If you missed the big announcement, here it is again; Disney bought Marvel Enterprises for $4 Billion. The virtual press conference the companies had earlier today tried to spell everything out, and I particularly like this quote “We believe in the team at Marvel, and see no need to upset the apple cart.”
Well, the apple cart is pretty much upset, as the nerd rampage continues across the Intardwebz, with some people proclaiming this to be the end of all things holy in the House of Ideas. But is it? Is it really? It’s time for you to cast your vote!
[poll id=”100″]As you might expect, we’re going to be talking about this at length during the next Major Spoilers Podcast (recorded Tuesday evening). We really want to hear your thoughts and reactions to this major event in the comic book industry.
You can use the comment section below, drop us a voice mail by calling (785) 727-1939, or record your comments and send it as an MP3 file in an email to podcast@majorspoilers.com.
Here’s your chance to be heard on the show! Only the most awesome comments (good or bad) make it on the show, so get your stuff to us right away!
31 Comments
This does not please me. I would rather see Blok get an ongoing series.
I don’t see this being a whole lot different than Warner Brothers being the parent company of DC in terms of the publishing side. In terms of other media, there are much greater implications. Generally, those implications will be good ones for Marvel.
Now Goofy can join the Great Lakes Avengers. Finally he’ll be able to be surrounded by his equals. Maybe Iron Man can implement a giant tire on the bottom of his next aromr set (ala Gizmoduck).
In all seriousness, I don’t think we’ll see too many changes to the comics themselves. This Disney aquisition all comes down to Marvel movie revenue. Yeah, we may see a few more “Kid-Friendly” titles floating around, maybe a few more Disney properties come to comics (I would buy every issue of a Darkwing Duck comic. Are you reading this Disney?), but for the most part, I bet it’ll be status quo for Marvel Comics. My question is what willhappen to the properties Boom Studio have been printing comics for?
All I know is I can’t wait for my next trip to Disneyland so I can ride “It’s a Small World After All: Starring Alpha Flight’s Puck,” “Reed Richard’s Space Mountain (where you actually get bombarded by real space rays!),” and “Wade Wilson’s Wild Ride.”
I’m an avid Disney fan, and as soon as I could afford to take the kids the wife and I did for the last 2 years running.
I’m thrilled. Disney=Pixar if a CGI Marvel film is made who will be making it? Pixar.
Marvel searching for animators and having to sub contract out animation for TV animated series, and all the difficulties that lie therin? I bet those Disney folks may be able to help, I hear they have experience in this anamation thing.
Movies -We all know that Disney can distribute and that will save $20 – $60 million per movie in distribution fees (Now that won’t help till current distribution contracts are up but that is a huge savings per movie)
Theme Park – when you look at marvel and disney they are very similar companies with a big exeption Disney has it’s own theme park. They still own a lot of land down there in FL that hasn’t been developed can anyone say Disney’s Hero’s Theme Park? With Superhero motiff hotel?
I’m sure it will be a good 5 years before we get to see the full payoff of this deal, but what about Pixar/ABC/ESPN/Disney/Buean Vista/Marvel sounds like a bad idea?
Other than Boom Studio, no one is hurt in this deal. It is a positive for the comic industry and the movie industry.
IMO, this won’t effect any of the comics coming from Marvel. It will probably effect Boom! more than Marvel. Disney will let Marvel keep doing what they have been doing ala Pixar.
What it will effect are the movies and video games. Disney should be able to help control costs without sacrificing quality to produce some really good movies. Plus, Disney has enough pull that they might be able to get back characters like Spider-man, X-men, and Fantastic Four.
In the end I think this is somewhere between these 2 options but I think there is more good than bad that will come of this.
Like others, I don’t think it will affect the comics. I do think it will affect the movies etc. and possibly not for the better in my opionion. I think some of the movies may become even more kid oriented. Which, if you have kids is ok.
First off…let me know when that “Modok Willie” comes out. I can’t wait to see that!
Seriously…this stuff happens all the time in the corporate world. My only concern would be some type of edict coming from Disney that tries to influence the editorial/creative direction of the comics and movies….
Does this mean Boom looses the Disney properties? That would be sad as they were the only company that took a real interest. They have done a wonderful job.
Boom won’t automatically lose out on the properties, but I’d say it probably looks unlikely that those licenses will be renewed now that Disney has the ability to do things “in house” for a lack of a better term.
I don’t think it’s bad at all, Disney has a good track record at letting Mirromax and Pixar and the like run along and do their own thing so long as they stay profitable with Disney providing support to maintain profitability. It’ll mean good things with Marvel Movie distribution and financing though which is good, and as already stated properties Marvel has already sold such as Spiderman, X-men and Fantastic Four have more chance at coming back home now that the financial clout of Disney is involved. Said chances are still slim, especially right now with the Spiderman and X-men franchises still being used but I’ve heard nothing on there being a third Fantastic Four film which suggests that at least might have a chance of returning within a decade or so.
Also Blade, but I think the three Blade Films we have are good and should be the definitive Blade films myself.
My usual knee-jerk reaction to Disney is repulsion. Don’t get me wrong, they do great stuff. However, they will usually shoot for kids and/or family friendly stuff. This usually means if it isn’t something politically-correct, it ain’t getting done. So if you thought getting rid of Logan’s and/or Fury’s cigar was dumb, well you ain’t seen nothing yet. I’m sorry, but I don’t trust Disney to do anything grown-up.
You might say that I’m being too negative. That I’m not looking at the good things that can come out of this. I am well aware that with Disney, Marvel’s movie and animation projects get better legs to stand on. CGI Marvel movies done from Pixar. Marvel Theme parks. Sounds really good. A little too good to be true for me. In fact, everyone that’s saying that this is a positive is doing so a bit premature for my taste.
