This is probably one of the strangest and most random news stories to come out in awhile. The best part about it? It’s 100% true!
Disney has bought out Marvel Entertainment. That means that they same people that own Mickey Mouse and peddle off gems like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers now OWN every single character in the Marvel catalogue.
This feels like an episode of the Twilight Zone. I don’t really understand the purchase. Obviously Disney sees some long term financial benefit for needing Marvel. It just seems like a terribly strange mis-match.
In the future, Disney will most likely be the people distributing the Marvel Studios films as well as their expanding animated films. For now, they are honoring all of the existing distribution deals; Paramount Pictures and their deal for the Iron Man franchise.
I’m still trying to decide how I feel about this one.
I can see many benefits for Marvel and their characters. Disney has money falling out of their pockets and they are always willing to throw down serious piles of cash for the big sure-to-be-money-maker films. Since Disney is more well known for the animation, maybe some full length animated Marvel films are in our future?
The reality is, Marvel (as a brand) conflicts with Disney (as a brand). Fans of their superheroes love the hardcore action, violence, and strong emotional stints that these characters carry. Will the fact that Tony Stark (Iron Man) is an alcoholic conflict with the Disney brand? Doesn’t Disney stand for family and good, clean, wholesome fun? Although we have characters like Captain America, who is the biggest boy scout on the Earth, but then you have characters like the Punisher, who goes around murdering people.
How active is Disney going to be in Marvel and their content. I can’t imagine Disney wanting to but their name on a violent action film. What is the alternative? Is Disney going to water-down the characters I have known and loved since I was a child?
What does this mean for Marvel and Disney?
Addition from original post: I made a bit of an error in this blog by forgetting something VERY important. Disney has a couple of different production companies, namely Miramax, Touchstone, and Hollywood Pictures. I think it’s quite obvious to say that the Disney Pictures logo won’t be appearing along side Marvel but will most likely be distributed by the companies mentioned above.
With that being said, I can only hope that they outlook for Marvel is nothing but optimistic.
So, yes, I find this buy out quite strange too.
But, as to add to your very articulate statement, I also don’t see Spider-Man hanging out on Main St. USA either.
Frankly, I think Disney’s just buying into the comic book movie craze. Other then Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney has no PG-13 ventures going on. And, using one of their other production company names will allow them to reek the benefits while still separating the hard-core action typical of a Marvel film and the clean-cut style of a regular Disney produced film.
All in all, we’ll have to wait and see. As long as Disney let’s Marvel continue to make awesome films, I think it’ll be alright.
I think that they’ll make few films, but they will license/lease/sell limited rights of charcters to other studios, that way they can make money from the get-go and make it up in the back end w/the gross w/o having to invest anywhere in between.