So , Disney has buy Marvel , but – with both companies arrogate that current licensing trade will stay in seat – what does this actually signify for both society ( besidesawesome comics like this ) ? We consider some facts .
It should be pointed out that , mightily now , no - one really seems to have a clear musical theme of what ’ll bechance next . For one matter , the sale is n’t even expected to be complete until the end of the yr , stockholder and antimonopoly oversight approval pending , and for another , if Joe Quesada is to be believed , perchance there ’ll be no obvious change :
Everybody take a deep breathing time , all your preferent comics remain unaltered and [ Marvel editor ] Tom Brevoort stay grouchy .
So what do both ship’s company actually get from this buyout ? Marvel , for their part , go from being the fourth bragging worldwide entertainment stain to being part of the biggest , with all the distribution and licensing fringe benefit that come with that . Disney , as theofficial insistence releasestates , get access to Marvel ’s information science – which arguably gives them the potential to own the tween / teen male market in the same means that they presently own the distaff market place with the Princesses mark , High School Musical and its similar , and pop moppet like the Jonas Brothers . They also get Marvel Studios , which had been considered one of the most successful independent movie studios of late old age . Except … it ’s not necessarily as dim-witted as all of that .
Hereare survive licensing deal that Marvel has in place , that Disney say yesterday they would honor , and which place all of this outside of Disney ’s dominance ( for now ):
moving-picture show
Marvel ’s current distribution deal with Paramount ( Viacom - owned ) continue the next five Marvel image let in Iron Man 2 ( 2010 ) , Thor ( 2011 ) , Captain America ( 2011 ) , The Avengers ( 2012 ) and Iron Man 3 ( 2012/2013 ) . Paramount confirmed the films to be make under their Marvel agreement . These films would all menstruate thru to Paramount ’s new remuneration TV mesh EPIX , however , all new belongings beyond these would likely flow through Disney ’s output collaborator ( presently Starz ) .
X - Men place has been certify to twentieth Century Fox ( News Corp. have ) while Spider - Man has been licensed to Sony , which seems to have plans for the next three installment .
Theme Parks
It appears that Universal Studios maintains geographic rights to Marvel IP for as long as they have Marvel - related drive / attractiveness at the park ( unclear if this also include product that subsist within its parks today ) . In other password , Walt Disney World in Orlando is unlikely to see a Spiderman / Hulk theme attracter for the foreseeable hereafter . The following excerpt come from Universal City Development Partners ’ ( owner of Universal Studios Orlando ) 10 - M : “ We have geographical exclusivity east of the Mississippi River with attentiveness to the specific Marvel characters we utilize . The permit for the Marvel properties does not interdict its grant and is for the duration of our role of attraction theme around Marvel characters . ”
Video Games
THQ : Multi - year raft sign in May 2008 for Marvel Super Hero Squad .
Activision : Deal sign Nov 2005 and goes through 2017 for Spider Man and X - Men
Sega : Multi - year deal signed in April 2007 for Captain America , Hulk , Thor and Iron Man
toy dog
Hasbro 10 1000 : “ Subsequent to December 28 , 2008 , the Company entered into an concord with Marvel that resulted in the extension of the current correspondence from the end of 2011 through the remnant of 2017 . ”
Deadline Hollywood ’s Nikki Finkehas the inclination of characters specifically license for Universal ’s theme parks :
For starter , here ’s the primary list of accredited character at Marvel Island inside Universal Orlando ’s Islands Of Adventure ( bring home the bacon me by Universal ): Spider - Man ( also attraction ) , Dr. Doom ( also attraction ) , Hulk ( also attraction ) , violent storm ( also attracter ) , Captain America , Cyclops , Green Goblin , Rogue , Storm , Wolverine , “ and lots more if you let in computer storage and dining , ” a Uni exec state me .
Paramount tells me Iron Man and Thor also are included .
accord to other reference , here are the characters by attracter , Walk Around , and workshop :
Attractions ( Characters licensed for the attraction role , but not necessarily for walking - around . Some in the attractions list are also licensed for manner of walking - around , but not all . ): Spider - Man , Doc Oc , Scream , Electro , Hydro - Man , Hobgoblin , J. Jonah Jameson , Hulk / Bruce Banner , Dr. Doom , Fantastic Four ( as a grouping , not severally ) , Storm , Magneto , Professor X.
Walk around and/or Shop : Green Goblin , Cyclops , Rogue , Wolverine , Fantastic 4 ( restaurant / paseo around ) , Captain America ( restaurant / walk around ) , Kingpin ( shop / take the air around ) , Merch ( shop )
So no movies until 2013 , no toys until 2017 , and no theme parks or videogames for the big name characters in the foreseeable future tense , either . What does Disney in reality get for their $ 4 billion right now ? Maybe telly and comics?Former Marvel editor - in - chief and Disney Adventures creator Marv Wolfman think so , even if he ’s not too hopeful about that whole “ comics ” thing :
Publishing . Well , that ’s the big one , is n’t it ? At least for us . in reality , only for us . The bounteous one in reality are movies , TV and telecasting games . One major television biz hit can make more money than 95 % of all movies . But countenance ’s talk comics . What division will that shine under ? publication ? Movies ? Consumer merchandise ? Something else ? What find to Marvel Comics will bet on which Disney party it falls under and as of 1:30PM , I do n’t know the result to that .
With this level of dubiousness , it ’s no surprisal thatsome flavor that Disney paid too much for what they ’re actually getting(althoughothers feel just the opposite ) .
There are other interrogative sentence still left to be answered : What happens to Disney ’s existing amusing lot with Boom ! Studios and their own Kingdom Comics pipeline ? Will Disney and/or Marvel look for alternating dispersion for their comics , and if so , are we looking at anotherHeroes Worldsituation ? With all this talk of Marvel ’s 5000 - unassailable quality base , does Disney really believe that there are multiple Iron Man - scale successes in there – and what bechance when superheroes fall down out of fashion ? All of these will , undoubtedly , be answered at some point in the near future tense , but for now , as the dust settles , the most important question may end up being : Is it all deserving it ?
Wolverine / Donald Duck bySaiyaGina , Punisher / Mickey Mouse byAlexFugazi , Theme Park simulacrum byFuzzcat .
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and polish news in your inbox day by day .
intelligence from the future , delivered to your present .
You May Also Like
