Disney Buys Marvel

[The Mike]

Check this out:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Marvel Entertainment Inc (MVL.N) would have to pay the Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) a termination fee of $140 million if it terminates a proposed merger with Disney, according to a securities filing on Friday.

The $4 billion merger agreement, announced on Monday, contains termination rights for Disney and Marvel, including Marvel's right to stop the merger to pursue a "superior deal," the Securities and Exchange Commission filing by Marvel said.

Marvel has agreed, however, not to solicit other merger offers, the filing said. It may be required to pay Disney a termination fee of $140 million under "specified circumstances," the filing said.

The agreement also amends Marvel Chief Executive Isaac Perlmutter's employment contract to provide that Perlmutter could not resign for "good reason" over a change in his duties and still collect severance benefits, the filing says.

Under the proposed merger agreement Perlmutter will report to Disney chief executive Bob Iger.

If the merger is completed, Perlmutter would receive 100 percent of a planned 2009 bonus, or about $4.3 million, the filing said.

Disney executives said earlier this week they expect the deal to close by the end of the year.


So. 1: Disney has no control over Marvel anything until the end of the year at the earliest. So all the ^^^^^ing about the eBay stuff and the changes in Marvel that seems to be ironically coming on the heels of this, that is all the House of Ideas. 2: That termination fee pretty much confirms that Disney is planning on using these characters in a big way and that if Marvel ^^^^s around that they'll have to pay for it.

 

[jinxx]

...Genie, Smash!!!....awww, childhood memories coming back!

 

[Agent0028]

Mickey kinda looks cool in Spider-Man's outfit.

 

[Booyah!]

So all the ^^^^^ing about the eBay stuff and the changes in Marvel that seems to be ironically coming on the heels of this, that is all the House of Ideas.

I don't give a wet fart who did it. My point is that it still sucks, regardless.

 

[The Mike]

and my point is that even the writer of the article that was referenced is simply fanning the flames of the retarded Chicken Little mentality that everything will be lost once the merger occurs which sucks. Fanboys on both sides need to relax and wait for the first joint anything which won't come until January 2010 at the earliest before setting the world ablaze.

 

[Booyah!]

So far I actually think Disney buying Marvel is a good thing.

I just don't like when any company tries to shut down small artists.

 

[Darklord Dave]

The Marvel crackdown on bootleg product has nothing to do with the Disney merger. It has been coming for a long time now.

 

[ShortRound]

lol those are hilarious!!

 

[Harminator]

This is the no. 1 thing I don´t want to see when Disney is buying Marvel. Both companies need to keep operating seperately. I don´t mind people cooperating, Lasseter can do CGI and create ideas for a Marvel related movie, but please, no obvious Disney references please. Let alone a Disney character combined with a Marvel one.

I havent read the whole thread but what surprises me is that Disney is willing to buy a company which in some cases depicts violence in a way Jeffrey Dahmer would have loved to see it I guess money, and eating or being eaten is the real issue here.

Anyway, I hope Disney and Marvel don´t get mixed up. I am no Marvel fan, (i liked the Spiderman movies for instance but I am not a big fan), but I can imagine the Marvel fans wanting the same thing.

 

[Booyah!]

See, I don't really care if they combine Marvel and Disney characters, I simply won't buy into it.

As long as they leave the exisiting comics alone and don't make any huge changes to the films, I'm fine.

 

[karamazov80]

Marvel sucks a big one nowadays. No matter what happens, it probably won't be much worse than "Red Hulk," "Brand New Day," "Dark Great Lakes Avengers, Dark X-Men, Dark Defenders, Dark Champions, Dark Damage Control", etc. etc.

 

[The Mike]

This is the no. 1 thing I don´t want to see when Disney is buying Marvel. Both companies need to keep operating seperately. I don´t mind people cooperating, Lasseter can do CGI and create ideas for a Marvel related movie, but please, no obvious Disney references please. Let alone a Disney character combined with a Marvel one.

Get used it. While it won't happen often it will happen. They've mixed Star Wars characters with Disney Characters, they've mixed Mickey with Indy, they've even got Mickey dressed as a rockstar for the Aerosmith ride...cross pollenation is what Disney does best. Like I said it won't happen all the time, Disney bought Marvel because its Marvel and will have plushes and toys of Marvel characters but eventually something like a Super Hero Weekend will roll around.

I havent read the whole thread but what surprises me is that Disney is willing to buy a company which in some cases depicts violence in a way Jeffrey Dahmer would have loved to see it I guess money, and eating or being eaten is the real issue here.

Disney bought Marvel because they have nothing for the 12-18 Teen Male demographic. The young boys have Pirates and Star Rangers, while the young girls have Princesses and Fairies. The Teen girls have Hannah Montana, Demi Levato, Selena Gomez not to mention the draw of the Jonas Brothers and by the times they slip into their twenties and higher they are regaining a huge chunk from families. That teen male demographic has been been lost for a long time and they've tried time after time to recapture on their own but failed. Marvel fills that void perfectly.

