Disney Buying Marvel Comics

[bell02+]

Disney is no more evil than any other Major entertainment company, like Square Enix, Shueisha, or Nintendo :devil:

I saw this report this morning, and I think it's pretty good news as Disney as I see it is open for experimentation and creativity of companies that they've bought in the not so far past. I just am unsettled by the claim that the cause was for gaining appeal to teens and Young adults. They already had that appeal (shown by the mega-success that is the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise), and easily could have expanded it by bringing back old properties and adjusting them for older audiences like Gargoyles.

I also wonder if this means that all of the Nickelodeon Marvel toons will be moved to Disney XD.

I also wonder what will happen with future Marvel Video games, will they still license out the properties as frequently or will they put Disney Interactive into making it. Also makes me wonder conversely if it will effect any of their Japanese Comics and their localizations. (Like for example, will Kingdom Heart's license with Tokyo Pop expire and go to Marvel... or maybe Tokyo Pop is already distributing the Japanese Marvel Comics... I don't know)

Anyways, I think its interesting to say the least, but I'm surprised this is okay considered the size and dominance they already have in the entertainment industry.

 

[Doctor Oak]

I also wonder what will happen with future Marvel Video games, will they still license out the properties as frequently or will they put Disney Interactive into making it.

The videogames stuff has already been covered - they'll be continuing on as they are currently until their licenses expire. In Activision's case, that wont be until much later into the next decade. In Sega and THQ's case, they have yearly deals for the films but they will probably continue with those past this year as Disney have said they will only "consider the possibility" "when the licenses expire". (There's also Gazillion Entertainment who have the license to work on 'several' MMO games with Marvel Properties until 2019).

Disney have been moving a lot of their videogame development in-house of late - but it's unlikely they'll interfere with Marvel's licensing there.

Of course, some Marvel properties aren't currently licensed out for games. So if Disney Interactive put together a Silver Surfer game, for instance, they wouldn't have a problem. Well, maybe not Silver Surfer, considering I'm fairly certain Fox still has the character locked into a deal despite not making good on the spin-off movie after FF2's weak box office show - but you get what I mean. Anything that's not Spider-Man, the X-men, an upcoming movie property or a Marvel team game (possibly including the Fantastic Four) would be fair game if they chose to exploit it.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

Okay, I feel really stupid at my posts.
I think it was just mainly my hatred for what actual Disney has done lately that created my reaction.
In retrospect, I feel like I was just being alarmist. As long as Disney doesn't do any collaborations like Kingdom Hearts with them... It'll be fine.

 

[Falconwing]

WHOA!

Iron Man and Mickey Mouse are sharing dorms now?

 

[Dorothy]

What I'm concerned about is prices. Disney is notorious for overcharging; will comic book prices rise? As long as I get my X-men for around $2 a pop, I'm happy.

 

[Meowth]

Well, I read a couple of articles on this, and I'm starting to feel better about everything.
Disney spent 4 billion dollars on this. I don't think they're going to completly change and ruin everything.

 

[bell02+]

Well, I noticed a couple of posts on this, but what's the issue with Disney and Kingdom Hearts? How did they ruin anything or any Square/Disney Characters?

 

[Barb]

I, for one, would pay to see the Avengers take on the Jonas Brothers. On a more realistic note, a Disney World Iron Man ride would be awesome.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

What I'm concerned about is prices. Disney is notorious for overcharging; will comic book prices rise? As long as I get my X-men for around $2 a pop, I'm happy.

Considering Marvel's ALREADY overcharging for a lot of their books (on the reasoning that they're "seeing what the market can stand"), I doubt the prices will be affected.

Another interesting article on the buy.

And Jonathan Friedland, Disney’s VP of Strategic Communications, told CBR News that is what they’ll do.

“We like what they’ve done creatively,” explained Friedland. “We want Marvel to continue to serve its fanbase. It’s not about turning Marvel into Disney at all.”

Quoted from the above link.

 

[$aturn¥oshi]

Just think of all the fun everyone will have trying to locate all the hidden Mickeys in all the new Marvel movies.

 

[Luxio2k8]

I have a few new thoughts since my last post:

1. With Disney buying Marvel does this mean that the decades long running Disney comic series like Walt Disney Comics & Stories and Uncle Scrooge will now be published by Marvel?

2. If we ever get Capcom vs. Marvel 3. I DARE Capcom to include Mickey Mouse and Darkwing Duck as playable fighters.

3. Prepare to be BLOWN Squre Enix recently bought Eidos, which holds the rights to make DC games like Batman, Disney owns Marvel now, Square Enix makes Kingdom Hearts, which features Disney characters.

Kingdom Hearts III with Disney, Batman, and the Marvel Universe. Believe.

 

[Falconwing]

3. Prepare to be BLOWN Squre Enix recently bought Eidos, which holds the rights to make DC games like Batman, Disney owns Marvel now, Square Enix makes Kingdom Hearts, which features Disney characters.

Kingdom Hearts III with Disney, Batman, and the Marvel Universe. Believe.

...

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!

Augh! Life jsut got more bizarre!

