Movie Disney Swoops Into Action, Buying Marvel for US$4 Billion

[Dont be a lemon]

Disney Swoops Into Action, Buying Marvel for $4 Billion

By BROOKS BARNES and MICHAEL CIEPLY
Published: August 31, 2009

LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Company’s surprise deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion redraws the architecture of Hollywood and spotlights how the media giant has become more aggressive than its peers about growth.

Disney said on Monday that it would pay cash and stock to acquire Marvel, the comic book publisher and movie studio whose library of 5,000 characters includes some of the world’s best-known superheroes: Spider-Man, the X-Men, Thor, Iron Man and the Fantastic Four.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/business/media/01disney.html

I wonder what films/crossovers we could expect to see now?

 

[CF]

Hulk 3 with Goofy playing Banner?

"Herk Herk Don't Make Me Mad"

 

[Armchair Coach]

I wonder what films/crossovers we could expect to see now?

Probably none. Its an interesting situation though. Marvel are hardly struggling. Their comic book sales are up well above the competition and their film division looks tight too. Seems like a case of Disney seeing an attractive and very lucrative market and snapping it right up to add to the war chest.

One good thing for Marvel in this-their animation looks like really crappy saturday morning beat-em-up fare. Poor production, wooden voice acting etc. By comparison, DC's animations always look stylised and end up being a quality product.

I'm wondering how the sale will affect the production on the upcoming Marvel movies. Those currently in production won't be touched (Iron Man 2). Marvel Studios have been working pretty hard at developing their franchises and the branding of the films is solid. Wouldn't like to see Disney mess that up.

Boom studios have the license to publish some of the Disney characters at present. Getting those back could be messy.

I also wouldn't like to see Disney interfere with the Marvel comics lines either. Having said that, Disney aren't solely about kids and family values these days. Haven't been for years.