Marvel just don't mix in my mind.

I mean can you imagine? In the theatre, the Disney logo flashes by on screen, followed by the Marvel logo, followed by a bloody skull with "The Punisher 2" emblazoned across it.

I'm not against the acquisition, mind you. It just weirds me out and it will take about a decade for me to get used to it.

[Vyse]

I wonder how many people forget or just remember that Disney does own a lot of mature things, like Miramax and Touchstone? Or the fact they own ABC and tv production arm ABC Studios, makers of Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and the upcoming FlashForward?

[Spider-Man]

I'm just waiting for Bambi to team up with Punisher to avenge his slain mother!

Seriously thought I think this is likely a great move on both of their part and despite me being a bit worried on how this will end up I'm actually very interested to see how this will unfold over the next few years.

[Starbro]

Yeah i hope that Marvel Superhero Show on Cartoon Network doesn't get cancelled.

How can Marvel Super Hero Squad be canceled when it hasn't even premiered yet?

All present deals will remain intact. My guess is that MSHS will fufill its' contractual obligation on CN before it changes hands, if it changes hands at all.


Marvel Superheros on Kingdom hearts would be a excellent ideaI don't think that's going to happen. The only Disney characters who appear in the Kingdom Hearts games are the "classic" Disney characters, i.e., characters from the Disney shorts and features. If KH doesn't extend to any Pixar characters or characters from TV productions like Recess or Pepper Ann in their titles, I highly doubt that they'd incorporate Marvel superheroes into KH. That might please some fanboys, but it would completely take you out of the games. Besides, Marvel's currently under contract with another company for the use of their characters in video games. Again, all present deals will remain intact.

Marvel is going to remain Marvel. Just because they are now under the ownership of Disney doesn't mean that the Marvel universe is going to be incorporated into the Disney canon.

[Tommy Lawson]

Wow, when I thought that Disney had gotten out of the whole "buy companies outright" from the Fox Family deal of 2001, they do this. However, unlike Saban, they're getting a ton of valuable properties with it. Moreover, considering how much they paid for the cable channel (http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkm4n8JtKgSkBllZXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTBzMDJuaDlzBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMTYEY29sbwNzazEEdnRpZAM-/SIG=12dinbjpa/EXP=1251819943/**http%3a//www.usatoday.com/money/media/2001-07-23-disney.htm) and only 2 really viable properties at the time (Power Rangers and Digimon), this deal makes much sense to Disney as a company. It helps establish Disney XD for the future, because they'll now have a ton of properties to create new shows from, and also frees them from having only one superhero property, which has been the case since 2001, when they acquired Power Rangers.

You know who gets to feel serious pressure now because of this? Toei and Bandai, two of the companies behind Power Rangers, and the super sentai series of Japan. Disney no longer has to answer to them for a superhero franchise, and moreover, it was Marvel that helped start out the sentai series in Japan, ironic as it sounds now - not having to deal with Toei and Bandai for superhero properties, and their associated merchandising rights, might have been a nice incentive for Disney to buy Marvel.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I would pay anything to see that...it would just be so one sided...It would be PRICELESS!!!:evil:

Yeah, Goofy would just pop a goober, turn into Super Goof and mop the frickin' floor with that Canadian runt.

As for the Howard the Duck thing, I bet Steve Gerber is turning in his grave. Marvel acted like Disney owned them when they let it make changes to Howard, and now they really do. Gerber had a poke at Disney when he did a more recent Howard the Duck series in which, because he couldn't have Howard in his original form, he had him transformed into a rat.

[ToonFaithful]

Goofy would get sliced!! lol!

[strawberryjuice]

why?...just why?

[Zen Man]

Man this has been a decade of corporate mergers/acquisistions.Disney and Marvel...? Its gonna take awhile to get use to it.

Disney Execs:If Warner Bros can own DC Comics,then we can own Marvel so there!!! *gives us a raspberry* LOL

[creativerealms]

Here's hoping a new Gargoyles comic.

[soundmonkey44]

in Retrospect this may actiually help certain marvel characters...Mabye Disney & Pixar could get togehter with marvel & make a relly good CGI HOWARD THE DUCK Movie!! Or if anything else, it could make marvel use howard more often, mabye even a Howard VS Donald one-shot. LULZ!:p

[Ducard]

I am reminded of Strong Bad's phrase *head asplode*. Lasseter working on Marvel animation is a curious thought indeed.

[Mikintosh]

Since some of us are on a gaming high, it's time to look at the deals Marvel has in place since, well, Disney has a very capable gaming unit (Spectrobes, Pure, the stink that is Turok, the upcoming Split/Second):

-Activision: a huge chunk of Marvel games, including Spider-Man, X-Men, and Ultimate Alliance (the sequel's coming out on the 15th)
-Sega: Iron Man and Hulk, both based on the movies and Iron Man 2 coming out the same time as the big sequel hits theaters
-Capcom: The whole shaky one-time deal/existence of Marvel Vs Capcom 2 on the console download platforms

Like was said earlier (and implied via the conference call), these deals will continue to exist until they run their course. And Disney, like Warner Bros, has used outside sources to create their games, like Kingdom Hearts with Square Enix and the Pixar games with THQ. But, as Disney continues to build their gaming portfolio (who would have thought they would employ Warren "Deus Ex" Spector and the people who created one of 2008's surprise hits with Pure?), we may see the Marvel games, in the far future, be published 100% under the Disney banner.

Also, who thinks the buyout may lead to Capcom use Marvel as a stepping stone to get the old-school Disney/Capcom games to be re-released? Or if this may make Marvel Vs Capcom 3 a bigger pipe dream?

I think even Disney would recognize that its video game studios are not Grade-A quality at this point, so they'd be loath to cancel the deals they've made with more experienced developers. And since Disney doesn't make fighting games at all, I don't see why they'd have a problem licensing the Marvel characters to Capcom if they thought a Marvel vs. Capcom 3 would make some money.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

I'll be...


Now, Spider-Man versus Jack Sparrow the movie? Yes??

[Matt Hazuda]

I'll be...


Now, Spider-Man versus Jack Sparrow the movie? Yes??So they can sing and dance together on screen? :p

[Ducard]

Now, Spider-Man versus Jack Sparrow the movie? Yes??

Not necessarily. But you know, once upon a time Disney (via Brad Bird and some others) wanted to do a movie based on Eisner's The Spirit... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/12/the-spirit-that.html) :)

[Vyse]

I think even Disney would recognize that its video game studios are not Grade-A quality at this point, so they'd be loath to cancel the deals they've made with more experienced developers. And since Disney doesn't make fighting games at all, I don't see why they'd have a problem licensing the Marvel characters to Capcom if they thought a Marvel vs. Capcom 3 would make some money.MVC 2 was a one-time deal. It took a while after EA dropped their fighting game deal. Plus, Marvel and Capcom were pulling our chains over whether or not they would get back together and most likely were under heavy negotiations to even pull off getting MVC 2. Plus, Capcom was/is dealing with a more financially stable Marvel (an entertainment power-house) with the re-release than they were back in the 90s with a bankrupt comic book company. MVC 3 is still a pipe dream, even before the Disney deal. We won't know about its possible existence until most likely 2010.

As for Disney, I agree. Until Disney gets a little bit bigger and stronger (like how WB bought Midway), they will continue to do a mixture of internal development (like with Pure and Split/Second) and outsourcing (like the Pixar games). And, they will apply this tactic with the Marvel games.

Also, forgot about one more Marvel game deal: THQ, who are making the Marvel Super Hero Squad game internally.

[Dr.Pepper]

I'm not into Marvel characters at all, but kind of wish that even if Disney owns the rights that they would let them do their own thing. I really don't want to see Spiderman merchandise at the Disney Store and meet The Hulk at Disneyworld.

[dth1971]

And will Disney release on DVD the Hanna-Barbera 1960's Fantastic Four cartoon series?

And will Marvel buy the Boom! Studios comic book line with the Disney deal and titles?

[dth1971]

I hope not....islands of adventure has alot of things especially the incredible hulk coaster i hope that wont close and plus HHN ugh

The Incredible Hulk Coaster could be revamped into something Universal related. Or how about remodeling the Spider-Man 3-D ride into a stage show attraction Universal related - like maybe "Deal or No Deal Live" (similar to the one time Disney/MGM and Disneyland Who Wants To Be a Millionaire Play It Attraction).

[Jeff Harris]

The winner in all of this is Disney XD.

Disney XD, not the theatrical division, is going to be one of the first units to completely benefit from the Marvel purchase. Why? Because they'll likely get first look options at any new television project that comes from Marvel. Plus, with Marvel, Disney XD could add animated AND live-action versions of familiar and, at least to the mainstream audience, unfamiliar properties. Disney could pull a Teen Titans-like coup by announcing a live-action version of Runaways or an animated version of the New Warriors for Disney XD.

The other winner could be Pixar. I'd really, really like to see what happens when The House of Ideas meets up with this generation's greatest animation studio. If The Incredibles was already magic, imagine what kind of story they could do with The Fantastic Four.

