And I don’t mean they just picked up the new issue of Nova.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22747

Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

Apparently Disney won’t be happy until they own every ####### thing on the face of the planet.
All in all I don’t think this will mean too much. One aspect of the deal is that it means Fox will never, ever make a movie based on a Marvel comic again. So that part’s a win.

What does this mean for Universal Studios’ competing theme park attractions in Orlando? Will the Marvel Universe themed section of the park continue to lure people away from the neighboring Disney World attractions or will that section of the park be converted to something else, like Harry Potter world?

I actually came here to post this. I don’t know how to feel about it.

I think for the most part they’re only interested in the movie and video game aspect of the intellectual property. I don’t foresee Disney having a hand in the comics division. Or at least I hope not.
DC is owned by Time/Warner, and they don’t seem to have much of a hand in the comic development area, do they?
As far as the Paramount theme park stuff, apparently all licensing deals are staying put. For the time being anyway. But yeah, once the contract (or however they work that stuff) is up Paramount can say bye bye and Disney World/Land will have brand new Marvel sections.

Again, I really don’t see this affecting the comics division and I didn’t care much for most of the Marvel movies, excluding Iron Man and Spider Man of course, so I’m ambivalent. Marvel was already a major whore. I just stick with my core characters and ignore the rest.
It could be a good thing. Three words: Pixar produced Avengers.

I have to correct one thing, Paramount owns Carowinds (well, Viacom/CBS owns Paramount which owns Carowinds) and Universal Studios Florida is owned by Universal Studios (well, General Electric and Vivendi Universal Entertainment own NBC/Universal which owns Universal Studios…)

bobaloo - 31 August 2009 02:20 PM

Pixar produced Avengers.

Won’t happen. But a Pixar produced Micronauts would kick about 81 different kinds of ass.

Thomas83 - 31 August 2009 02:43 PM

bobaloo - 31 August 2009 02:20 PM

Pixar produced Avengers.

Won’t happen. But a Pixar produced Micronauts would kick about 81 different kinds of ass.

Ruin my dreams why don’t you. No, of course it won’t, Disney pretty much keeps their paws off of Pixar’s stuff. Hopefully that will carry over to the comics division as well.

I’m moderately concerned, but no so much about Disney itself as Marvel no longer being independent. Just because DC has managed to make it work with Warner doesn’t mean that the same will hold true for Marvel.

Then again, it’s not like Marvel isn’t already a huge corporation. And Disney has been pretty good about leaving their subsidiaries alone, at least on the whole. I’m not sure I can stomach the idea of Wolverine and the Punisher being owned by the House of Mouse—and the inevitable and painful crossovers in the next Kingdom Hearts installment—but I’d rather Marvel be bought by Disney than, say, Fox.

But maybe we’ll see some decent, theatrical-release animated movies come out of this. Fantastic Four should never have been a live action movie, but as a Disney-produced cartoon it might have worked.

Also, let’s not forget that Disney already has a decent track record in comics. I’d be a little concerned that Marvel would be required to pick up management of the existing Disney books, which is problematic. Then again, I could finally see that Howard The Duck vs. Donald Duck crossover I’ve been (not) dreaming about.

http://roosterteeth.com/comics/strip.php?id=847