Home

[Barnsey313]

So it's the we can't think up our own original superheroes so we'll buy some routine? And as a young male myself I say hooey to that statement - Pirates of the Caribbean anyone? Cars? What about bringing back some cartoons in the style of the original shorts or as I have been saying for many years - reinvent the western! (Disney would have something branded to flog in fronteirland as a bonus too.)

[Aveen2008]

I hope we won't see Spider-Man, Iron Man etc in Disneyland :?

My thoughts exactly or in any Disney park! The thought of spider man and Mickey mouse even being in the same category worries me! I can see why Disney want to do it but I just hope we don't have to put up with seeing the classic Disney characters mixed with these Marvel comic characters who will never, ever be Disney characters, no matter if Disney own them or not!

[Captain Pan]

I have been saying for many years - reinvent the western! (Disney would have something branded to flog in fronteirland as a bonus too.)

Aren't Disney doing a Lone Ranger flick? with Depp as Ranger's Side Kick (I forget his name) as Depp refused to join in unless he was him rather than the Ranger as Disney had offered him.

I'm kind of giddy over it as its 2 of my favourite companies coming together.

The way its being commented on with likenesses to Pixar... I think Disney will use its intelligence and keep the integrity of Marvel.

I'm just wondering will this purchase benifit Internationally as Disney Comics (Or Pixars most recent ones) haven't been brought to the UK... mainly cause Disney don't distribute the media over hear like the Name Marvel can and does.

When commenting on how you can't imagine these two worlds together and the idea of Mickey and Spiderman in the same category scares them... Do people forget that Disney purchased the Power Rangers? And has no one noticed one o the Flagship shows on Disney's new XD chanel is IRON MAN?

[-breeno-]

When commenting on how you can't imagine these two worlds together and the idea of Mickey and Spiderman in the same category scares them... Do people forget that Disney purchased the Power Rangers? And has no one noticed one o the Flagship shows on Disney's new XD chanel is IRON MAN?

I did, and i forgot to put it in my post!

Can't see why this is a bad thing, i'm certain now after a bit of think we will not be seeing Spidy and the gang appearing at a Main Street near you.  Disney own a lot of compaines, Marvel is probably just going to be another one to the list.  ESPN is owned by Disney, but you don't see Mickey Mouse at every half time of a football game, they own 25% of British tv show GMTV, but you don't see Mickey and the gang on that couch every morning.  See what i mean?

[burntsienna]

I'm not that against this as I do love myself a bit of Marvel, but I'm incredibly intrigued as to why Disney is buying it...they are miles apart from each other in style etc.

[davewasbaloo]

I hope we won't see Spider-Man, Iron Man etc in Disneyland :?

My thoughts exactly or in any Disney park! The thought of spider man and Mickey mouse even being in the same category worries me! I can see why Disney want to do it but I just hope we don't have to put up with seeing the classic Disney characters mixed with these Marvel comic characters who will never, ever be Disney characters, no matter if Disney own them or not!

Funny, I remember my elders saying the exact same thing when Disney acquired the rights to Winnie the Pooh. Lol

[peep]

This is very bizarre news, would've never seen this one coming. Not sure why everyone is upset about it though, I can't see it affecting much at the theme parks (maybe posters for the films when Disney start making them and meet 'n' greets in the Studio parks (which I believe they do with Power rangers)).

I didn't see it in the news article Kristof posted but I read on another website that John Lasseter has already been in discussions with Marvel honchos. People are now hinting at maybe a future Pixar-Marvel film(s) which I think would be cool considering how amazing the Incredibles was.

[Pete's Dragon]

So basically, Disney haven't a clue on how to appeal to teenage boys. Marvel do, but don't have the mass media reach that Disney have. So instead of throwing money at The Jonas Brothers, they bagged themselves Wolverine. Sounds like a good business move when you put it like that, doesn't it?

I didn't see it in the news article Kristof posted but I read on another website that John Lasseter has already been in discussions with Marvel honchos. People are now hinting at maybe a future Pixar-Marvel film(s) which I think would be cool considering how amazing the Incredibles was.

Forget films. How about Pixar/Marvel CGI animated cartoon shows. Personally, the 80s Marvel cartoons (X-Men, Spiderman and his amazing friends etc) were fantastic. The recent CGI Spiderman cartoon - pants (and not the wear-on-top-of-your-trousers-superhero pants). Let Pixar make the animated films that they do best. Let Marvel make live-action films. Combine the 2 and hit the TV market instead  /

[Pete's Dragon]

Some very worrying quotes from Bob Iger

"We'd like love to attract more boys"

"We'd like the opportunity to go after boys more aggressively."

Umm, maybe he'd like to rephrase those comments  8-[

[Willow]

"Our agreement with Marvel stands for as long as we follow the terms of our existing contract and for as long as we want there to be a Marvel Super Hero Island," said Universal Studios Florida spokesman Tom Schroder.

