2009 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives

September 1, 2009: Marvel Acquired By Disney

By Barry Freiman

Say goodbye to episodes of "Superman: The Animated Series" on Disney's DXD channel. In an unexpected and historic move, the Walt Disney Company has purchased Marvel Comics for $4 billion in cash and stock. This is not a dream, a hoax, or an imaginary story. It's not the first day of April. As Jor-El says in the first scene of "Superman: The Movie", "This is no fantasy... These are matters of undeniable fact."

Marvel Comics is DC's principal competitor in the comic book industry. Their stable of heroes and villains (you decide who's who) includes Spider-Man, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, the Sub-Mariner, Magneto, the Silver Surfer, Venom, the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Wolverine, Daredevil, Elektra, Blade, Ghost Rider, the Kingpin, and countless others. And now it's only a matter of time before fans will be clamoring to see who can pick up a scent quicker - Wolverine or Mickey Mouse's dog, Pluto.

While this is far from a Superman news item, the reverberations of this huge change to the industry status quo could be far-reaching. I'd guess DC and Marvel crossover books would be less likely in the future as they will now require the approval of two multi-tiered behemoth corporations who both have a history of being fiercely overprotective of their licensed characters.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if this news has hundreds at Warners and DC huddled in secret meetings figuring out what all this means to them. This will surely impact not only the comic book industry but likely the film industry too as it relates to big budget comic book blockbusters. By joining the Disney conglomerate, Marvel will now be a subsidiary of a corporate goliath just as DC has been with Warner Brothers since 1969.

Many have speculated on the impact of DC's ownership by Warners over the years. Some have said that Warners only cares about the licensing, particularly Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Others have suggested Warners' ownership of DC makes it infinitely easier for DC to stay involved in TV and film properties. Even "Superman" Co-Producer Ilya Salkind has said that, when he and his father first came in to DC Comics to talk about licensing the Superman characters for a series of movies, Warners was so disinterested in the idea of Superman as a viable film property that they weren't even initially involved in the negotiations. One wonders if a multi-tiered corporate structure will similarly boost and hamper Marvel's endeavors.

For those who, in recent years, have blamed DC's inability to release a steady stream of live-action comic book films on the immensity of DC's corporate parent, it remains to be seen if a Disney-owned Marvel will suffer the same fate with its future film slate. Me, I'm a lifetime member of the "Make Mine DC" club. So, to every Marvel fan who ever boasted that Marvel would always get their films out faster and better because they weren't hampered by an overstuffed corporate parent, let me just say that karma's a you-know-what.

I wonder how long until Disney shuts down Universal Studios Orlando's relationship with the Marvel characters. Is the Hulk rollercoaster destined to become "Xanadu: The Ride"?

How long until the Marvel universe invades Main Street, U.S.A. at Walt Disney World? I can see it now. The Ghost Rider blazes through the "Haunted Mansion". An animatronics Captain America stands up and salutes each animatronics President after they 'speak' in the "Hall of Presidents". Galactus and the Silver Surfer zoom by on "Space Mountain". "It's a Small World" becomes "Hulk Smash Stupid Singing Puppets". Peter Parker vies with Eeyore for "Disney's Biggest Whiner". Mighty Thor and Disney's Hercules team up in a Broadway-style musical revue with real kung-fu style acrobatic dance-fighting. After brushing off Pocahontas for the 50th time, Rawhide meets a visiting Senator in a Frontier Land rest area. Mary Jane Watson Parker literally runs away with Prince Charming. Howard the Duck kicks the crap out of Donald Duck in "Toon Town" after Donald complains that Howard threw a lit cigar in his front yard and burned down his freshly painted wooden fence. The Incredibles and The Fantastic Four co-star in a 3-D interactive adventure (actually that one could be kind of cool). Prince Namor leaps out of the water to save that poor animatronics woman being chased on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. EPCOT incorporates celebrations of the technological advances of Reed Richards and Stark Industries. EPCOT's nature emporium adds a presentation on the dangers of mutation. The Punisher and Mickey Mouse sing "Hakuna Matata" in kick-line formation daily in front of Cinderella's Castle.

I could go on with these all day. More on this story as it develops or as I think of more Disney/Marvel one-liners (feel free to add your own as comments below).



2009 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News

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