This could be fun.

[Ducard]

The other winner could be Pixar. I'd really, really like to see what happens when The House of Ideas meets up with this generation's greatest animation studio. If The Incredibles was already magic, imagine what kind of story they could do with The Fantastic Four.

When asked if there was potential for cross-polination between Marvel and Pixar, Disney said that Pixar’s John Lasseter has met with key Marvel creative executives recently and the group got “pretty excited, very fast.” Disney will look at all opportunities and thinks there are some exciting product that could come from this sort of partnership.
http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22747

:cool:

[AlgeaX]

Does this mean any future live-action Marvel movies will now be handled by the folks that brought us Beverly Hills Chihuahua?

[creativerealms]

Does this mean any future live-action Marvel movies will now be handled by the folks that brought us Beverly Hills Chihuahua?

No chances are Marvel's movie studio will just become another Disney owned Studio like Miramax and Touchstone.

[Jeff Harris]

Does this mean any future live-action Marvel movies will now be handled by the folks that brought us Beverly Hills Chihuahua?Or the folks that brought us the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy Unbreakable, The Prince of Persia, The Crow, The Rocketeer, and a few others without talking animals. But right now, Marvel is still its own film studio with deals with Paramount, Fox, and Sony.

[Matthew Williams]

Yes! This purchase can be summed up in two words: Disney XD. It will take some time for Disney to get full control of Marvel movies. Disney XD will feel the impact as soon as the deal closes.

If there was any doubt that Disney was committed to making XD a huge player, that is gone. You now have a base to build this channel on instead of starting essentially from scratch. Almost immediately, they now have an archive whose ownership is now no longer in question. And now they have a massive library of characters that can be developed into new series for this audience.

And, of course, the verbal combination of "John Lasseter" and "Marvel" makes me giddy.

I'm stunned because this is the biggest acquisition since Disney-Pixar - and yet there were no leaks. None. I'm dying to know whether this originated with talks on the status of the pre-2000 Marvel library.

[SuperMegaHyper]

Well this is really interesting, I have the feeling that this might be more along the lines of DC and Warner Bros.

Also if Lasseter dose anything with Marvel will make me very happy.

[Fone Bone]

I hope Marvel gets the comics license and does more trade paperbacks for the classic artists like Barks, Rosa, etc. I also would like this to mean new Gargoyles comics projects are a possibility.

[Marvin Tikvah]

Well, this was totally unexpected.

I figured if anyone were to buy out Marvel, it would've been either Newscorp or Sony considering their success with the characters. But Disney? Even with all that money they have, I'd never imagine they would co-exist as one company.

This is definitely a huge boost to Disney XD, which will no longer have to rely solely on the 90s Saban toons and Spectacular Spider-Man. Within a few years, they might just be the exclusive home of Marvel cartoons, and considering how WBA has been unable to give exposure to their DC roster unless Batman's involved, this might just be the push they need to up their game.

Yeah, I'm totally looking forward to what's coming out of this. I could worry about Disney further censoring them, but considering the other studios under their banner like Miramax, I have complete faith they'll let Marvel be as they are.

[Shift]

So now we've got Mickey Mouse and Spidey under one roof to parallel Bugs Bunny and Superman. Crazy how that makes some sorta sense.

[RonDrakenfan17]

Well the only good I could see coming out of this is maybe they'll produce an Incredibles series.

[GWOtaku]

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22747

:cool:

Well, I honestly wasn't sure what to make of this at first, but the big points brought up silence all worries that I've seen come up so far. Both companies stand to gain, and emphasis was put on the current Disney/Pixar relationship as an indicator of how things would be.

If anything I was hoping for just a little meddling since Marvel comics is a very mixed bag from my point of view, but I respect Disney's position on this.

As for the idea of Pixar/Marvel cooperation......oh my. Jeff was right, this really could be fun.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I find this rather surprising given the legal issues Marvel and Disney have been having with the shows that once belonged to Fox Family and Saban... but I guess this puts an end to all that.

Disney getting Marvel most likely to combat Warner having DC but I don't really see how these two companies mesh well at all.

Should be interesting...

[dtemplar]

Does that mean Disney has all the rights to the Marvel Animated shows? Which show would get the DVD treatment after X-Men?

[Radical Raven]

I would pay anything to see that...it would just be so one sided...It would be PRICELESS!!!:evil:

Because of how Goofy would win, of course. ;)

I... think this is a good thing. More animated Marvel stuff now, right?

[Matt Hazuda]

Does that mean Disney has all the rights to the Marvel Animated shows? Which show would get the DVD treatment after X-Men?That's one of those things that we probably won't know for a long time as they goes through the various contracts and agreements and such to figure out who owns what. Shows will likely returns to the Disney/Marvel company as old licenses expire and they get them back, but yeah, it does seem like suddenly Disney will own a large chunk of the Marvel animation library.

[Chazooma]

I did a spit-take when I found out.
It just seemed kind of out of nowhere, but now I see where Disney XD fits in.
I don't really have an opinion,
but I am interested to see what comes out of it.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

Welp, if that Roger Rabbit sequel ever gets off it's butt we might be able to find ourselves with Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends getting a cameo now.

Not likely, but the thought occurs...

[cartoonscartoons]

No!

This would definetley mark the end of Marvel's entertaining comics and anything worth reading from Marvel will be replaced by Spiderman Joins The Boy Scouts so that they will be able to be more family friendly and aim towards boys.

[Ultra8]

What the Hell!!??:eek::eek:

[Matt Hazuda]

No!

This would definetley mark the end of Marvel's entertaining comics and anything worth reading from Marvel will be replaced by Spiderman Joins The Boy Scouts so that they will be able to be more family friendly and aim towards boys.Fly off the handle much? Nothing is changing in the ridiculous ways you think it will.

[Mickialla]

This is sort of unexpected, but I guess Disney wants Marvel to help fuel Disney XD with more superhero shows (though they already have/had a bunch of them even when it was still Toon Disney). I wonder what this means will happen to shows like Wolverine & the X-Men and Iron Man: Armored Adventures, as well as the Super Hero Squad show on Cartoon Network.

[Radical Raven]

No!

This would definetley mark the end of Marvel's entertaining comics and anything worth reading from Marvel will be replaced by Spiderman Joins The Boy Scouts so that they will be able to be more family friendly and aim towards boys.

....Wow.

[RiannaLauren]

Oh GOD. This is just wrong...

[AlgeaX]

No!

This would definetley mark the end of Marvel's entertaining comics and anything worth reading from Marvel will be replaced by Spiderman Joins The Boy Scouts so that they will be able to be more family friendly and aim towards boys.

Between the parent company and it's various subsidiaries Disney has been responsible for Gargoyles, Pirates of The Carribbian, The Thirteenth Warrior and Pulp Fiction. Anyone who seriously thinks Deadpool is going to start teaching preschoolers the importance of sharing can rest easy.

[Antiyonder]

I have been hoping for many of Marvel's liscensed titles from the 90s (most notably the Disney owned ones like Aladdin, Disney Afternoon, Beauty & The Beast, etc) to get reprints.

If anything, it would make it quite possible for the Disney/Marvel titles. Whether they have any interest is another topic of course.


Anyone who seriously thinks Deadpool is going to start teaching preschoolers the importance of sharing can rest easy.

True, but given the right execution, that would make for a hilarious story. Have some snacks, toys, DVDs and some firearms prepared.

[jacob2037]

I'm not going to take the time to read all of those wordy replies, so, if someone else already said what I'm about to say, sorry. But, I'm really wondering why you all think this is a bad thing? I'm neither happy or unhappy about this situation, but there is some good that will come out of this. In the long run, this'll bring the Marvel community closer together. They've got their shows spread across Disney XD, Nicktoons, Cartoon Network, and BET (I think). Once Marvel's contracts expire with Viacom and Time Warner, all of the shows will be on one network: Disney XD.

This'll be XD's ticket to basic cable.

[Old Guy]

Marvel is gonna turn into the next DC. Once the rights with the other studios expires, Marvel is gonna be no different than DC. Marvel had it right. Work with different studios. Now they're stuck with one.

[Time Wizard]

Wow, this is pretty insane. I cant say I am liking the idea, Disney is too kid friendly. Could this be because DC Comics is owned by Warner Bros? Does disney need some blockbuster films to back them up? Im still amazed....I cant get over it!

[screw on head]

Disney's new ownership of Marvel isn't going to incur any changes on Marvel Comics publishing.

Marvel Comics is very very small potatoes to Disney. There's no reason for them to interfere with the publishing side. Disney would never, ever take the time to interfere in the goings on of the Marvel universe because that would require them to actually sit down with Marvel Comics, discuss characters/storylines and effect changes to be made - there's nothing in it for them. Marvel Comics doesn't bring in enough money in sales for Disney to care what they do.

Disney bought Marvel Comics for a lot reasons but it isn't to interfere with publishing. There's nothing in it for them. It's the same old story at DC Comics with Warner Bros. Warners still doesn't care what DC publishes, as long as it does what it does.