DC Comics arguably are just as violent if not more in certain aspects yet that doesn't stop Warner Bros from pedalling them in their Six Flag parks or putting out even the most horrendous characters in the books into their cartoons or kid's products by simply slapping a smile and bigger head on it. Universal has had no problem having characters walking around or on their products despite what is going on with the books.

Disney will do no different, they have already said Marvel will run semi-independently but I guarantee you that you'll see the graphic stuff held to the Max line where shops can limit who reads it and you'll see a huge push of their "Super Hero Squad" who like DC has some of the most controversial characters dolled up for the youth because those are tailor made for kid theme park entrances.

Expect rides and meet and greets eventually in the parks aimed for teen boys and young men since that is the target and only small spill overs to the other areas but not to the point where the characters lose their identities.

Anyway, I hope Disney and Marvel don´t get mixed up. I am no Marvel fan, (i liked the Spiderman movies for instance but I am not a big fan), but I can imagine the Marvel fans wanting the same thing.

There is a lot of Chicken Little mentality going on for both sides, people freaking out that Marvel will become Disneyized or that Disney will be overrun by Marvel characters when in actuality Disney hasn't even said what their plans are for them. They bought The Muppets and it took them forever just to have even the smallest theme park presence. One would say its still at their bare minimum. They bought Oswald, Walt's first character ironically owned by Universal, but are just now starting to reutilize him.

I would say most of the worries are unfounded and that in 10 years people will forget that Disney even owns Marvel just like they forget they own Touchstone, Miramax and ESPN.

 

[daikkenaurora]

Either way, the only Marvel book I buy is Thor. Hopefully there wont be an Marvel/Disney crossovers.

 

[The Mike]

The only crossovers you'll see are possibly in video games (similar to the Kingdom Hearts series), merchandising and in the theme parks. I wouldn't hold my breath on seeing Mickey walking down the street talking to Spider-Man unless its a one shot aimed at little kids.

Like I've said, like dozens of writers and industry insiders have said, Disney NEEDS Marvel, they need the attraction to fill their demographic losses, they won't muck it up because it'll alienate them. If Marvel fans want something to be worried about, then fast forward 10-15 years when the teens are associating Marvel and Disney as staples, Disney gets too confident and thinks it can change things because the teens will come no matter what. Then again that is a decade away at minimum, hell they won't be able to incorporate them into their Florida parks for at least a few years thanks to the Universal deal signed when Marvel was in bankruptcy and the wrangling that will need to be done to either buy out or come to an agreement.

 

[Spartan Rex]

5 Pros/Cons to the Marvel/Disney deal
Disney buys Marvel: Make Mine a Monopoly!

By Chad Derdowski September 02, 2009
Source: Mania



“And I looked: and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and all Hell followed with him” – Revelations 6:8

The recent news that Disney has announced plans to purchase Marvel Entertainment for the tidy sum of $4 billion dollars has shocked the faithful and set internet tongues wagging. Could it be the coming of the apocalypse? Could it be a great business deal that benefits both sides and most of all the fans? We’ve compiled a list of pros and cons regarding this momentous occasion: the very definition of a “WTF? Moment.”

We’re positive people here at Mania. Let’s look at the possible pros first…



5 PROS
#1 - One Flop Won’t Kill Marvel Studios
Since 2005, Marvel has been producing its own feature films, allowing them more creative control over their franchises as well as the ability to satisfy fanboy desires to see Captain America punch the Hulk on the big screen. The funding came from Merrill Lynch, but what happens when Thor… er, when a future Marvel film flops? With Uncle Scrooge’s bankroll behind Marvel studios, fans (and Marvel) will have less to worry about.



#2 - Disney is the King of All Merchandising
There’s no doubt that Marvel does a pretty good job of handling pajamas, sheets and action figures on their own, but nobody does it better than Disney. They’re the model that everyone else follows. Since Disney got into this deal with Marvel to make money, there’s a good chance they’ll simply leave the comic folks alone to do their comics and show ‘em a thing or two about how to sell your product to everyone under the sun. And they’ve got a whooooole lot more money to do it with.

Marvel might not know how to market stuff like Mary Jane Loves Spider-Man or the new Power Pack series, but Disney does. With any luck, a lot more kids will be exposed to a lot of Marvel characters they normally would’ve passed by.



#3 - Vacations Just Got a Whole Lot Easier
It’s always a tough decision. Little Johnny wants to go to Universal Studios to ride the Spider-Man ride and get his picture taken with Wolverine, but little Betty loves those damn Disney Princesses. You certainly can’t afford to go to both.

Looks like the chocolate just met the peanut butter! Arguments over which theme park to visit are null and void and Venom will menace the teacup ride next summer.



#4 - Marvel, Meet Pixar…
There have been three Fantastic Four films. One of them was made to secure a copyright and never saw the light of day and the other two sucked. But let’s imagine for a moment that the geniuses behind Monsters Inc and Toy Story got their hands on a Marvel property such as the FF. Wow, that might be a lot like… like The Incredibles, which just so happens to be the best Fantastic Four film ever made.

