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Disney acquires Marvel for $4 billion in stock and cash photo

Today, The Walt Disney Company has announced that it has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in stock and cash. Yes, Marvel, the comic book folks. That Marvel. 
 
The deal means that Disney is now the proud owner of Marvel's 5,000 some-odd characters. Wolverine, Spider-Man, The Punisher... maybe even Fat Momma.
 
"This is an unparalleled opportuinty for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world," said Marvel's CEO, Ike Perlmutter, in a press release today.
 
Tremendous indeed, including its own videogame publishing arm, Disney Interactive Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. How this will affect in the long run current Marvel game licenses, which are spread all over the industry from Activision to THQ to Sega, remains to be seen.
 
But we have wonder: How long will it be before Spider-Man appears in a Kindgom Hearts game? 
 
[Update: In a conference call with investors discussing the detail today, Disney's senior vice president of investor relations, Lowell Singer, directly addressed the videogame issue. He mentioned Marvel's "smart licensing agreements with some of the best videogame manufacturers in the business" before adding that they're not rulling out "the blend of licensing and self-produced and distributed videogames."
 
"As these licensing deals expire, we have the luxury of considering what's best for the company and the products," he mentioned, referring to the previously mentioned deals with THQ, Activision, and Sega, as well as Gazillion, many of which won't expire until nearly 2020. If changes are coming, it's likely we won't see them for quite some time.]

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158 comments | showing # 1 to 50

SASUGA RIVAL's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:42
SASUGA RIVAL
This may be the worst news ever....

They will make the X-Men into the Jonas Brothers.
VWGTI's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:44
VWGTI
My heart just sunk... :(
Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:44
Justice
@Sasuga Rival



It's Marvel, BEH-BAYYYYY!
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:45
Black Nexus
Huh, didn't see that coming.
Ali D's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:45
Ali D
Wow. Don't think anyone saw this coming?
Hao's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:45
Hao
Haha! Spider-Man in "Kingdom Hearts" was the first thing I though of, too.

This certainly is an odd acquisition, to say the least... Though, I guess Disney also owns the "Power Rangers" franchise now, too.
zombiekiller13's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:46
zombiekiller13
...

I believe I just sensed a million nerds suddenly cry out and then were suddenly silenced.
Dyganth's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:47
Dyganth
It can go both ways too I guess, the Marvel studios could make cool stuff like this:
http://io9.com/5348876/what-is-this-strange-dystopian-disneyversese
gatorsax2010's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:48
gatorsax2010
I don't see it being too bad for Marvel, provided Disney allwos them some autonomy (they've done that with companies they bought before), and their combined brand recognition and marketing power could potentially benefit both companies.

The real loser? Universal, whose Orlando theme park has a Marvel section. Will they just pack it up and move it across town to Disney now, or what?
PKNugget's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:48
PKNugget
NOOOOOOOO!!! I'm dying inside.
froman46992's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:49
froman46992
look at how bad disney made power rangers if disney is smart they will back off and let marvel do its thing and ride its money train, you think this kills sonys rights to the spiderman franchise?
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:51
Black Nexus
(Looks at justice's post) well I just gave up hope of their being a good marvel game ever again.

Guess I am getting ultimate alliance 2, might be the last decent marvel anything in a loooooong time.
Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:51
Justice
@Gatorsax2010

That's what I was thinking, Marvel Island of Adventure was awesome when I went all those years ago.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:52
tazarthayoot
Mowgli and Baloo join forces with T'challa, aka The Black Panther, after discovering the hidden nation of Wakanda deep within the jungle.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:53
tazarthayoot
Huey, Dewey, and Louie shock Uncle Scrooge when they opt to go pro-hero registration.

Not surprisingly, Gizmoduck is anti-registration.
EX35's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:53
EX35
This...I'm sorry...but for the creators of Hannah Montana, High School Music, and the freakin Jonas Brothers, along with creating some of the biggest pile of garbage that EVER came out of the Disney Channel...on second thought, the Disney Channel is just garbage all together.

I love Disney for their amazing animating skills. The ONLY plus I see to this is improvement in their animated movies...but that's a maybe. Aside from this...

Joe Casada made a deal with the devil. IMO.
SuitcoatAvenger's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:54
SuitcoatAvenger
Guys, this is NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING, especially so far as the films go.

Marvel DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO ALL OF THEIR FILM CHARACTERS. X-men, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil are held up by Fox, Spider-Man is held up by Colombia/Sony.

Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk were done by Marvel Independent. Iron Man was fantastic, and Incredible Hulk was better than it should have been. Also, they CROSSED-OVER THE TWO FILMS.

With Disney at their back, Marvel can probably buy back the characters from the other companies.