[Old Guy]

Disney's new ownership of Marvel isn't going to incur any changes on Marvel Comics publishing.

Marvel Comics is very very small potatoes to Disney. There's no reason for them to interfere with the publishing side. Disney would never, ever take the time to interfere in the goings on of the Marvel universe because that would require them to actually sit down with Marvel Comics, discuss characters/storylines and effect changes to be made - there's nothing in it for them. Marvel Comics doesn't bring in enough money in sales for Disney to care what they do.

Disney bought Marvel Comics for a lot reasons but it isn't to interfere with publishing. There's nothing in it for them. It's the same old story at DC Comics with Warner Bros. Warners still doesn't care what DC publishes, as long as it does what it does.

Yeah, we're well aware of that. This only affects movies and TV. Well, it doesn't affect movies for the moment since Marvel still have contracts with other studios, but it'll affect TV right away. I'm sure Disney XD is already planning their schedule. Maybe even ABC! No one has brought that up. Lost is a hit for ABC. Maybe they'll pair it up with a Marvel show.

[Ultra8]

Well I just came back from http://newsarama.com.
They've got a list of the top Questions that are being asked since the news broke and even an article with feedback from others in the industry about how it affects them.(comments from DC and Boomstudios were surprisingly absent:sweat:)
Though there's alot of good that can happen so is there an equal amount of bad, Disney those have a history of pissing off/screwing over their hirelings.
Though from what I've read it looks like Marvel is safe comic-wise(well as safe as DC is from WB for that matter).

Of course I've just remembered that Disney owns all the stuff that Crossgen made, not to mention their euro-only comics. So does that mean that Marvel now has access and can re-publish those titles.:eek::confused:
Hmmm.

[Ducard]

Marvel is gonna turn into the next DC. Once the rights with the other studios expires, Marvel is gonna be no different than DC. Marvel had it right. Work with different studios. Now they're stuck with one.

Well.. it's a little different since Marvel has its own specific film studio.

[Tash]

Does this mean we can finally get those Disney Transformers brought to America under the Marvel Crossovers line?

[Ultra8]

Well those worrying about the movie side of the deal needn't worry, at least for maybe a decade.


www.newsarama.com/comics
2) How soon can Marvel’s film division take advantage of having Disney’s marketing and publicity support?

When it comes to pitching and promoting its characters and brand name, no media company can hold a Tinker Bell to the House That Walt Built. But when the time does come for them to start marketing Marvel, it won’t be a slam-dunk.

The same pitch that works for “High School Musical” won’t work for “Luke Cage Noir.” We’re talking an entirely new set of promotional skills.

Every Wall Street analyst quoted on the Disney/Marvel deal keeps citing the fact that Disney needed this deal to reconnect with young, impressionable boys that the company has lost step with in recent years. That makes perfect sense, except for the fact that the comics buying crowd skews older and older each year and Marvel, like every other comics publisher, has struggled to attract new young male readers for years. Finding a way to reverse that trend, which is actually more of an unfortunate fact of life in the comics world, could be the biggest challenge of the entire deal.

A more immediate problem is that it will be years before Disney can help plug Marvel movies. Marvel’s next half-dozen films are already spoken for in terms of distribution & marketing. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, the big Avengers team-up, are all tied up with Paramount and Universal. So it will be some time before Disney can flex its marketing muscle for its new corporate sibling.

What happens to characters such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, Daredevil and the Fantastic Four, which are licensed out to other studios?

These characters offer up one of the biggest problems for Disney, because rival studios maintain creative control as well as distribution rights. Disney chief Robert Iger indicates that all current deals with other studios will be honored, but the goal is to bring all the Marvel characters back in-house at some point. But again, that’s easier said than done.

Sony’s committed to making 3 more Spidey movies. The first 3 earned nearly $3 billion, so it could be a decade before the theatrical destiny of Marvel’s flagship character is back in house. The same goes for the X-Men. Fox is already moving forward with a second Wolverine film, and has plans for numerous X-spinoffs (such as Deadpool). Fox also has the rights to Daredevil and Fantastic Four, two properties currently in limbo which seem ripe for rebooting. Disney may have to pay up to get those back in the family. But considering the importance of those characters to the Marvel Universe, it may be worth it.

[Old Guy]

If you think about it, this does affect the movie division rather quickly. Since Disney owns the characters, they're the ones making money from the merchandise. For example, Iron Man 2 comes out in like 7 months. Disney is the one making the merchandise cash since they own the characters now. So, they're making money without actually doing anything. Wow. Disney really is genius.

[DisneyBoy]

I'm...uneasy about this. Obviously, Disney power will help get Marvel even further in the biz...but I wonder what the tradeoff will be, long-term.

[creativerealms]

Oh GOD. This is just wrong...

Until you realize that nothing will change.


I'm...uneasy about this. Obviously, Disney power will help get Marvel even further in the biz...but I wonder what the tradeoff will be, long-term.

Simple Disney themed comics under a main comic lebel and easier to find. It would be much better for Disney then how their comics are released now. Smaller labels and comic stores only. Anything else is jumping to unneeded conclusions.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

[Tomato Surprise]

This might be SSM's saviour. Either way, it's gonna impact Marvel a ton.

Tomato

[Matthew Williams]

For everyone freaking out, don't. There will still be a Marvel Entertainment after the deal closes. It will just be an independently managed unit of Disney, just like Pixar and Weinstein-era Miramax. They made great pains to say this. You will see consolidation in places like licensing/consumer products but not on the sides that matter to us, i.e. creative and publishing. It's still gonna be Ike Perlmutter running the division, even.


Does that mean Disney has all the rights to the Marvel Animated shows? Which show would get the DVD treatment after X-Men?

Disney still owns the rights to the pre-2000 Marvel shows (the ones held by Saban). Those rights were in dispute and Marvel tried (and maybe succeeded?) in getting at least some of the rights back. This obviously removes that cloud. Additionally, Disney should get the Marvel-owned post-2000 stuff. Hopefully this resolves the fate of Spectacular Spidey, as now Disney has a more direct stake in that show.

As for DVD releases after X-Men, that's easy. It has to be 90s Spider-Man. I imagine the Disney buyout clears the distribution issues for Wolverine and the X-Men and other more recent series.

[RayChuang]

I can tell we are having a lot of "Marvel angst" over this acquisition. :rolleyes:

But personally, because of the more "mature" subtext of the storylines in Marvel Comics, I expect any movie done with the Marvel characters will NOT be distributed under the Disney name. It will likely be distributed by one of Disney's more adult-oriented divisions either using the Touchstone or Buena Vista labels.

[Trevor]

I can tell we are having a lot of "Marvel angst" over this acquisition. :rolleyes:

But personally, because of the more "mature" subtext of the storylines in Marvel Comics, I expect any movie done with the Marvel characters will NOT be distributed under the Disney name. It will likely be distributed by one of Disney's more adult-oriented divisions either using the Touchstone or Buena Vista labels.

Maybe, but think about what Disney has done in the past couple of years with The Nightmare Before Christmas. That movie was released in the 1990's under the Touchstone banner because Disney didn't want to be associated with such a "mature" film. But now, even though the film is still "mature", it is being distributed under the Disney name. Even films like The Santa Clause, in the 90's where release through Hollywood Pictures, and yet the sequels were released under the Disney label and the original is now in release under the Disney label.

But think about: people know that Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Buena Vista and any other labels are Disney-owned, so its not like Disney can get their name away from any Marvel property/characters, even if they use their "adult" banners.

But it is going to be interesting to see, especially at Christmas time, if Disney is going to have any crossover specials with all of their characters, including the Marvel ones.

[Crash]

Heh. I heard about this on the radio today. And in that 30-second soundbite, it was explained that Disney now owned the rights of such movie characters as Iron Man and Spider-man. Movie characters. Shows you just where comics rank in popular culture. Heh heh heh.



This would definetley mark the end of Marvel's entertaining comics and anything worth reading from Marvel will be replaced by Spiderman Joins The Boy Scouts so that they will be able to be more family friendly and aim towards boys.

Would it be innapropriately snarky of me to make a Spider-Man Makes a Deal With the Devil joke as a juxtaposition to this comment? I know there's a middle ground here, but given a choice, I know which story I'd rather see...

[Dudley]

I can tell we are having a lot of "Marvel angst" over this acquisition. :rolleyes:

But personally, because of the more "mature" subtext of the storylines in Marvel Comics, I expect any movie done with the Marvel characters will NOT be distributed under the Disney name. It will likely be distributed by one of Disney's more adult-oriented divisions either using the Touchstone or Buena Vista labels.

Exactly!

People seem to forget that the Walt Disney Company isn't just everything with the name 'Disney'. They also own ABC, Touchstone Pictures, ESPN, etc.

[AlgeaX]

Exactly!

People seem to forget that the Walt Disney Company isn't just everything with the name 'Disney'. They also own ABC, Touchstone Pictures, ESPN, etc.

Just to put things in perspective here are some of the shows currently produced by the Disney owned ABC...


