It is unofficially official: Disney now owns the rights to most of it’s characters.
While there was a massive amount of speculation that was swirling around the click bait world of comic-book-based ‘reporting’, the rumors of this were given far more credence than the Sony-Marvel deal was due to the fact that the financial markets were reporting on this days ago, but it is finally here: Christmas came early for Marvel Fans, as Disney and News Corporation announced the mega-deal that will likely change the landscape of Entertainment, the likes of which have not been seen in years if not ever. But let’s be clear here, since we are a Spider-Man Website: Sony owns the live-action rights to Spider-Man. Nothing more, or less. Marvel owns the animation rights to all of it’s characters, which is why you saw Wolverine show up in Ultimate Spider-Man, but it does not own the rights to any of the films.
I also want to stress: This is not a finished deal. There is still regulatory scrutiny that will be placed on this deal but it is as follows:
News Corp keeps:
-Fox News
-Fox Business News
-Fox Sports 1 and 2
-Fox Broadcasting Company (The network)
Disney Gets:
21st Century Fox Movie Studio
21st Century Fox Television Studio
Fox Searchlight Studio
Numerious Regional Sports Networks
FX and FXX Cable networks
60% Ownership in Hulu
SKY Network
Obviously, I have left out the details, but that is the overall scope, the macro scope of the deal. The Micro scope of the deal is simple: Fantastic Four and X-Men are now under the Marvel Studios banner, meaning that we likely will see a reflection on these characters on the merchandise that is as-of now has been only focusing on the characters that Marvel has owned wholly up to this point. I also need to point out that Marvel got the Merchandising rights to Spider-Man as a part of Sony relinquishing those rights in 2013, when Sony needed the liquidity. Also, it gives the rights back to Star Wars: A New Hope back to Marvel. This is exciting in that it seemed this is what might have kept Disney from releasing the Original Trilogy on Blu-Ray unedited. This also means that the Fox Kids line-up from the 1990s is in their possession, but they already had some of the cartoons from Marvel Animation Studios and Saban Entertainment as a result of the purchase of the FOX Family several years back. It seems that this deal was in the works as early as this summer, with Disney CEO Bob Iger discussing the origins of this deal in CNBC This morning:
Disney CEO Bob Iger: We love the brands we’re buying from Fox from CNBC.
While the talks became serious this summer, Disney has had a doorway the last several years when dealing with Fox on the macro level, both in its development with the X-Men franchises and the Fantastic Four. But now they retain creative control of those assets. Being a stock for stock transaction, Disney will give 515 shares to current Fox Shareholders, giving those shareholders a 25% stake in this new, combined Disney. On top of this, a dividend will be paid out in 8.5 Million to current shareholders. making many Investors happy this morning. The other elephant in the room is Hulu, which Disney now has a controlling interest (60%) in. This could mean that Disney would consolidate their plans to do a new streaming service, and having all sort of options available on the table for this is obviously something that bares watching. ESPN looks to be strengthen as a result of this deal to to the new regional cable networks that will expand the vast ESPN empire.
All-in-all, should this deal go through, it’s a WIN for Marvel Fans. For the last 20 years, Marvel has been fractured due to poor business decisions that resulted in its bankruptcy in 1996. They sold off their film rights and made many gains since then. Combining themselves with Disney in 2010 has changed their fortunes for the better.
Let’s hope that the product will stay the quality that it has (Movies) and improve in the areas that we hope it will (Publishing). I do want to stress, that three film rights are still entangled in terms of Marvel owning all their characters: Namor is tied up with Universal (along with the distribution rights to Hulk stand-alone films) and Man-Thing is still possibly with Liongate, though he may have reverted back.
Also, some are unsure that the Fantastic Four won’t be tied up with the Roger Corman films still looming over the FF like a bad fart in church.
Also, Disney gets Alien, Die Hard, Avatar, Family Guy, and The Simpsons.
We will update you all in the coming days and months as more information develops.
Celebrate this in the comments below.
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What FF needs to have first is that they are family, but at the same time they are explorers. If you look at Guardians, you have the classic piece of misfits who are heroes and get themselves in trouble, but damn if they aren’t great at it. For Fantastic Four, problem that has been going on since Day 1 is that they keep trying to take what the FF is away firstly, explorers. Always trying to take the world into the new. You have Reed who feels the guilt about what happened. Sue who is the heart and supporter of the team. Johnny the hotshot, but caring and Ben who has been transformed into a monster, but is willing to help others. You add in the loving relationship with Reed and Sue, the odd couple relationship with Johnny and Ben that can go overboard at times (with hilarious results). They need to handle events that the world knows that those like the Avengers can’t handle. Or threats that the world never even knows about and embrace the public and government. Instead of: “We’ll do it out way because everyone else is idiots.” As both Stan Lee/Jack Kirby, John Byrne, and Mark Waid they were celeberties that were their for the common person and people loved them instead of: “bah, heroes scare me!”
In the movies before hand you get the Reed who blows up his garage or gets the government wanting to take his money. Sue the blonde bombshell who yells at everyone. Either Ben the lovable oaf or the butt of naked jokes. Johnny who has been played by two great actors (who went on to be other Marvel characters well written). But has to either be a partier or wants to screw anything with boobs. That’s not the Fantastic Four, that’s people who have no idea who the characters are.