 

[Scarlet Devil]

lol, from Gamefaqs.com

Which Marvel-Disney crossover would you most like to see?
Kingdom Hearts meets the X-Men
Muppet Spider-Man
The Incredibles team up with The Avengers
Hulk smashes The Jonas Brothers
Hannah Montana vs. Wolverine

 

[Meowth]

^Yeah, I saw that poll last night. Hilarious!
I'm still a little worried about this, but I don't think things are going to change too much... hopefully.

 

[Silverwynde]

Care to share why?

Call it "over-saturation", if you will. I'm a just little too Jonas Brothers/Hannah Montanna-ed out. I know Disney exists to make money, but gah! There's only so much I can take.

And I'm a hardcore Roger Rabbit fan. When's the last time we've even heard a rumor of a new short, much less sequel/prequel? Case in point: I sincerely doubt they ever released "A Hare in My Soup". Animators were working on that when I hit Disney World in 1990. All I saw were sketches, nothing more. There's been nothing since. Can you say "Extremely disappointed"? So yeah, I'm a tad bit jaded towards Disney. Prime seems to be even more so, though he's never said why.

Like I said, I don't think they're evil. I'm just not really a fan. I pretty much lost my taste for Disney a while ago. It's not a lost cause, though. If I were to see a certain white bunny who wears red overalls in a comic of his own, I might actually come around. (Yeah, like that would ever happen.... but a fangirl can dream, can't she?)

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Just think of all the fun everyone will have trying to locate all the hidden Mickeys in all the new Marvel movies.

You mean finding sex written in both isn't enough?

And I'm a hardcore Roger Rabbit fan. When's the last time we've even heard a rumor of a new short, much less sequel/prequel? Case in point: I sincerely doubt they ever released "A Hare in My Soup". Animators were working on that when I hit Disney World in 1990. All I saw were sketches, nothing more. There's been nothing since. Can you say "Extremely disappointed"? So yeah, I'm a tad bit jaded towards Disney. Prime seems to be even more so, though he's never said why.

Ah, alright. Well, keep in mind, Disney's likely not going to dictate anything to Marvel. Or at least not anything that changes how things are done.

If I were to see a certain white bunny who wears red overalls in a comic of his own, I might actually come around. (Yeah, like that would ever happen.... but a fangirl can dream, can't she?)

Marvel's bringing back the Star Comics characters. So...anything is possible.

 

[d.aisuke]

WHAT? The Lion King was a good movie!

http://www.kimbawlion.com/rant2.htm

The sole reason I loathe Disney.

The over-reaction to this news all over the internet is both hilarious and irritating at the exact same time.

Just because Disney owns Marvel doesn't mean Marvel becomes Disney. Marvel will continue on as absolute normal, but they've got more money behind them now and a much larger marketing machine to support them.

There is nothing but good in this deal for everyone concerned, so the doomsaying is really rather unbelievable. Hell, even the Paramount distributed in-house Marvel movies up-to-and-beyond the Avengers movie are secure in running the exact same way - except probably with a bigger budget behind them (which, after Iron Man 2's over-budget spending would be a very good thing).

I doubt, even, that the Disney label will even go anywhere near any Marvel products. It will be as invisible a partnership to the consumer as Time Warner/DC or Disney and its own Miramax Films.

We should be taking this as good news instead of flipping out over it.

Edit: Incidentally, one tantalizingly brilliant possibility comes from this merger, also. There's the talk of putting the comics into the existing Disney stores already - but imagine the possibility of a specific Marvel (chain of) store(s)? At this time, with a huge amount of high-profile Marvel films incoming in the next few years, I'd say it would be an almost guaranteed success. Lord knows, between a huge back-catalogue of comics, merchandise and the massive character brands like Spider-Man, Hulk and the X-Men, there'd be more than enough to fill the store with.

Under Marvel's own capital, the initial costs would be next-to-impossible to offset. But combine it with Disney's, and it's a venture I'd find it hard to believe wouldn't be considered officially.

While I like and appreciate capitalism, I don't like the idea of one company having such a huge stake in the free world.
Almost anything these days can be traced back to Disney in some way, and it's not just in the entertainment world.

Before you know it, Disney will be infusing the government with cash.

And that's what I'm upset about, I know good and well that this is good for Marvel, but I don't think it's good for the free world.

 

[Omotenium]

Heard something about wider distribution. If this means a better digital comics system then I'll be glad. Itunes and Kindle comics would rock.

Also, Disney does really suck for that whole Kimba thing.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Before you know it, Disney will be infusing the government with cash.

Isn't that called paying taxes?

And...seriously...if you're worried about Disney, then Time Warner must have you crapping your pants.

Heard something about wider distribution. If this means a better digital comics system then I'll be glad. Itunes and Kindle comics would rock.

There were actually plans for wider expansion before Disney bought them out. iTunes already has a few (at the very least, they're carrying Marvel's Motion Comics), and they're going to start bringing them to the PSP at some point (announcement was last week, but I didn't really look at it). But there are already several companies with comic apps for the iPhone and several companies that are just getting started that are going to try and revolutionize the growing digital comics industry (I think...Longbox was the one I was hearing about around SDCC).

 

[Dorothy]

lol, from Gamefaqs.com

Which Marvel-Disney crossover would you most like to see?
The Incredibles team up with The Avengers

That actually might be pretty decent. That and an Incredibles/FF team-up.