‘Nuff said.



#5 - Two Words: Kingdom Hearts
Gamers are people too, and they’ve made the Kingdom Hearts series a very successful video game franchise over the past few years. What’s a good way to make a successful series even better? Add Spider-Man to the mix.

Once again, it comes back to getting these characters out there and into the heads of kids. These games have bridged different consoles and even different media, having been adapted into manga, novels and figurines. Not only will the next Kingdom Hearts game be even sweeter, all those kids who bypassed superheroes will now be inundated with them, which might just lead to… *gasp!* kids reading comic books!



THE CONS
Yes, Disney can provide Marvel with a huge building filled with money that Uncle Scrooge and Joe Quesada can go swimming in, but it isn’t all peaches and cream. The added financial security and notoriety that comes along with the Mouse House might be good for the House of Ideas, but it won’t necessarily spell success for comic book fans. Read on…



#1 - Civil War Ends With an Elton John Song
Since the day four adventurers were bombarded by cosmic rays and a shy bookworm was bitten by a radioactive spider, Marvel Comics has been known for edgy, realistic material. Their comics featured flawed heroes who could be selfish, impulsive and occasionally even rude. Disney, on the other hand, is known for sickeningly syrupy films that tend to sacrifice soul for merchandising. Disney movies aren’t about telling good stories; they’re about selling Happy Meals and not offending focus groups.

How will this affect The Punisher or Wolverine? How will it affect a storyline like Dark Reign, where the villains are in control? If Disney decides to integrate Marvel characters into their theme parks, will the House of Ideas be forced to whitewash their comics? Will it be Seduction of the Innocent all over again?

And will we be forced to sit through some of the worst songs that Elton John has ever recorded in his entire career?



#2 - The Muppet Monopoly
Okay, so it’s probably not likely that we’ll see Disney characters appear in Marvel Comics. The odds of seeing a new version of Marvel Two-in-One starring Donald Duck are slim. But Disney owns ABC and they also own ESPN and whenever one company owns a bunch of other companies, they all inevitably end up being commercials for each other. Furthermore, the product is diluted by too many chefs in the kitchen or worse yet, chefs who don’t really understand the recipe.

Disney says they’ll leave the same management in place to oversee operations, but do any of you remember when Disney bought the Muppets in 2004? Every Muppet movie since then has sucked. We rest our case.



#3 - Bye, Bye Boom!
It’s never easy to get an indie comic company off the ground, but Boom! Studios have been plugging away since 2005 with a variety of great books. Acquiring the Disney/Pixar license was a big boon to them and losing it to Marvel certainly isn’t going to be very helpful.

Will it kill Boom! Studios? Who knows? But it certainly won’t help –and the indie market needs all the help it can get these days. Licensed properties are a big deal to smaller publishers and losing one might be the difference between life and death, and a blow to any independent publisher is a blow to the comics industry as a whole.



#4 - Make Mine… Missing?
Walt Disney has been known for their many successes in the field of comic books, all of which took place about a million years ago. They barely put any effort toward selling comics anymore and the properties that they do license are all Pixar creations. Marvel Entertainment is a publicly traded company that makes a lot of money through movies, action figures, animated series’ and licensed products. Oh yeah, and they make a little money on the side selling comics.

Hey, it’s pretty simple business. Comics don’t make money and Disney is in the business of making money. As unlikely as it seems, could this spell the end of Marvel Comics as we know it?



#5 - It’s a Small World, After All
Here’s another crazy what if? scenario. The rights to Superman revert back to the Siegel family in 2013. This momentous event will undoubtedly be met with all sorts of legal wrangling and red tape. But who has the pocketbook to go toe-to-toe with Warner Bros. legal teams?

Uncle Scrooge does. Marvel’s already got Marvelman and his rip-off clone The Sentry and Disney owns Marvel. Is it unrealistic to think they might go for the hat trick? And if they do, will it simply result in even more legal hullabaloo, effectively killing Superman (for real this time) with legal red tape?



Pro...Con...It Might Not Even Be Legal Anyway
The boards of both companies have approved, but it’s up to an antitrust review at this point. Is it a monopoly? Well, Disney is already the largest entertainment and media conglomerate in the world and buying Marvel Entertainment would make them an even bigger largest entertainment and media conglomerate. How much more does Disney really need to own?

It’s a moot point: There’s really no doubt that the deal will go through, whether it’s technically legal or not. And it won’t be long before we see Power Pack team up with the Wizards of Waverly Place and The Punisher kill the Disney Universe. On the positive side, Howard the Duck won’t have to wear pants anymore and he and Donald can finally co-exist in peace.

But we’re dreading Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 and Goofy’s role in the Dark Avengers.

 

[quadcent]

good read

 

[woofers2]

I don't see the connection.

 

[Spartan Rex]

I don't see the connection.

No?
How about these?

 

[newcollector]

No?
How about these?

That jonas bros one is pretty good

 

[The Mike]

I would wear the Punisher Mickey on a shirt without much issue.