For villains, no more Dr. Doom, no more origin stories like they decided to do with Spider-Man. Show articles and have them deal with threats like forgotten kingdoms like Atlantis, The Mole Man, Diablo or jealous people like The Wizard or the Mad Thinker. Be a great way to bring in the first super villain team that has motivation, simple jealousy and wanting to show they are better than heroes instead of: “no one cares about you and mean and I want to destroy the world!”
@ George Berryman: I guess on the basis of makeshift family drama and visuals Gunn fits the FF, but I would hope he’d be given a lot less leeway with the FF then he had with the Guardians. I don’t want to see an FF film with the same kind of issues I have with Guardians. An FF film should be fun but I don’t think it should be the kind of movie Guardians is.
“The James Gunn corner of the MCU has more heart in it than anything else Marvel does”
Well, I honestly feel like that’s kind of off the mark.
My inner fanboy is excited to see the X-Men and Avengers on the screen together but is also worried it will be based on the crapfest that was Avengers vs X-Men.
Still the Inhumans are going to inevitably suck the big one and I’ll be looking forward to seeing that
@George Berryman on that last point, I think everyone should rejoice.
“He’s more likely to make a fart joker with Doom then actually do him justice.”
That’s wildly off the mark. I’ve seen nothing in the GotG films to back that up. The James Gunn corner of the MCU has more heart in it than anything else Marvel does. The FF needs someone who understands how to do that.
@ George Berryman – I don’t really care to see Gunn reinvent the FF like he did the Guardians.
He’s more likely to make a fart joker with Doom then actually do him justice.
Great signs so far. Deadpool remains R-rated.
http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2017/12/14/disney-ceo-bob-iger-says-deadpool-will-remain-r-rated
It’s really not that bad Patrick. Disney isn’t getting another broadcast network (which they cannot have) just the studios, Fox distribution and Fox regional sports (i.e. Fox Sports Southwest.) Studios have swallowed other studios since there have been studios; that’s nothing new. But this also brings X-Men and FF back “home” and at the end of the day that’s all I really care about.
never has a corporate merger made me feel so conflicted. i mean im really young, but still
“Do we really need another corner of the MCU that’s Stark’s bitch?”
Precisely my point. I can just really see Marvel thinking “Fantastic Four has been struggling, we should bring in some other known characters to establish them in the MCU. Who fits best and will definitely increase ticket sales. I know! Tony Stark!”
It’s essentially the thought process that got us a Spider-Man movie with Iron Man on the cover, and there’s no reason to think they won’t go to that well again.
“… Reed Richards needs to call on Tony Stark to help him build his equipment.”
Do we really need another corner of the MCU that’s Stark’s bitch?
“On a side note, how excited are you at the prospect for comic accurate take on Dr. Doom and the Fantastic Four, George?”
Beyond measure. If Feige was smart (I put him at about 80%) he’d have James Gunn take over FF. Gunn’s the one guy that could do it justice. He wouldn’t be ashamed of Doom the way Fox was; he’d celebrate him.
“Films owns the rights to make a Fantastic Four movie, and could license those rights to any movie studio. However, since Disney, as a result of buying Fox, owns the distribution rights, Constantin really has no other option than to license the movie rights to Disney/Marvel, because what good is spending millions of dollars to make a movie that no one will see if Disney won’t distribute it?”
Basically my understanding as well. Disney can starve them out on FF with a distribution guillotine or Constantin can sell for a nice payout.
Can’t wait for the MCU Fantastic Four movie, where to help study the after effects of the cosmic storm, Reed Richards needs to call on Tony Stark to help him build his equipment.
Or will own, pending regulatory approval.
From what I understand (and “understand” is a stretch), Constantin (sp?) Films owns the rights to make a Fantastic Four movie, and could license those rights to any movie studio. However, since Disney, as a result of buying Fox, owns the distribution rights, Constantin really has no other option than to license the movie rights to Disney/Marvel, because what good is spending millions of dollars to make a movie that no one will see if Disney won’t distribute it?
I think there’s a Film company that still has some financial stake in the FF, but they don’t particularly have a say. It’s more of a “Write us a check and we’re good” type situation.
But in essence yes, Disney has the FF back. No one needs to worry about this detail except the lawyers essentially from what I understand.
George wrote:
“I apologize on his misguided behalf. To you and to all of fandom, Thrawn. We’ve taken steps internally to try and make sure this doesn’t happen again. ;)”
Very good. Alien and Predator are two of my favorite Sci-Fi/Horror franchises and they’re inexplicably linked.
Zach’s egregious oversight will not be tolerated.
———–
On a side note, how excited are you at the prospect for comic accurate take on Dr. Doom and the Fantastic Four, George?
“Also, some are unsure that the Fantastic Four won’t be tied up with the Roger Corman films still looming over the FF like a bad fart in church.”
Nothing I have read this morning says this. Everything I’ve seen so far, even from Variety, is that the FF are in this deal. You even mention it in the middle of your write-up.
I apologize on his misguided behalf. To you and to all of fandom, Thrawn.
We’ve taken steps internally to try and make sure this doesn’t happen again. 😉
“Also, Disney gets Alien, Die Hard, Avatar, Family Guy, and The Simpsons.”
You didn’t mention Predator. Hang your head in shame.