This means that Spider-Man and Wolverine may actually be able to be in the proper Avengers movie that's set for 2011, or Reed Richards can be in Captain America.

Disney is NOT going to screw up Marvel. They've probably just saved it. There's finally going to be somebody telling Joe Quesada to sit down and think long-and-hard before pulling One More Day-caliber bullshit.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:54
tazarthayoot
Sora, with help from Donald Duck, Goofy, Spiderman, The X-men and the Fantastic Four will try to stop Doctor Doom, Thanos, and Ursula from acquiring the Power Cosmic in Kingdom Hearts 3.
EX35's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:55
EX35
Ike Perlmutter too.
tkyy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:56
tkyy
Don't ever try to pollute Marvel comics. Please.
SASUGA RIVAL's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:59
SASUGA RIVAL
BTW for anybody who is out there trying to argue that "Comic books aren't just for kids!"

...all of your arguments just went to shit in one fell swoop.
Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:59
Justice
@Tazar
Are we doing one of these again?
:P
gatorsax2010's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 09:59
gatorsax2010
tazar keeps winning this thread. Gizmoduck made me lol.
Isay Isay's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:00
Isay Isay
@ gatorsax2010

So Marvel literally took you for a ride?
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:00
tazarthayoot
Deadpool's regenerative powers are failing, and the only people who can help him fix it are the Quack Pack.
bodybreak's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:01
bodybreak
lol@tazarthayoot.
Everyday Legend's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:03
Everyday Legend
I can see it now -
Marvel vs Capcom vs Disney.

Or, The Suite Life of Zack, Cody and The Juggernaut, Bitch. That's a show I'd Tivo.
aaronf's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:04
aaronf
Why is everything italicized?
hpv's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:04
hpv
So X-Men action figures confirmed for Toy Story 3?
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:05
Necros
wat
Everyday Legend's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:06
Everyday Legend
On a second note, watching Goofy pull a Shungoku-Hyuck would be pretty fuckin' awesome.
taumpytears's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:06
taumpytears
Scrooge McDuck can buy Stark's company.
Kamikaze Slowey's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:06
Kamikaze Slowey
at least fat mama`s theme song cheered me up some
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:06
tazarthayoot
Galactus, devourer of worlds, accidentally eats Pluto the dog.
gatorsax2010's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:08
gatorsax2010
Howard the Duck shall be retconned into the McDuck family tree.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:08
tazarthayoot
The Fantastic 4 become the Fantastic 5 when they introduce their newest member, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:10
tazarthayoot
Brian Michael Bendis, upon hearing the news of the buyout, commented "Hey fanboys, now you can stop blaming me for the death of Marvel!"
SuitcoatAvenger's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:11
SuitcoatAvenger
Chud is reporting that all film deals stay as they are, but once they expire, Marvel/Disney are getting everything.

ALSO TO THE HATERS:

MARVEL AND PIXAR.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:12
tazarthayoot
Darkwing Duck and Spiderman join forces to defeat the evil team up of Green Goblin and The Negaduck.
GoldenGamerXero's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:12
GoldenGamerXero
You guys we can't joke about this! It's serious! It's like, like... screw it.

Did anyone see the suite life episode where Zack was mysteriously mutated, gained superpowers then whined about it for the next 15 minutes?
Everyday Legend's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:13
Everyday Legend
Also, this makes My Way Entertainment prophets of sorts -

In The Juggernaut Bitch 3, Colossus is singing the Chip N' Dale: Rescue Rangers theme when he's introduced.

Now it all makes sense.
Grandmas Boy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:14
Grandmas Boy
So Disney owns the marvel comics too? Or just games and stuff?
GoldenGamerXero's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:15
GoldenGamerXero
@Everyday Legend

You forgot the part where he rode off on the Captain American Dragon.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:15
tazarthayoot
Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin, is ousted out of his position after a hostile takeover of his companies by Scrooge McDuck.

Uncle Scrooge subsequently gains 300 pounds and shaves the feathers off the top of his head.
TheCleaningGuy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:18
TheCleaningGuy
Holy shit.
This is HORRIBLE!
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:18
tazarthayoot
In a psychedelic dream, Wade Wilson, aka Merc-with-a-mouth Deadpool, goes on a homicidal rampage, killing the entire Gummybear family. He wakes up and realizes, to his horror, that the dream was real.
Mecha Six VII's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:20
Mecha Six VII
That's it, no more marvel for me
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:20
tazarthayoot
Ghost Rider challenges Lightning McQueen to a race. When he loses, Ghost Rider smashes the car with his chain and sets it aflame.
GoldenGamerXero's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2009 10:20
GoldenGamerXero
I loved it when in the new X-Men movie Vanessa Hudgens found out that she has the power the control millions with songs but as a side effect she can't look at phones without having the urge to undress.
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