Disney Buys Marvel

[scubasteve]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Marvel Entertainment soared more than 25 percent in premarket trade after Walt Disney Co announced it will acquire the company and its library of characters including Spider-Man, Iron Man and the X-Men.

Marvel shares last traded at $48.40, up 25.2 percent from their closing price on Friday.

Disney shares closed at $26.84 on Friday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE57U2YM20090831

 

[Marvel-ous]

Not sure I like this news.

 

[Shropt]

What? Huh?

Wow, that's random. I guess Marvel Island will soon be disappearing from the Universal Studios park here in Orlando?

 

[minivader]

not sure if I like the sound of this....

guess all the marvel women are gonna have to wear pants now to cover their underwear.

or are we gonna see mickey mouse gets killed and brought back to life by some BS story?

 

[AlterEgoComics]

Did not see this one coming. As a comic book retailer, I'm understandably curious...and nervous.

 

[Karma]

STOP PRESS.............FUTURE X-MEN COMIC....EMMA FROST IS REALLY SNOW WHITE

 

[The Mike]

Iger (Disney's President) has said this is a Theme Park thing, he is looking to put them into the parks....

They only really will fit into Disney's Hollywood Studios as a whole but certain characters will easily fit into certain lands, The Black Panther is originated in Africa, The Alpha Flight Members or even Wolverine in Canada, etc, etc. Can you imagine Namor in The Seas? Or even Innovations hosted by Reed Richards and/or Tony Stark?

Marvel already does a lot of the kids Superhero washed down things so it won't be that much of a stretch.

I don't see them touching IOA's Super Hero Island though, can you imagine, every time people go to Universal, Universal has to pay fees and licensing from merchandise or even character use to Disney? Its perfect because if IOA is doing well a cut goes straight to the Mouse. I would just imagine that you'll see them at both parks, hence lessening the appeal of IOA's specific attraction....

 

[scubasteve]

I think it is more an investment for Disney, than anything else. Marvel and its ententities will most likely remained unchanged and continue to operate as they were. Disney will just be the one banking on it, from here on out (pending antitrust approval).

I imagine some sort of licensing deal will have to be made with Universal in regards to the Marvel-themed rides there, or Universal will just have to retheme/remove those rides. This is also Disney's answer to Universal acquiring the Harry Potter-themed land in its parks.

But, this goes beyond just the parks (movies, comics, etc); overall, it's a huge deal for Disney.

 

[NotDolls]

What? Huh?

Wow, that's random. I guess Marvel Island will soon be disappearing from the Universal Studios park here in Orlando?

My guess is Marvel Island is probably ok for the time being. Things like already sold rights are a done deal, and unless Disney wants to buy them back from Universal I think its going to be there for a while. That being said, I wouldn't be suprised if no new Marvel stuff ever appears there and some Marvel stuff starts to appear at WDW.

 

[NotDolls]

Igar was on CNBC and said somethign to the effect of that it would effect Orlando od Cali because there "agreements in place that we must honor", but Marvel characters may make there way into parks around the world. ANd that this was a way to reach out to the boys to counter the Princess thing.

 

[Shropt]

Iger (Disney's President) has said this is a Theme Park thing, he is looking to put them into the parks....

They only really will fit into Disney's Hollywood Studios as a whole but certain characters will easily fit into certain lands, The Black Panther is originated in Africa, The Alpha Flight Members or even Wolverine in Canada, etc, etc. Can you imagine Namor in The Seas? Or even Innovations hosted by Reed Richards and/or Tony Stark?

Marvel already does a lot of the kids Superhero washed down things so it won't be that much of a stretch.

I don't see them touching IOA's Super Hero Island though, can you imagine, every time people go to Universal, Universal has to pay fees and licensing from merchandise or even character use to Disney? Its perfect because if IOA is doing well a cut goes straight to the Mouse. I would just imagine that you'll see them at both parks, hence lessening the appeal of IOA's specific attraction....

Igar was on CNBC and said somethign to the effect of that it would effect Orlando od Cali because there "agreements in place that we must honor", but Marvel characters may make there way into parks around the world. ANd that this was a way to reach out to the boys to counter the Princess thing.

