I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn’t April Fools when the news of The Walt Disney Company’s latest acquisition rolled across my screen. Disney is now the proud owner of Marvel Entertainment at a cost of a cool $4 billion. That quickly adds 5000 new characters to Disney’s cast including some of the most famous and hot properties in the market today – Iron Man, Spiderman, Thor, Captain America, and the X-men.
With Stan Lee, the creator of much of Marvel’s super hero cast, working closely with Disney for about a year now. I guess he’s had plenty of time to sow Bob Iger’s ear with how valuable a product this would be for Disney. At $4 Billion it is practically a steal compared to Pixar and Pixar has turned out to be a good buy for the Mouse House. Frankly, many analysts wondered why Disney just didn’t acquire Marvel at the same time it acquired Lee’s POW entertainment. No sense making up new superheroes when those with strong existing brands are there for the taking. Plus this might put Stan Lee back in a position of power at Marvel, which is where he belongs.
I’m …
Hrmph.
Okay, I’m just not sure there’s a fit here, content-wise, except in an at-arm’s-length Touchstone sort of way. I really cannot imagine any of the Marvel properties showing up at the Disney resorts, for example (though it makes for some interesting thoughts regarding some Marvel properties at Universal Studios in Orlando). I don’t see any cross-overs in Marvel comics with Disney characters, either. The two worlds are just too jarring.
On the other hand, it gives Disney an entree into the comics world that is unmatched by anyone but Warner Brothers, with the potential to get some of their material out under a Marvel label rather than a number of independents. Ditto their new access to some valuable movie franchise possibilities. And it gives Marvel some deep pockets in that regard, too, as well as a owner that’s not simply out to strip it like a West Virginia mountaintop. And there’s the whole ABC thing …
It’s going to be a very interesting ride to watch.
Yes. This will be very interesting to watch. I suspect it’s going to be similar to the Disney/Pixar deal. Except Disney already had John Lasseter, in this case Stan Lee, on board. So the culture merge will be a bit more difficult. Once the licensing contracts with Sony and Universal run out, then the real fun begins. Disney XD already has a few Marvel properties, btw.
I see the Pixar deal as a much better fit — the Pixar movies and properties blend quite nicely into the Disney brad, etc.
Stan Lee hasn’t been directly involved in Marvel for decades … and I’m really not sure I want him back in the saddle again there. Not that I’m 100% happy with Marvel’s editorial direction, but Stan’s not the answer this point.
I think this will be a deal that can work out quite well with the money flow, studio and TV and comic book access for both companies, and some Disney leverage on some of their competitors in the parks and movie licensing.
But I don’t see a lot of synergy between the characters themselves. They operate in very different worlds, and the grim-gritty of a Wolverine or a Hulk shouldn’t be in the same mindspace as Mickey, Donald, Aurora, Wally, etc. Even the villains … I really don’t want to see Dr Doom and Maleficent mingling.
Oh, I don’t know. If DC can have a crossover like this one:
http://www.comicspriceguide.com/p-issues.asp?t_ID=10140 😉
Hey, maybe they can get the rights to Popeye and make him an Avenger!
Bite. Your. Tongue.