I wont be surprised if Kingdom Hearts 3 now has a marvel comics world
Not generally in favor of media conglomerates but Disney seems as good as as any. I mean, it’s not like Marvel has a stellar history for ownership. Toybiz?
Ho ho! I just love coming all the way out to Xavier Institute, just to hear your problems! Ho ho!
Gorsh Mickey! I just met this neat fella named Norman! He says I have to go with him to something called a ‘holding pen’ for testing. I hope I get an A on my test! Hy-uck! This is the best merger ever!
(This is supposed to be Goofy.)
I really wish there was a 3rd option; Meh
I don’t think it’s the best day ever (now I got that Spongebob song stuck in my brain) or Marvel crumbling to dust. What I “hope” it means is that we’ll see more Marvel films, especially animated or CGI.
I’m just worried about my Little Mermaid/Spider-man crossover fanfics. I mean, are those irrelevant now?
But seriously, I really doubt that Disney would be so blatantly stupid as to over step their boundaries, unless they want a massive uprising of comic fans to really hurt their PR. I don’t want a kid-ified Marvel. Isn’t that what we were trying to escape as far back as the Comics Code Authority days? But like I said, I really doubt they’d be that stupid.
But really, about those fanfics…
More Money for Marvel = More Comics = More Good Comics potentially not being dropped due to not stellar sales
Like him or not Joe Q has always had the best interests of the company at heart, and I see good things coming from this
and before people go nuts about content, remember that Disney also owns Miramax
I am a bit apprehensive about the deal…. I do remember that most (read all) of the good works coming out of the Hosue of Mouse have been colabrative works with first other companies, then other divesions of the company. For example before (and after) they aquired Pixar the work they did together was some of the best coming out in years, and the Kingdom Hearts series with Square-Enix is another great example of it.
As long as you can keep Disney and Marvel from trying to hard to fully merge and start making things like New High School Mutants Musical 14, and Wizzards of Bleecker Street I can at least give it a shot before being too judgemental.
….Then again, a Darkwing Duck/Deadpool teamup could be fun…
Tecrogue – Darkwing and Deadpool would be great, but why not get Howard the Duck involved as well?
As Andy Lanning pointed out – he has been working hard to put furry animals in his books. I demand to see raccoon meet mouse.
You should have a third option: meh.
I mean, so someone else get my money every Wednesday, I don’t see the big deal.
Coming Soon….
Pixar’s Rocket Raccoon!
I’d pay to see that one
The purchase of Marvel was nothing more than a smart strategic move by Disney. Think of this buyout in the sense of Activision merging with Blizzard Entertainment: both are ridiculously successful companies that do not need to change what they are doing respectively, and do not need to meddle in the other’s affairs because the other company is successful. Disney is a media conglomerate that spans everything from cartoons, to prime time drama, theme parks, sports (a la ESPN), and music. At ease fanboys, Disney just wants to make some money off of Marvel’s unique intellectual properties and won’t change a thing at Marvel… well, other than possibly making some bad movies in the future.
I’m glad for Marvel. I just worry about how notoriously handsy Disney is. Disney’s executive management (in almost every incarnation) has had a history of wanting to fiddle with everything.
The only real exception was Pixar, but the road to that acquisition was long and hard fought. And, without Pixar, the animation division of Disney would have collapsed.
you know what, i was thinking about this and i think it can be a good idea. i don’t know if somebody said it before, i don’t have time to read everything.
it all comes down to money. marvel was complaining that they didn’t have enough money to make their movies. well, there you go, Disney has money, tey’ll probably help Marvel finance ther movies.
I’m negative to middle ground on this. Not knowing all the details. Honestly IF Disney is fairly hands off with Marvel as they have been with Pixar. This could work out well for Marvel and Disney. There is a chance his will come to pass. But we have all seen how poorly Disney has at time treated its own creations seems like this can also go very much the other way. We will have to see how this works in the real world. This should give Marvel a large infusion of money. That will make the Avengers movie more likely come to pass and that is a good thing.
This is a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Moment. I think Disney will allow Marvel Comics to continue flourish in the same manner as ESPN or Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the 57 freeway .
I read a quote, where the CEO of Disney wants to sell more DVDs, opposed to increasing rental of DVDs. I think Disney saw the success of “lower-level” Marvel characters (Iron Man and Hulk) execute a level of success in movies. Although, Disney does not currently have the movie rights to Spider-Man, X-Men or Fantastic Four, they do OWN the characters and will be receiving a percentage of their movie success and can buy back the movie rights.
Here’s my take. IF Disney doesn’t interfere with how Marvel operates and just uses it to cash in and fund more ideas for the Marvel properties to make money off of it. That’s fine.
If they start interfering with plots, how movies/comics are made, PGifying them, etc. We can all kiss Marvel goodbye. As more of a Marvel fan I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope it’s the first option. Please be the first option. I completely agree with a few of the above comments and hope Disney just treats it as ‘hands off’ and just cash in off the properties how they should be made- not how Disney sees the world ;)
(Please Disney don’t screw up Marvel. Please. Just give that studio money and reap the rewards don’t change it.)
except there is no previous evidence of Disney doing that with the other things they own, not to mention Marvel already has kid lines of comics currently being sold, It would just be a bad idea all around
I agree with Bruce – there probably won’t be any mucking around with Marvel’s comic end stuff from Disney’s side. If anything, it’s increased security for Marvel. Disney’s management hasn’t been as horrible as it was since the much-needed Eisnerectomy.
The only party I really worry about in all of this is Boom! Studios. I’d hate to see them lose their licenses for Pixar & the Muppets as a side result of this deal. But since the existing deals seem to be sticking (the Universal parks, the different networks & movie studios with Marvel projects, etc.), I’m hoping this applies to them as well.