(Like davewasbaloo said earlier.)

Good times!  

[Luigi]

i think it's a good idea, i'm a marvel and disney fan and i like this move a lot. I also see no problems with it. Warner owns DC and with that Batman, Superman etc. But that doesn't mean Bugs Bunny is the new Robin for Batman. So i would relax. I don't think Disney bought them to merge their Characters with  disneys.

[lil-shawn]

In the first place, this deal, like the Pixar deal, was most certainly made with the long-term view in mind. I think this is the best that could happen to both.
i don´t think the marvel charakters will hit the parks soon, but you will see more comics, movies ect. marvel was not very presented in the past, and now it will get its boost from disney.
they´re smart enough not to put mickey in a spiderman movie  :lol:

don´t understand why so much peeps are against the deal, look at touchstone, espn, miramax, constantine films ect. they produce very good movies, like kill bill, resident evil, dogma ect. and i didn´t see any disney charakter in one of the films...

[Soap]

Check this out!

Source:
//http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/31/disney-marvel-buy-out

Isn't this an surprise of a deal??
In my opinion a great combination!!

The Walt Disney empire is to buy the superheroes stable Marvel Entertainment for $4bn (£2.5bn) in a star-studded Hollywood deal that unites family names such as Mickey Mouse with lucrative characters including Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men.

Disney hopes to put Marvel's 5,000 characters to work on its television channels and in video games, theme parks and movies. The agreed takeover is for a mixture of cash and stock, with Disney shares accounting for roughly 40% of the buyout price.

The tie-up unites two companies with similar business models – they both take characters which capture the popular imagination and promote them vigorously around the world on every possible media platform and through third-party licensing deals.

While Disney has traditionally been known for its wholesome family creations ranging from the Little Mermaid to Lion King, Hannah Montana and Pocahontas, the purchase of Marvel adds an edgier, more violent element – it recently scored a box office success with Iron Man, a movie starring Robert Downey Jr as a billionaire inventor who creates a hi-tech suit of armour to battle evil.

Marvel's characters, who include superhero Captain America, tend to chime particularly well with teenage boys and young men, while Disney has been stronger in appealing to a female audience.

Disney's chief executive, Bob Iger, said Marvel had a "treasure trove" of intellectual property that "transcends gender, age, culture and geographical barriers".

"There are so many opportunities to mine both characters that are known and characters that are not widely known," Iger said.

The tie-up is one of the largest US corporate transactions of the summer and marks a remarkable turnaround for Marvel, originally a comic book company, which filed for bankruptcy in 1996 under heavy debts as it faced a slump in comic book sales.

The two companies hope to complete the deal by the end of the year. Marvel's chief executive, Ike Perlmutter, will be the largest personal winner, scooping $1.4bn in cash and Disney shares in return for his 37% stake in the business.

Perlmutter has been involved in running Marvel since helping to buy the business out of bankruptcy in 1998.

Marvel's chairman, Mort Handel, described Disney as a "perfect home" for his company's library of characters. "Both companies have their roots in great storytelling and innovative artistry," he said.

Marvel had sales of $676m last year but employed just 300 people. Disney, in contrast, had a turnover of $37.8bn and a payroll of 150,000 staff at businesses varying from its Hollywood film studios to ABC television, theme parks on three continents and a high-street chain of Disney merchandise stores.

"This helps give Disney more important exposure to the young male demographic that they have sort of lost some ground with in recent years," said David Joyce, a media analyst at stockbroker Miller Tabak.

He added: "When you look at the kind of TV shows on their cable networks, and the Disney consumer products line for the princess and fairies – the Hannah Montana kind of stuff – it shows that they have a lot of strength addressing the young female demographic."

In a research note, Citigroup analyst Jason Bazinet said: "Disney will also be able to monetise Marvel's brands across its entire ecosystem from TV to parks, movies, consumer products and video games."

Marvel's shares shot up by 26% to $48.78 during early trading on Wall Street. The buyout values Marvel at $50 per share.

[Anthony]

Huge news. Really truly extraordinary. But not necessarily surprising, since Disney have been flailing around looking for things for young boys for a while.

Quite a shame Disney have to then buy up properties now rather than come up with their own ideas, but eh that's the way they seem to do things these days. Marvel will be incredibly valuable. Will we see merchandise in Disney Stores? In the parks?

I look forward to the opening of Superhero Studio at WDS..!

[Captain Pan]

I look forward to the opening of Superhero Studio at WDS..!

Could Iron Man replace the Narnia walkthrough Paris was rumored to getting before Disney shopped the Franchise?

Or Could we get a Marvel themed Amrageddon very much like the Bolt idea Ant had in the Workshop?