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  • Disney Close to Finishing Deal to Acquire Fox

    Disney Close to Finishing Deal to Acquire Fox

    We’re so close to having the X-Men and Avengers meet on the big screen. On Friday, Fox shareholders agreed to Disney’s bid of $71.3 billion. This followed a bit of a bidding war between Disney and Comcast, who had previously bid $65 billion in cash. Most of Disney’s bid amounted to shares, instead of actual cash. However, Comcast moved on to pursue UK-based broadcaster Sky after their initial bid failed. As such, Disney is quite close to its goal to acquire Fox.

    What this Means for Disney

    Disney, which has been on a roll acquiring film studios and entertainment rights, is ascendant at the moment. In 2009, they acquired Marvel Studios, and have released countless blockbuster hits starring Marvel characters. Lucasfilm was acquired in 2012 as well, bringing Star Wars to the House of Mouse. Disney is now on track to be one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. The Fox acquisition will require that all of Fox’s sports networks be spun off into distinct entities so that the merger doesn’t violate anti-competition laws.

    What this Means for the MCU

    Most importantly to fans of Marvel movies, this now means that the X-Men and the Avengers are back under the same roof. Additionally, the Fantastic Four have now been brought back into the fold. This means that one of the most successful superhero franchises of all time can now use its biggest names. Marvel fans around the world are ecstatic to see where this might lead.

    Fans are particularly eager to see a potential Avengers Vs X-Men adaptation. A new series of X-Men films re-establishing the characters in the MCU may be in order, as well. Additionally, a series of films focusing on the Fantastic Four and introducing audiences to the comics-accurate version of the team could also be in the works if this deal goes through.

    What’s Next for Disney to Acquire Fox?

    The merger must now pass the FCC. Yes, this means that the internet’s least favorite person, professional jerk Ajit Pai is the final arbiter on whether or not your favorite comic book characters can appear on-screen together. If that’s not enough to make you a little antsy, I don’t know what is. However, odds are good this merger will pass the FCC. In as little as two years we could see Iron Man onscreen alongside Wolverine! How awesome is that?

  • The Avengers and the X-Men Crossover is Saved! Disney to Buy Fox

    The Avengers and the X-Men Crossover is Saved! Disney to Buy Fox

    That’s right, we may still be able to see Iron Man and Cyclops onscreen together! In response to Comcast’s bid to buy Fox for $65 billion in cash, Disney upped their bid. What does it take to own a massive entertainment conglomerate? Well, a bid of $71 billion in cash and stocks seems to be the magic ticket. That eye-watering sum is even more impressive when you consider that Fox will have to spin off its news branch and maybe even its sports networks. Why’s that, you ask? Regulatory approval processes are quite complicated. 

    Fox Wary of Regulatory Approval 

    One reason Fox seems to be seriously considering Disney’s bid is regulatory boards. While AT&T recently won a case to acquire Time Warner, that doesn’t guarantee the same would happen for Comcast. Disney, on the other hand, is an entertainment company, not a telecom. Fox is likely weighing that in their consideration of being bought by the House of Mouse. Additionally, they could realize that there is simply more money to be made by partnering with the massive maker of Marvel and Star Wars. Getting the budget of Disney behind their films would help Fox reach even more audiences and make even more money. 

    Shareholders Signing Off on Disney Deal 

    The deal won’t actually be complete until the shareholders okay it. Which is ironic, as the Comcast deal was going to have to wait until a July 10th shareholder meeting to be approved. Disney’s bid beat that approval to the punch. Still, Fox and Disney shareholders could still oppose the bid. However, such opposition seems highly unlikely at this stage and is really more of a formality.  

    That being said, the deal will also still have to pass regulatory approval. Fox’s assets would be considered and could have to be spun off into new companies if a board deems it necessary for the merger. Avoiding a lack of meaningful competition is an important facet of such boards, so moves like this can be risky for large companies. Disney, for their part, seems convinced that it won’t be an issue. Interestingly, the sale would include Fox’s 30 percent stake in Hulu. Both Disney and Comcast also hold a 30 percent stake in the online media platform. The final ten percent is owned by Time Warner, for the curious.  

    The Future 

    Hopefully the future holds a huge crossover film of the X-Men and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Is it too much to ask for a good movie version of Avengers vs. X-Men? We don’t think so. Make it happen, Disney! 

     

  • Avengers and X-Men Crossover in Danger? AT&T Time Warner Takeover

    Avengers and X-Men Crossover in Danger? AT&T Time Warner Takeover

    We really want to see Wolverine going toe-to-toe with the Hulk. Or Reed Richards and Tony Stark talking shop. Or Thor and Storm making sparks together. Really, we just want all the Marvel characters to come together on the big screen. And we’re so close! Disney has but in a bid to buy 20th Century Fox. But this darn AT&T ruling could really mess it up. 

    Comcast and Fox 

    Marvel Comics owns the rights to all of their characters, of course. They can create comic books, television shows and pretty much anything they want with their characters. But they sold the film rights to a ton of them to other companies in the late 90’s. Sony owns the film rights to Spider-Man, for instance, and Fox has the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four. However, the House of Mouse owns Marvel now. And they want their stuff back. 

    Disney put in a bid to purchase Fox last year for an absurd $54.2 billion in Disney stock. Comcast, seeing dollar signs, decided that they, too, wanted to buy Fox. But they put their plans on hold. See, A&T, for their part, was in court defending their attempt to acquire Time Warner.  

    AT&T Won that Case 

    And then AT&T won their case, and the regulatory board is likely to allow their acquisition. This gives Comcast a pretty clear-cut course to acquiring Fox. Fox, for their part, seemed hesitant to go for the Comcast offer, even though it was higher than Disney’s because it was uncertain if the deal would pass a regulatory board.  

    Now that there’s proof that such a merger can pass the board, Fox might just take the deal. This would spell disaster for our dreams of an Avengers and X-Men crossover. Which would be a serious shame. We just want to see Captain America and Professor Xavier exchanging tips for leading groups of super-powered people! And maybe have Scarlett Witch meet the X-Men film version of Quicksilver so she can have her mind blown! Okay, that one’s not happening anyway, but we can dream! In the meantime we’ll just have to read Marvel comics if we want to see the two super-teams cross paths! 

    Feature Image Credit: MovieWeb