Castle
Criminal Minds
Desperate Housewives
Ghost Whisperer
Grey's Anatomy
Legend of the Seeker
Lost
Monk
Reaper (The CW)
Scrubs

[Matthew Williams]

I can tell we are having a lot of "Marvel angst" over this acquisition. :rolleyes:

But personally, because of the more "mature" subtext of the storylines in Marvel Comics, I expect any movie done with the Marvel characters will NOT be distributed under the Disney name. It will likely be distributed by one of Disney's more adult-oriented divisions either using the Touchstone or Buena Vista labels.
They don't even have to use Touchstone at all. It's entirely possible, even probable, that they just use "Marvel" on stuff that comes out through Disney distribution.

[LeatherJeans]

Man why does Disney have to buy EvErYtHiNg?
What's next? Nabisco? Teletoon (or Courus Entertainment)? Turner Broadcasting? PBS?
I think Hannah Montana is going to meet Iron Man and SpiderMan has Stitch (or Experiment 626) on his back.
But I know most of the Marvel stuff ain't gonna be at DisneyLand. Or even meeting The Hulk and Superwoman over there! There shows will be on Disney XD.

[Matthew Williams]

Man why does Disney have to buy EvErYtHiNg?
What's next? Nabisco? Teletoon (or Courus Entertainment)? Turner Broadcasting? PBS?

Nabisco's already owned by Kraft Foods.

Turner is already owned by Time Warner and I don't see them giving up control anytime soon.

The Canadian Radio and Television Commission wouldn't be happy if Disney bought Teletoon and/or Corus.

And I don't see them getting PBS due to the little fact that it's owned by the government and funded through the financial support of viewers like me.

[Vyse]

But I know most of the Marvel stuff ain't gonna be at DisneyLand. Or even meeting The Hulk and Superwoman over there! There shows will be on Disney XD.Uh, wrong. They will be in Disneyland come next year once the purchase is passed (Disney World eventually once the Universal deal is done). You do also realize that Star Wars characters, including Darth Vader, make appearances at the Disney parks? With attractions?

That said, GamesRadar touched up on this in their buyout fallout article (http://www.gamesradar.com/f/disney-buys-marvel-who-benefits/a-20090831141513888039/) (everyone has one). Here's the actual quote concerning the theme parks (listed as a pro for Disney in their article):

"Disney World just got better! - Who doesn’t love a good crossover? Maybe we’re just dorks, but the idea of our favorite characters intermingling with one another in a singular location has our heads spinning at a 1000RPMs. Currently, a ticket to Disneyland nails you a meet and greet with Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Kermit the Frog, Darth Vader, and now, f***ing Spider-Man and Hulk!!!!

Best of all, when it comes to theme park attractions, Disney spares absolutely no expense. So, a billion dollars-worth of 3-D Marvel robots moving at the speed of awesome is a glorious inevitability."

[TMC1982]

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j121/rhidalgo82/suitelife.jpg :anime:
Ashley Tisdale's worst nightmare!!!

[cohenmarioman]

This puts new meaning to the Disney rewording, where you put $ instead of the s.

[Zen Man]

Uh, wrong. They will be in Disneyland come next year once the purchase is passed (Disney World eventually once the Universal deal is done). You do also realize that Star Wars characters, including Darth Vader, make appearances at the Disney parks? With attractions?

That said, GamesRadar touched up on this in their buyout fallout article (http://www.gamesradar.com/f/disney-buys-marvel-who-benefits/a-20090831141513888039/) (everyone has one). Here's the actual quote concerning the theme parks (listed as a pro for Disney in their article):

"Disney World just got better! - Who doesn’t love a good crossover? Maybe we’re just dorks, but the idea of our favorite characters intermingling with one another in a singular location has our heads spinning at a 1000RPMs. Currently, a ticket to Disneyland nails you a meet and greet with Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Kermit the Frog, Darth Vader, and now, f***ing Spider-Man and Hulk!!!!

Best of all, when it comes to theme park attractions, Disney spares absolutely no expense. So, a billion dollars-worth of 3-D Marvel robots moving at the speed of awesome is a glorious inevitability."

Darth Vader?!

They don't own Star Wars........do they?

[cohenmarioman]

Just remembered, Disney's biggest rival, Universal Studios, has some Marvel characters in their park. Is Disney buying all of Marvel? Because that would all lead to no superhero land.

[Vyse]

Darth Vader?!

They don't own Star Wars........do they?No. Disney licenses the characters from Lucas. In fact, Disney was a frontrunner for airing The Clone Wars before CN beat them (Please note the bold for "airing", because they weren't going to purchase it)

[PC!]

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j121/rhidalgo82/suitelife.jpg :anime:
Ashley Tisdale's worst nightmare!!!

Ha ha ha! That's great! XD

Heck, I'd watch it!

[TMC1982]

The one thing that I'm really concerned about Disney taking over Marvel is that they're going to meddle (to make things more "kid friendly" or watered down) in TV or movie projects (just like what Fox under Tom Rothman has done in the past). I don't think that Disney's track record with taking over certain properties (like the Muppets or Doug) hasn't down too well.

Another thing is that you can say that Marvel had an advantage over DC by being able to rely on various studios (as opposed to just Warner Bros. with DC). This meant that movie projects were being produced at a much faster rate.

[Zero Kagayaki]

I'm sure marvel is in good hands

[RockmanDash]

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j121/rhidalgo82/suitelife.jpg :anime:
Ashley Tisdale's worst nightmare!!!

You win the internet. =D

This is indeed surprising and kind of weird. I mean I know Spiderman and etc have been airing on the other Disney channel but I've never thought Disney had any interest in buying Marvel completely. Hopefully things end up well.

[Dudley]

Ya know, I might get attacked for saying this, but Disney watering down Marvel a little might not be so bad.

As mentioned in one of the articles (somewhere), comics have been picked up by adults more than boys than it used to, and that's probably why comics don't sell well, as they used to. By making it a little more kid friendly, will not only boost sells, but make them more accessible.

Of course, Marvel already makes those kind of comics, like the Marvel Adventure line.

[NinjaJack]

Oh man, you have got to be kidding me! You mean to tell me that Spider-Man, X-Men, Wolverine, Fantastic Four and Power Pack will be under the same roof as Power Rangers, Aaron Stone and Kim Possible? Come on the possibilities of crossovers are sweet.

Power Pack vs Power Rangers

"Join the kids as they team up with the teenagers with attitude to fight against Lord Zedd"

Aaron Stone meets Deadpool
"Aaron gets a few pointers from a professional, or least he says he a professional"

Tommy Oliver vs Peter Parker
"The fight that never ends!"

[Rho]

Does this mean we'll be seeing Mickey Mouse in a Spiderman suit?

[judyindisguise]

For my part, I think it might be a good business decision but a poor creative decision. It just kinda makes me feel sad...After all, Disney already had a great group of superheroes with the Incredibles...I just don't see why this purchase is necessary...

[Vyse]

Does this mean we'll be seeing Mickey Mouse in a Spiderman suit?Congratulations! You just described one possible toy/plush idea to Disney for free!

Also, I want Power Rangers revived as two comic books: one kid-friendly and one more adult-friendly.

[darkdetective]

What about marvel's dtv deal with Lionsgate? does this mean no more dtvs? And if disney starts coming out withit, it'll be g-rated (garbage)!

[Eddy]

So will we be seeing the Disney Castle with When You Wish Upon a Star logo opening at the beginning of Iron Man 2?

[mgr91686]

For my part, I think it might be a good business decision but a poor creative decision. It just kinda makes me feel sad...After all, Disney already had a great group of superheroes with the Incredibles...I just don't see why this purchase is necessary...

I think Disney will surpass many peoples expectations. I admit that there's quite a few Marvel characters just have absolutely no place in Walt's magic kingdom, I think that this might just be the beginning of an awesome time creatively for both Marvel and Disney.

[Zen Man]

Let's see....

ABC
ESPN
Marvel
The Muppets
Pixar
Miramax Films

That's a pretty impressive group;but what else does 'The Mouse House' own?

[The Overlord]

When are we going to see the Ghost Rider and Punisher cartoons on Disney? ;)

[Brekkie]

I think this will strengthen the Marvel brand and give them the exposure they sorely needed. I mean, yeah they were doing pretty well, but now they have real leverage over everyone else. Eventually all the Marvel properties will be under one roof and we can see some really awesome crossovers.

At the same time, I am a little concerned. The house of mouse is not a place to be taken lightly. They have the power to crush everything in their path to achieve their objectives and have done so in the past.

What I find amusing is that if the credit crisis did not occur, this sale probably would not have happened.

[TMC1982]

Does this mean we'll be seeing Mickey Mouse in a Spiderman suit?

