Caffeinated Clint
Update #1 : I’m listening in on the Marvel conference call as we speak. It’s just been confirmed that none of the upcoming Marvel movies will be affected; they will indeed stay with their respective studios. Disney however are looking at bringing some lesser-known Marvel comic-book characters to the big screen.
Here’s the original story…
I’ve checked the date, and it’s not April 1st! So this press release indicating that Disney has snapped up Marvel for $4 billion dollars must be true! I know, Great Scott! Right!?
In related news, Tim Allen is in early discussions to play Captain America, whilst Walt Becker is developing a second-reboot of “The Hulk” set to star George Lopez.
In all seriousness, did anyone see this coming? I mean, Marvel seemed quite content being hosts of their own domain – so to speak. They could offer up their singular films to the highest bidder; they could mix-and-match superheroes like they’ve never been able to before, and they didn’t have to listen to a brooding, big brother on how things should be done. And up till now, it’s worked beautifully!
It’s unclear how this merger will affect the current slate of Marvel movies, and we probably won’t know more until the morning, though I’m almost certain Disney will only retain those films/characters that don’t currently have a cinematic offering in the works – like “The Hulk”, “Sub-Mariner”, and “Black Panther”. Therefore, “Spider-Man 4” will remain at Sony; “Iron Man 2” will stay put at Paramount; “Wolverine 2” will continue to be a Fox film. Some outlets are refuting this though – claiming Disney will now own Spider-Man, and so on. And they could be right. Which would be, well, kinda shattering for those that previously owned the properties. I’d hate to think what kind of a clusterfuck that would be present if true.
“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Disney president and chief executive Robert Iger said in a press release. “We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”
“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Marvel chief executive Ike Perlmutter. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world”.
What will this mean for the next big batch of superhero movies? Will they be dumbed down to appeal more widely to a younger bracket? Will subliminal images of Winnie the Pooh be superimposed into the film prints? Will Beverly Hills Chihuahua now be a member of ‘The Avengers’? Will Tim Allen really get the opportunity to star in a superhero movie!?
More on this as we get it…