I understand that Disney isn't going to go so far as to buy out Universal's contract with Marvel but I will say that when that contract comes up for renewal, and it will, that it will not be renewed.

The Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM) in Orlando is by and far the slowest park in Orlando and Marvel characters will give much needed attractions to that park. Imagine Marvel rides and Star Wars in one park? Young boys will go crazy over that!

 

[superdoug]

so are we going to end up seeing disney doing some cartoon marvel hero movies?

i wouldn't mind i guess as long as they keep up the live action ones. my kids are real young and the pg-13 ones ar way too intense for them so if they do a g or pg superhero movie it might be tame enough for them.

i know my 3 year old daughter would love it if they some how put spidey in a movie with a disney princess

 

[IrishJedi]

I really don't see how anything good can from from this ultimately. Disney will be much more pervasive and meddling with their Marvel portfolio than Time Warner has been with DC (which still essentially runs independently).

I also worry that they'll meddle with future Marvel films (and will they have to be released under the Walt Disney banner now?)

 

[Agent0028]

I'm a huge Disney fan, and even I have to say I don't like this. I hope this doesn't effect (affect?) what the comics are like. And as much as I love Marvel Superheroes I do not want to see them at Disney. I like the idea of Innovations having Reed Richards and/or Tony Stark like Mike suggested, but Namor in the seas, not that's Nemo's place. Black Panther at Animal Kingdom? No thanks. Wolverine and Alpha Flight in Canada? No! I would be okay with a little Marvel themed area at MGM I guess. But one thing that would get me really excited is if Disney were to make an entire park with a Marvel theme. Now that I could get behind.

 

[superdoug]

I really don't see how anything good can from from this ultimately. Disney will be much more pervasive and meddling with their Marvel portfolio than Time Warner has been with DC (which still essentially runs independently).

I also worry that they'll meddle with future Marvel films (and will they have to be released under the Walt Disney banner now?)

Yup my worries as well. At least Disney has a relationship with Hot Toys so I don't think that will change.

 

[scubasteve]

But one thing that would get me really excited is if Disney were to make an entire park with a Marvel theme. Now that I could get behind.

I think that's a definite possibility.

 

[NotDolls]

I really don't see how anything good can from from this ultimately. Disney will be much more pervasive and meddling with their Marvel portfolio than Time Warner has been with DC (which still essentially runs independently).

I also worry that they'll meddle with future Marvel films (and will they have to be released under the Walt Disney banner now?)

My guess is that this will be much like the PIXAR deal, where PIXAR just does what ever they heck they want (within reason) and Disney just has to take it, but they own whatever PIXAR makes and can incorporate them into the parks and do the merchandise. But can't touch the characters to make sequels without PIXAR.

 

[superdoug]

But one thing that would get me really excited is if Disney were to make an entire park with a Marvel theme. Now that I could get behind.

Marvel has enough characters and diversity to do it but do they have enough appeal? I don’t doubt they’d have appeal to boys but girls might not be as interested. My daughter loves superheroes so she’d still love to go but she’d love it even more if the princesses were there.

 

[superdoug]

My guess is that this will be much like the PIXAR deal, where PIXAR just does what ever they heck they want (within reason) and Disney just has to take it, but they own whatever PIXAR makes and can incorporate them into the parks and do the merchandise. But can't touch the characters to make sequels without PIXAR.

As long as Marvel is bringing in money to Disney there isn't really a need to mess with it. I see them leaving the current stuff as is but maybe adding stuff too. Maybe Disney comics using Marvel to get them out there or maybe using Marvel characters in Disney cartoons or movies

 

[scubasteve]

My guess is that this will be much like the PIXAR deal, where PIXAR just does what ever they heck they want (within reason) and Disney just has to take it, but they own whatever PIXAR makes and can incorporate them into the parks and do the merchandise. But can't touch the characters to make sequels without PIXAR.

Actually, Disney can do anything it wants with the Pixar name/characters. They fully/completely own Pixar, now. One in the same. They just remain separate in name, due to the reputation/recognition of the "Pixar brand."