More like Mickey in a Wolverine suit (watch out Hugh Jackman):
http://www.nerdcore.de/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/wolviemickey.jpg
http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/mwop/moviefile/2009/08/disney-buys-marvel-the-pros-an.php



Pro: Behold, the Power of Disney
Considering that their comic-book rival, DC Comics, is owned by massive conglomerate Time Warner, Marvel's been doing pretty well for themselves, creating their own movie studio and somehow managing to turn out more movies based on their characters than Warner Bros. could for DC. Still, having the massive might of Disney in their corner can only help them, visibility-wise, which should help them knock The Dark Knight off of its high box-office horse. Also, Disney wants to bring the characters licensed to Fox (X-Men, Fantastic Four) and Sony (Spider-Man) back in-house for even more crossover action, and take over from Paramount as distributor of Marvel Studios' films. "It clearly would be in our best interest if we ended up as the sole distributor," said Disney Chief Executive Robert A. Iger in a press conference.

Con: Hail to Our New Corporate Overlords
Will being a division of Disney mean a kinder, gentler Marvel Universe? Iger indicated that they don't want to tamper with Marvel's successful movie formula, saying "the bottom line is, we like what they've been doing so far," but it still gives one pause to see Marvel's occasionally dark and gritty universe stamped with a pair of mouse ears. Of course, if it means that we'll actually get some halfway decent Marvel cartoons out of the deal, thanks to the Disney Channel, then this might turn out to be a boon, but the live-action aspect is what worries us. Can you imagine an Xavier's School Musical with an all-mutant cast, or a Hannah Montana/Dazzler secret-identity comedy?

Pro: Marvel, Meet Pixar
When Pixar's Incredibles came out, there were many comparisons to their clear inspiration, Marvel's own Fantastic Four. The fact that Incredibles was a much better movie than either FF film didn't help. But now that they're all part of the Disney family (Disney bought Pixar back in 2006), we can't wait to see what Pixar might do with the established heroes of the Marvel Universe. "The [Pixar] group got pretty excited pretty fast," said Iger. Maybe a crossover is in order? Incredibly Fantastic, anyone?

Con: No More DC/Marvel Crossovers?
Granted, it's been decades since Marvel and DC were on good enough terms to do a crossover anyway, but now that Disney and Warner Bros. are in the drivers' seats, does this mean we'll never again see Superman fight the Hulk, or Captain America fight Batman? Or will cooler, more fiscally minded heads prevail and make this happen? Our money's on the former.

Pro: Marvel Amusement Park Awesomeness
Universal Studios may have their own Marvel-themed Islands of Adventure, but imagine getting to hang out with your favorite costumed superheroes at Disney World and Disneyland! The last time I went to Disney World, the highlight of the weekend was getting my picture taken with Launchpad McQuack, so this is a game changer for me. Plus, we'd love to see some more Marvel-based rides at the parks, like the Haunted Avengers Mansion, Spaceknight Mountain and Pirates of Patented Stark Enterprises Technology.

Con: Mickey Mouse in a Spider-Man Outfit
With this new merger, expect to hear the phrase "Spidey Mouse" at some point. And to see Minnie make out with an upside-down Mickey in the rain.

Pro: Donald Duck and Howard the Duck Settle Their Beef
Back in the late 1970s, Disney threatened to sue Marvel if they didn't change the look of their character Howard the Duck, who wore a blue jacket, blue hat and no pants. From that point on, he was required to wear pants at all times, including in the 1986 movie. Now, hopefully, Howard can not only go pantsless again, but hang out with fellow exhibitionist Donald in a friendly setting, i.e. Lea Thompson's house.

[Dee]

I do have to say, I was quite shocked to see this story across the headline page for CNN.com

I'm interested to see how the progress of the acquisition of the company will go, especially with how many contracts Marvel currently has with other companies. Odds are, they will need to honor those contracts through this purchase.

Part of me has a feeling that Marvel may be under the same roof, but remain pretty much separate of Disney. I don't expect to see Spiderman strolling down Main Street at Disneyland anytime soon, lol.

Of course, you never know.

[dmxx116]

And now Fox want to reboot Fantastic Four now they don't to give up the rights like they going to do a better job then Disney, They should do Fantastic Four 3 and recast Sue Storm and no reboot. http://www.superherohype.com/news/fantasticfournews.php?id=8647

[TMC1982]

I do have to say, I was quite shocked to see this story across the headline page for CNN.com

I'm interested to see how the progress of the acquisition of the company will go, especially with how many contracts Marvel currently has with other companies. Odds are, they will need to honor those contracts through this purchase.

Part of me has a feeling that Marvel may be under the same roof, but remain pretty much separate of Disney. I don't expect to see Spiderman strolling down Main Street at Disneyland anytime soon, lol.

Of course, you never know.

In a way, the Disney purchase makes sense since they already have a hold of much of Marvel's animated library (through their purchase of Fox Kids/Saban).

[Tommy Lawson]

I do have to say, I was quite shocked to see this story across the headline page for CNN.com

I'm interested to see how the progress of the acquisition of the company will go, especially with how many contracts Marvel currently has with other companies. Odds are, they will need to honor those contracts through this purchase.

Part of me has a feeling that Marvel may be under the same roof, but remain pretty much separate of Disney. I don't expect to see Spiderman strolling down Main Street at Disneyland anytime soon, lol.

Of course, you never know.

I remember that from the Fox Family Worldwide purchase, even though they moved production to New Zealand for Power Rangers Ninja Storm and the subsequent PR seasons, Disney gave MMPR productions a full run of 40 episodes for Power Rangers Wild Force, exactly the same as Lightspeed Rescue and Time Force before it. I expect a similar scenario with the Marvel stuff - let what already is in place finish out, and then decide what to do next.

As for Spider-man appearing in Disneyland, the Power Rangers appear at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, so I think they could make arrangements for Marvel superheroes as well, at least for Disneyland - I'm not sure about the Orlando area considering the Universal Studios attraction that already exists there.

[AlgeaX]

Ya know, I might get attacked for saying this, but Disney watering down Marvel a little might not be so bad.

As mentioned in one of the articles (somewhere), comics have been picked up by adults more than boys than it used to, and that's probably why comics don't sell well, as they used to. By making it a little more kid friendly, will not only boost sells, but make them more accessible.

Of course, Marvel already makes those kind of comics, like the Marvel Adventure line.

I doubt making comics more "kid-freindly" would appeal to the younger crowd.

"...it was much earlier even than that when most people forgot that that very oldest stories are, sooner or later, about blood. Later on they took the blood out to make the stories more acceptable to children, or at least to the people who had to read them to children rather than children themselves (who, on the whole, are quite keen on blood provided it's being shed by the deserving), and then wondered where the stories went." -Terry Prattchet

[stephane dumas]

Man why does Disney have to buy EvErYtHiNg?
What's next? Nabisco? Teletoon (or Courus Entertainment)? Turner Broadcasting? PBS?
I think Hannah Montana is going to meet Iron Man and SpiderMan has Stitch (or Experiment 626) on his back.
But I know most of the Marvel stuff ain't gonna be at DisneyLand. Or even meeting The Hulk and Superwoman over there! There shows will be on Disney XD.

Not Nabisco or Teletoon but we could think of some possibilities like taking a stake in some overseas animated studio like Studios Ghibli (where they already have a deal to distribute Miyazaki's movies in North America) or Toei or Marathon studios for example.

[NinjaJack]

Seriously, I would love to see a Power Ranger comic done. And a Marvel Gargoyls comic

[JLApe]

Future candidates in Disney's Princess series: Invisible Woman, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, She-Hulk, Black Cat... :p

[Jeff Harris]

Future candidates in Disney's Princess series: Invisible Woman, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, She-Hulk, Black Cat... :pWell, to be fair, Storm IS a queen.

[macattack]

Future candidates in Disney's Princess series: Invisible Woman, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, She-Hulk, Black Cat... :p

You forgot the most obvious one: Shadowcat. :p Especially when she's all bishojoed.

[dtemplar]

I also thought what will happen to the Marvel animated films like the upcoming Planet Hulk film?

[Time Wizard]

I also thought what will happen to the Marvel animated films like the upcoming Planet Hulk film?
I think the animated films will remain the same, they might make even more a year. Disney, or Beuna Vista(same thing pretty much) has control over the 90s animated Marvel cartoons and they are just fine.

[Trevor]

Oh man, you have got to be kidding me! You mean to tell me that Spider-Man, X-Men, Wolverine, Fantastic Four and Power Pack will be under the same roof as Power Rangers, Aaron Stone and Kim Possible? Come on the possibilities of crossovers are sweet.



In a way Spider-Man, the X-Men (Wolverine included) and the Fantastic Four were already under "the same roof" as the other characters that you mentioned. The US version of Power Rangers was produced in the 90's by Saban, just like the 90's X-Men TV series, and then the Spider-Man cartoons from the past and all the other pre-2000 Cartoons were acquired by Saban and Disney in 1997-98 when Marvel Films went bankrupt, and then later all the Spider-Man and X-Men episodes that Saban had were acquired by Disney when Disney bought out Saban in 2001.

[Trevor]

Not Nabisco or Teletoon but we could think of some possibilities like taking a stake in some overseas animated studio like Studios Ghibli (where they already have a deal to distribute Miyazaki's movies in North America) or Toei or Marathon studios for example.

