Disney to buy Marvel for $4 bil

[TB4000]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090831/..._entertainment

Never thought I would see the day, but it is Disney, so.....


Considering how many colored folks write some of the more "darker" storylines for Marvel, this is somewhat relevant.

[SunWuKong]

not sure i understand why Marvel is agreeing to the buyout though.

[lethal]

Marvel's struggling to expand its marketing and networks to make more money. Disney is paying for a version of Marvel with that kind of distribution network in place. Marvel shareholders are getting a premium.

[MarshalStealth]

Originally Posted by lethal

Marvel's struggling to expand its marketing and networks to make more money. ...

The CEOs sell the positives. The masses buy the positives as the truth. The tangible truth is that Marvel's was mismanaged by unqualified people who got the paycheck and ran!?

The majority of the shareholders will be getting some benefits. The big winners are the board of directors and senior management.

[VV o n g B a]

Originally Posted by MarshalStealth

The big winners are the board of directors and senior management.

... and the fans of mashups that wanna see wolverine tear into zack efron and his glee club crowd.

[MarshalStealth]

Originally Posted by VV o n g B a

... and the fans of mashups that wanna see wolverine tear into zack efron and his glee club crowd.

Fantasy time! You should make a game out of it.

[lethal]

Those Marvel themed rides at Universal Studios will be interesting now.

[MarshalStealth]

Originally Posted by lethal

Those Marvel themed rides at Universal Studios will be interesting now.

Who wants to get on the "Scarlet Witch" ride?

[haplesshobo]

Originally Posted by SunWuKong

not sure i understand why Marvel is agreeing to the buyout though.

I think its a bigger question mark why Disney is paying 4B for Marvel.

Don't get me wrong- I'm a Marvel guy. It seems if you're into comics, you're either a Marvel or DC fan.

But, the comic industry never recovered from that bubble back in the 90s. So, what you're really buying Marvel is for its catalog of iconic comic book brands like X-Men and Spiderman and the licensing that goes with that. But, Marvel sold off its rights to many of its top comics like X-Men, Spiderman, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, etc... already to other movie studios and signed off licensing deals that lets other companies use Marvel characters as theme park rides and attractions.

[MarshalStealth]

Originally Posted by haplesshobo

I think its a bigger question mark why Disney is paying 4B for Marvel.

Don't get me wrong- I'm a Marvel guy. It seems if you're into comics, you're either a Marvel or DC fan.

But, the comic industry never recovered from that bubble back in the 90s. So, what you're really buying Marvel is for its catalog of iconic comic book brands like X-Men and Spiderman and the licensing that goes with that. But, Marvel sold off its rights to many of its top comics like X-Men, Spiderman, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, etc... already to other movie studios and signed off licensing deals that lets other companies use Marvel characters as theme park rides and attractions.

I don't think we know the truth behind the Marvel's licensing agreement. There could be a set of legal conditions in the contract that allows Disney to reclaim everything back.

I used to be into comics. ... Like you, I was more in Marvel than DC. My past favorite characters were Electra, The Punisher, Iron Man, Daredevil, and Captain America. I got tired of X-Men due to its very predictable storyline.

[haplesshobo]

Originally Posted by MarshalStealth

I don't think we know the truth behind the Marvel's licensing agreement. There could be a set of legal conditions in the contract that allows Disney to reclaim everything back.

I did a little digging, and here's the truth about various licensing agreements Marvel signed:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...4.photogallery

Sony has three more Spider Man movies in development, and the rights in perpetuity to make more Spider Man movies.

News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox has rights in perpetuity to make movies based on the X-Men team and individual characters, Fantastic Four and Daredevil

Paramount Pictures has the rights to distribute five movies produced by Marvel Entertainment, including next year's " Iron Man 2" and 2011's "Captain America" and "Thor." In 2012, Paramount will distribute "The Avengers" and in 2013 most likely "Iron Man 3."

Activision Blizzard Inc. controls the rights to publish video games based on Spider-Man and the X-Men characters through 2017.

Sega has a multi-year deal to make video games based on all of Marvel's movies currently being produced internally, including Iron Man, Thor and Captain America.

Start-up publisher Gazillion Entertainment has a 10-year deal ending in 2019 to produce massively multi-player online games, similar to World of Warcraft, based on Marvel characters.

Viacom's Nickelodeon kids cable network has multi-year deals to air animated series based on Iron Man and the X-Men. Time Warner's Cartoon Network has a similar multi-year deal for "Super Hero Squad," a series aimed at young children that features the entire Marvel universe.

Marvel signed a deal giving Universal Studios theme park rights to Marvel products in Florida and Japan, so Marvel could hypothetically develop Marvel roller coaster rides in California at Disney Land. But, I don't know if that would be a good fit, and if they'd invest money to do that with rival Marvel rides in other parks.

Its going to be really difficult for Disney to reclaim

[MarshalStealth]

Originally Posted by haplesshobo

I did a little digging, and here's the truth about various licensing agreements Marvel signed:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...4.photogallery

Sony has three more Spider Man movies in development, and the rights in perpetuity to make more Spider Man movies.

Marvel signed a deal giving Universal Studios theme park rights to Marvel products in Florida and Japan, so Marvel could hypothetically develop Marvel roller coaster rides in California at Disney Land. But, I don't know if that would be a good fit, and if they'd invest money to do that with rival Marvel rides in other parks.

Its going to be really difficult for Disney to reclaim

Good stuff. ... Thanks a lot. ... I will re-read the material and think of some new questions. ...