In terms to the original poster Teletoon is not owned by Corus Entertainment. YTV is the station here in Canada owned by Corus.

But that would be an interesting idea: Toei owned by Disney. Watch out Mouseketters, here comes Sailor Moon (which Disney did own the American version of back the 90's when ABC still owned DIC).

[Nexonius]

In terms to the original poster Teletoon is not owned by Corus Entertainment. YTV is the station here in Canada owned by Corus.

But that would be an interesting idea: Toei owned by Disney. Watch out Mouseketters, here comes Sailor Moon (which Disney did own the American version of back the 90's when ABC still owned DIC).

Corus owns 50% of Teletoon.

[wonderfly]

I also thought what will happen to the Marvel animated films like the upcoming Planet Hulk film?

There's a "Planet Hulk" animated film in development?!?

[SuperMegaHyper]

Also... :phttp://i32.tinypic.com/2mphhtz.jpg

[TMC1982]

Joe Favorito says look for ESPN/Marvel tie-ins (http://joefavorito.com/2009/09/01/marveling-at-a-new-opportunity-for-espn/) with the Disney purchase of the famed comic book company today.

[Time Wizard]

Also... :phttp://i32.tinypic.com/2mphhtz.jpg
It works! :p

[TheVileOne]

David Poland made some serious accusations regarding the acquisition yesterday on Attack of the Show.

Poland basically said that Marvel is running out money to pay for the new movies and Disney could fund them. However Poland suggested the movies might not happened as planned now because of Disney not wanting to invest in them.

[The Cartoon]

I heard about this in school this morning. I don't what to think exactly. I'm not a fan of Marvel at all, I wish they would have gotten DC. The characters have more potential to the Disney feel if you know what I mean. Other than distribution, I don't know how big of an effect this will have on Marvel. We'll just have to wait on see.

[creativerealms]

DC is already owned by time Warner so and has for decades so that could never happen.

[LeatherJeans]

Corus owns 50% of Teletoon.

Who owns the other 50% of Teletoon? Themselves?

[Dudley]

Also... :phttp://i32.tinypic.com/2mphhtz.jpg

That's a really good fake screenshot.

[swarlock]

They did have a couple of titles in The 90's. Aladdin and Gargoyles before they went the In House route.

[Vyse]

Who owns the other 50% of Teletoon? Themselves?According to Wikipedia, Astral Media. They are the owners of Family, a bunch of French stations, The Movie Network, Mpix, and majority stake in pay-per-view outfit Viewer's Choice.

[swarlock]

why does everything have to change....

It's a part of life whether we like it or not. I'm learning to roll with the punches good and bad.

[swarlock]

So everything is fine with the Marvel/Disney thing?

I can deal with it. Nothing phases me anymore.

[swarlock]

I'm not going to take the time to read all of those wordy replies, so, if someone else already said what I'm about to say, sorry. But, I'm really wondering why you all think this is a bad thing? I'm neither happy or unhappy about this situation, but there is some good that will come out of this. In the long run, this'll bring the Marvel community closer together. They've got their shows spread across Disney XD, Nicktoons, Cartoon Network, and BET (I think). Once Marvel's contracts expire with Viacom and Time Warner, all of the shows will be on one network: Disney XD.

This'll be XD's ticket to basic cable.

That's what I'm thinking now too.

[Zen Man]

Question.

Now that Disney owns the characters, does that mean 20th Century,Lionsgate,Columbia etc. have to pay royalties for any Marvel movie they produce in the future?

[Matt Hazuda]

Question.

Now that Disney owns the characters, does that mean 20th Century,Lionsgate,Columbia etc. have to pay royalties for any Marvel movie they produce in the future?Nope. They have their rights. It just means instead of splitting the cash with Marvel, Disney would be their partner.

[AlgeaX]

Found some neat articles with more detailed info on the deal...

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/shocker-disney-buying-marvel/

[Hypestyle]

http://tinyurl.com/kwjows

Hopefully Disney animation will aggressively pursue developing various new animated series based on marvel characters, that we haven't seen in animation yet (or only seen in a cameo).. Power Man & Iron Fist, Daredevil, New Mutants, Cloak & Dagger, Runaways, Strikeforce Morituri..

I would especially welcome a Power Pack 'toon series, done high quality.... Spider-Ham would be fine for kids, too-- though I wonder how would this square with Sony's licensing of all things Spidey.. uh-oh.. the other Star comics stuff would be nice, too, I guess.. web-animation shorts, etc.

Say.. anybody know much about Marvel's 'funny animal' comics series going back to the 40's - 50's?

In live action, with so many characters already farmed out to other studios, I wonder how aggressive Disney/Marvel will be in trying to get them back? will they seek to end those contracts? Seek a co-financing deal along with back-end revenue for dvds/licensing, etc.? Hmm.. Especially with Spider-Man, as lucrative as it is, it could be a legal nightmare all over again..

on the home-video front, I want Disney to stop sitting on all the older Marvel animated shows still languishing.. the 1960's and 1980's Spider-Man stuff in particular.. the Hanna-Barbera produced Fantastic Four show.. and as primitive as they are, the GrantRay-Lawrence shows of Cap, Thor, Subby, Iron Man and Hulk need a boxed set.. I remember being sent a nice rejection letter after sending Disney Video a letter about Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends.. :p

on the comics side of things, I'd like to see Disney/Marvel aggressively mine their back catalogs, make some nice new TPBs of older Disney comics, expand their kids-line of titles including disney characters.. continue with digital comics initiatives.. They should also be pushing DVD-roms of collected runs of various titles..

Regarding 'Max/Icon' titles, I really hope there aren't any executives that decides that since Disney is the ultimate family-brand, that there's no room for the Max/Icon line of titles, including the creator-owned and Euro-import stuff..

Disney should be having Marvel titles and TPBs in their Disney Stores now.. push for more comics presence in other retail outlets..

anybody know who we can contact at Disney for feedback?

[KPTitan]

Does this mean that we'll see a future Kingdom Hearts game that might end up having Marvel characters in it? If so...I can picture Wolverine beating the crap out of Donald Duck.:p

[cartoonscartoons]

This stinks....big time

[LeatherJeans]

This stinks....big time

Not really, if My family and I go to DisneyWorld next year, we get to meet SpiderMan and Spider Mouse! :D

[bishospidey]

i am totally mad now i didnt expect that disney would buy marvel
DISNEY OWNS MARVEL holy crap
i really dont believe that the great marvel super hero masters is purshaded by a kids company .................. ahhhhhhhh i am mmmmmaaad:mad:

[bishospidey]

disney will bring marvel down i hate this
i mean LOOK AT THIS PICTUREhttp://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mickey-hulk.jpg
WAT NEXT DARE DEVIL FALLING IN LOVE WITH JASMINE ?
AND A FIGHT BETWEEN ALLADIN AND DARE DEVIL FOR JASMINE ????????
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GIVE ME A BREAK

[Tommy Lawson]

You know what's ironic about all the drawings that put Disney characters in the Marvel costumes, trying to see if they'll work as superheroes? Disney has made one of their core characters into a superhero already! That character is Donald Duck, and from the summary of the video game created from the property (http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20548.htm):


Donald Duck was hired as a security guard in Uncle Scrooge's new building. While on guard one night, One, a super computer, contacted Donald and changed his life. With One's help Donald turned into a real life super hero, who is equipped with all the latest gadgets to fight crime, and an awesome costume. On this night, PK was born, but he needs to gain experience and training before he can help the world from evil. During this time, the malicious Evronains, a warrior class of aliens, decided to invade and conquer the Earth. So with no training, PK must set out to save the Earth from the impending doom...PK, is Donald Duck's superhero identity; and it is short for "Platyrhynchos Kineticus" or Duck of Energy.There is no need for Disney to ever put Donald Duck into a costume based on a Marvel character, because he has already has his own superhero alter ego that Disney or Marvel can use in the future. In fact, in addition to Donald, there are of course two other well-known "duck superheroes" that exist from Disney - Gizmoduck from Ducktales, and Darkwing Duck. In fact, Darkwing Duck was created as a spin-off from an episode of Ducktales where Scrooge McDuck himself had a superhero alter ego - the "Masked Mallard."

[JD08]

I just hope Disney stays away from the comics if anybody is retooled Deaths, Personalities, Sexual Orientation, or Sex Appeal I will sue for defamation of character Disney has no right the condescending Bas-turds! Disney go to the 8th level of hell we want nothing to do with you and Marvel shame on you. you guys are better than that

[The Overlord]

I think now that it would have been better if an anime company purchased MARVEL instead, at least we'd see some anime on "Shang Chi" & "Iron Fist" that way, an instant victory

What anime company has 4 billion dollars to spend?

[Jave]

I'm guessing the next game in the series will be "Disney Vs. Capcom"?

Also:

http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/636820540_E5wzE-L.jpg

[RogueFanKC]

Jave, you missed the sketch they were originally going to do as the comic before PA decided to change it to another one.

Personally, I wish PA could have stuck with this one; Spider-Man with a Keyblade for the WIN (although if there's anyone of "pure of heart" enough to wield a Keyblade, it's Steve Rogers).

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/1959/pamarveldisney.jpg

[Hypestyle]

^^^ LOL @ Beast/Beast gag.. heh..

I wouldn't mind seeing Marvel characters in the Kingdom Hearts games.. ah.. maybe Spider-Ham would be involved, since Spidey proper would likely be owned by Sony.. also they could involve: Slapstick, Impossible Man, Irving Forbush, Speedball, Power Pack kids, Firestar, Storm, Iceman, Wolverine..

villains: dr. doom, green goblin, galactus, mephisto,

[Radical Raven]

This stinks....big time


i am totally mad now i didnt expect that disney would buy marvel
DISNEY OWNS MARVEL holy crap
i really dont believe that the great marvel super hero masters is purshaded by a kids company .................. ahhhhhhhh i am mmmmmaaad:mad:


I just hope Disney stays away from the comics if anybody is retooled Deaths, Personalities, Sexual Orientation, or Sex Appeal I will sue for defamation of character Disney has no right the condescending Bas-turds! Disney go to the 8th level of hell we want nothing to do with you and Marvel shame on you. you guys are better than that

No offense meant, but have you guys, y'know, actually read any of the stuff that's been getting posted?

[CartoonCrazy]

No offense meant, but have you guys, y'know, actually read any of the stuff that's been getting posted?
Yes. No offence, but you're all starting to sound a bit ignorant considering we've all made it clear that Disney isn't gonna touch Marvel as long as they can still gain a profit off of it.

[suss2it]

i am totally mad now i didnt expect that disney would buy marvel
DISNEY OWNS MARVEL holy crap
i really dont believe that the great marvel super hero masters is purshaded by a kids company .................. ahhhhhhhh i am mmmmmaaad:mad:

You ever saw Kill Bill before?

[Starbro]

disney will bring marvel down i hate this
i mean LOOK AT THIS PICTUREhttp://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mickey-hulk.jpg
WAT NEXT DARE DEVIL FALLING IN LOVE WITH JASMINE ?
AND A FIGHT BETWEEN ALLADIN AND DARE DEVIL FOR JASMINE ????????
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GIVE ME A BREAK

Sheesh. Calm down, dude. Seriously.

It's clear that the people who are just spewing bile about this didn't actually read the article, because if they did, they would know that this is an inside deal. Disney won't be touching any of Marvel's properties. Ergo, NOTHING like what you're describing is going to happen.

And while we're on the subject, people can stop speculating about Marvel characters turning up in Kingdom Hearts, 'cause that's not going to happen either.

[Dudley]

And while we're on the subject, people can stop speculating about Marvel characters turning up in Kingdom Hearts, 'cause that's not going to happen either.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'd like to see some Marvel characters appear in Kingdom Hearts III!

[Atomius]

this is quite interesting news...

[The Cartoon]

disney will bring marvel down i hate this
i mean LOOK AT THIS PICTUREhttp://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mickey-hulk.jpg
WAT NEXT DARE DEVIL FALLING IN LOVE WITH JASMINE ?
AND A FIGHT BETWEEN ALLADIN AND DARE DEVIL FOR JASMINE ????????
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GIVE ME A BREAK
That's the funniest thing I've seen all day. I am thinking the opposite of your statement since I'm a huge Disney fan. I don't want to see this for Disney like you don't want to see it for Marvel. But I think you may be overreacting. And I imagine there won't be nearly as much of a change to Marvel as people think.

[sdp]

I don't understand why everyone is happy about Pixar/Marvel. I love both companies but I like them the way they are, separate. I prefer to see new original characters from Pixar and or sequels to those original characters. Marvel characters designed by Pixar would look odd, and probably not the type of story I'd prefer to see. I'm sure the movie would be great but thats beside the point, I'd rather see original great content.

[Spaceman]

Yeah. Pixar already created their own popular and beloved superhero family with the Incredibles; WHY would they want to make a Fantastic Four movie? They stick to their original ideas, and that's how it should be.

But in any case, I hope things go well for the Disney/Marvel merger... and LOL at the ignorant and baseless assumptions about Marvel's universes being "kiddified".

[Time Wizard]

I really think Marvel will be fine, Disney will just get even richer!

[Tommy Lawson]

Does this mean that we'll see a future Kingdom Hearts game that might end up having Marvel characters in it? If so...I can picture Wolverine beating the crap out of Donald Duck.:p

I posted in the video game discussion section, that Marvel just made a deal with a video game company in Japan for merchandising, but it is not with Square Enix. Who is it, then? The answer to that is in the video game thread about Disney and Marvel (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=234954).

[suss2it]

Yeah. Pixar already created their own popular and beloved superhero family with the Incredibles; WHY would they want to make a Fantastic Four movie? They stick to their original ideas, and that's how it should be.I disagree. I think it's a wonderful idea for Pixar to use Marvel characters, those guys are pretty creative and I look forward to seeing their spin on Marvel characters. Just because they use Marvel characters doesn't mean the movie won't be original and it also doesn't mean they'll stop using/creating their own original characters.

[Michael24]

As someone who likes Marvel and Disney, I'm very excited about this news and look forward to what the future will bring. :)

[Ed Liu]

I highly suggest that anyone interested (or afraid) of this merger check out Matthew Williams' recent entry on the Toon Zone blog (http://blog.toonzone.net/blogs/58/disney-and-marvel-a-primer/), where he lays out what's going on behind this move and the most likely outcomes of the merger. Any differences I have in opinion from what Matt says are so minor that they're not even worth mentioning.

[DarthGonzo]

^Some of the people posting in this thread really, really need to read that blog post.

[TnAdct1]

A little something that I'm sure a number of people will enjoy: Marvel Poppins (http://www.thefump.com/fump.php?id=1217).

[AlgeaX]

A little something that I'm sure a number of people will enjoy: Marvel Poppins (http://www.thefump.com/fump.php?id=1217).

Oh yeah, that's going in my favourites list.

[Matt Hazuda]

Damn, that makes me think it would be cool for Marvel to produce a Mary Poppins comic based on the book since Disney does own the rights.

Marvel does really nice takes on literature. It's such a small part of the company, but they've done a lot of classic novels. Their version of The Wizard of Oz just looks gorgeous. I'm actually curious if the line could see an expansion when combined with whatever rights Disney owns.

[LeatherJeans]

A little something that I'm sure a number of people will enjoy: Marvel Poppins (http://www.thefump.com/fump.php?id=1217).

Ha,Ha So funny! I heard Miley Cyrus in the song! And I heard Stitch in the song plus Goofy got hurt! :lol:

[CartoonCrazy]

A little something that I'm sure a number of people will enjoy: Marvel Poppins (http://www.thefump.com/fump.php?id=1217).
I'm tempted to buy the MP3 for that...

[creativerealms]

Well it did not take pixar long wo deside which marvel characters they would like to make movies about. if they get Ant man (i know one was in the planning stages but i'm not sure how far) or not it would be interesting to see their take on a Marvel character.

[CartoonCrazy]

Since now MARVEL is owned by Disney; Pixar decided to do an Ant-Man (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/ant-man/news/?a=9800) film
Why do I have a bad feeling Warner Bros. is gonna reply to this with an Atom Ant movie? :shrug:

Anywho, it would be interesting to see Pixar's take on a Marvel character. I know I'd see it.

[AlgeaX]

Since now MARVEL is owned by Disney; Pixar decided to do an Ant-Man (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/ant-man/news/?a=9800) film

Should be interesting.

[Zen Man]

How long until the acquisition is officially approved?

[AlgeaX]

How long until the acquisition is officially approved?

It won't be until the end of the year at least.

[Trevor]

It won't be until the end of the year at least.


Basically the biggest hurdle in the acquisition process will be the Anti-Trust regulations that the American government setup after the problems with Microsoft and Internet Explorer.

[AlgeaX]

Basically the biggest hurdle in the acquisition process will be the Anti-Trust regulations that the American government setup after the problems with Microsoft and Internet Explorer.

Don't see how that'll be a problem, Disney's not getting a monopoly on anything.

[ThePRPD]

Relevant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyYb_r4cZHE

[Tommy Lawson]

Marvel has set a date for the shareholder vote for the Disney merger. From Business Wire (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091202005688&newsLang=en), if the shareholders approve, the merger will happen on Thursday, December 31, 2009, meaning that once 2010 and the next decade begins, Disney will officially own Marvel.

[Kenny E. McCall]

Can't wait. Besides, I'm waiting for a Marvel Team-Up where Peter and Mary Jane get an apartment underneath the Waverly Place Sub Shop, or Spidey makes an appearance on "Wizards of Waverly Place!"

[Ed Liu]

Can't wait. Besides, I'm waiting for a Marvel Team-Up where Peter and Mary Jane get an apartment underneath the Waverly Place Sub Shop, or Spidey makes an appearance on "Wizards of Waverly Place!"
Well, in New York City, the real Waverly Place (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=&vps=1&jsv=192a&sll=40.728104,-73.99513&sspn=0.01522,0.018196&ie=UTF8&geocode=FdB7bQId2vOW-w&split=0) is about 4 blocks north of Bleecker Street, and we all know that Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is located at 177A Bleecker Street (http://strangescribe.blogspot.com/2009/10/doctor-stranges-address.html) (or it is when it happens to be on this plane of existence and Strange wants you to see it). So, the obvious guest star would be Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme (or at least the one who used to be). Why, I bet they already know each other.

Actually, if Marvel can get their act together for a Dr. Strange movie in time, having whoever plays Strange pop up as a guest star on WoWP would be pretty cool. I might even watch the show if they did that.

[Zen Man]

Marvel has set a date for the shareholder vote for the Disney merger. From Business Wire (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091202005688&newsLang=en), if the shareholders approve, the merger will happen on Thursday, December 31, 2009, meaning that once 2010 and the next decade begins, Disney will officially own Marvel.


Well the countdown has begun I guess.

[Alpha Flight]

I think this move will be good for both companies. Hey remember when I predicted this on TZ 4 years ago.

[Tommy Lawson]

Here's something interesting from Comic Book Resources (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23952):


I'd heard about this new Marvel policy where they ask their writers -- past and present -- to submit a list of characters they created or co-created, presumably so the legal situation can be ironed out before the Disney deal becomes final. I don't care about the specifics of the situation, or, rather, I don't know enough about it to realize how much it may or may not matter. Is this a way to give creators some kind of token credit in exchange for Disney's ownership of the characters in perpetuity? Or is it simply a way to catalog who gets credit, and partial ownership, when the characters burst forth into new media?

[Mandouga]

...before the Disney deal becomes final.

Assuming that it's legal. As I recall correctly, before it can happen, it has to be determined whether or not it's legal. If not, then that means it won't happen.

With this in mind, why are people treating this as though it's a sure thing; as though it will defintely happen, when in fact, it may not?

[AlgeaX]

Assuming that it's legal. As I recall correctly, before it can happen, it has to be determined whether or not it's legal. If not, then that means it won't happen.

With this in mind, why are people treating this as though it's a sure thing; as though it will definitely happen, when in fact, it may not?

Because it's really just a formality, the deal needs to go before a few government regulators to make sure Disney isn't gaining a monopoly on anything and there's no reason why owning Marvel would give them anything of the sort. Plus I imagine Disney's own vast army of legal experts would have been consulted about any potential obstacles before going ahead with this.

[TheVileOne]

So just curious,

if a new writer creates a character in a comic that's published by Marvel, who owns the character?

Like who owns the Ezekiel character JMS created for Amazing Spider-man?

[Matt Hazuda]

So just curious,

if a new writer creates a character in a comic that's published by Marvel, who owns the character?

Like who owns the Ezekiel character JMS created for Amazing Spider-man?Marvel. This is mainly to get Marvel's ducks all in a row so a Siegal/Shuster vs DC or Gaiman vs McFarlane situation doesn't happen to Disney once they own the company more than likely.

[Tommy Lawson]

Here are some comments from Disney CEO Bob Iger from The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ic0baa5eecf1bc595f3e94a2f0516c15c) :

Iger also once again expressed confidence in the potential to develop lesser-known Marvel characters with the help of good scripts and directors, pointing to the increased prominence of "Iron Man" thanks to the Jon Favreau movie as an example.

Iger also said it would be "just fine" for Disney if Sony keeps making "Spider-Man" movies given that Marvel handles the licensing for them and has a big character library.

[Zen Man]

Here are some comments from Disney CEO Bob Iger from The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ic0baa5eecf1bc595f3e94a2f0516c15c) :

Another Question.

I know the movie rights to certain Marvel characters are tied up with other studios; but with Disney soon owning the characters do they get royalties from the other studios?

[Dudley]

Another Question.

I know the movie rights to certain Marvel characters are tied up with other studios; but with Disney soon owning the characters do they get royalties from the other studios?

From what I understand, they'll gain it through Marvel, just like with Disney gaining money from licensing from the Sony produced Spider-man movies.

[creativerealms]

Right they will earn money the same way Marvel is earning it from Fox, Sony and others right now.

[Tommy Lawson]

Another Question.

I know the movie rights to certain Marvel characters are tied up with other studios; but with Disney soon owning the characters do they get royalties from the other studios?
From what I understand, they'll gain it through Marvel, just like with Disney gaining money from licensing from the Sony produced Spider-man movies.

I can't help but notice the irony of what's going to happen for Disney from a superhero licensing standpoint. For 8 years, it was Disney who was the one paying for licensing rights for superheroes - the Super Sentai series from Toei which was made into Power Rangers. Now, with this upcoming deal, Disney is going to be the company that is getting paid for superhero license rights, with many more characters they will fully own.

Check out this interview transcript between CNBC's Jim Cramer and Bob Iger here (http://www.cnbc.com/id/34312905). There's some conversation about Marvel there, as well as the upcoming The Princess and the Frog.

[Anyone00]

In further news of eccentric fan community reaction: Disney Zombies (http://i.imgur.com/0OQ1S.jpg).

[Dudley]

Quite possibly the best Disney Marvel crossover pic yet:

http://www.tcampbell.net/john/MisneyDisplay.png

[Tommy Lawson]

The Marvel shareholders have approved the deal (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091231005119&newsLang=en). Now all that remains is some "dot the 'i'' and cross the 't'" work after the close of the stock market today, and Disney will officially own Marvel.

[Zen Man]

The Marvel shareholders have approved the deal (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091231005119&newsLang=en). Now all that remains is some "dot the 'i'' and cross the 't'" work after the close of the stock market today, and Disney will officially own Marvel.


Well its a done deal now; a very intriquing marriage indeed. Looking forward to seeing what's in store for the future.

[Dragonpiece]

The Marvel shareholders have approved the deal (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091231005119&newsLang=en). Now all that remains is some "dot the 'i'' and cross the 't'" work after the close of the stock market today, and Disney will officially own Marvel.

So it is pretty much a solid deal now, I am hoping this means we will finnaly be getting dvd's of the old cartoons like.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

I wonder if this means Disney will try to buy back the film rights licensed to FOX, Sony, and Lion's Gate...? If they did, say hello fully expanded Marvel Film Universe.

[Dudley]

I wonder if this means Disney will try to buy back the film rights licensed to FOX, Sony, and Lion's Gate...? If they did, say hello fully expanded Marvel Film Universe.

Probably too much hassle. They'll just wait for the film rights to expire.

[Old Guy]

Probably too much hassle. They'll just wait for it to expire.

Which is gonna take a few years. FOX has a deal that as long as they make an X-Men movie every 2-3 years they get to keep the franchise. SONY initally had a 6-picture deal, but I think they might have expanded on that. As for Paramount, I'm not exactly sure what's the deal with them.

That being said, since Disney owns Marvel, they'll be making a profit from those movies. So, I think this is why Disney doesn't mind those studios having the rights. They're gonna make money for doing nothing.

[Dudley]

Which is gonna take a few years. FOX has a deal that as long as they make an X-Men movie every 2-3 years they get to keep the franchise. SONY initally had a 6-picture deal, but I think they might have expanded on that. As for Paramount, I'm not exactly sure what's the deal with them.

That being said, since Disney owns Marvel, they'll be making a profit from those movies. So, I think this is why Disney doesn't mind those studios having the rights. They're gonna make money for doing nothing.

From my understanding, that's how film licenses always worked. You make a comic, you let a studio adapt it to film, they take the time and money to make a film, while the creator just waits for the profits to come in that's based on his cartoon.

I hope I can have that some day....

[EinBebop]

Consider, too, that trying to milk the x-men franchise, the spider-man franchise, the iron man franchise, and trying to get new comic book movies out all at the same time is a lot of work, perhaps more than even Disney can handle... let's pretend there's a little bit of competence at Time Warner and look at how much trouble they're having getting what could have been a potentially more profitable division of comic book movies going.

Even if Disney could get the rights overnight, we as fans would probably have to suffer a dry spell as a result. The current situation buys Disney time to get all their :donald:'s in a row for when the rights do revert back to them, while other companies pay them and keep the characters exposed!

[Dudley]

Consider, too, that trying to milk the x-men franchise, the spider-man franchise, the iron man franchise, and trying to get new comic book movies out all at the same time is a lot of work, perhaps more than even Disney can handle... let's pretend there's a little bit of competence at Time Warner and look at how much trouble they're having getting what could have been a potentially more profitable division of comic book movies going.



Well since Marvel has been doing fine handling the properties before the Disney buyout, they'll be doing fine after. As of now, all of Marvel's profits are now Disney's profits, and Disney now owns the rights to make whatever they want with the Marvel characters that no other company has at the moment, (whatever that is).

Disney's not going to have any problem making movies of Marvel when they get their chance. It's a known fact that Disney is a better run conglomerate that Time Warner.

[Zen Man]

Um remember that whole situation with the Kirby estate? Well.....


http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2010-01-08-marvel-kirby-fight_N.htm?csp=34