Disney to buy Marvel in $4bn deal

[Mathew]

Entertainment giant Walt Disney is to buy Marvel Entertainment in a shares and cash deal valued at $4bn (£2.5bn).

The deal means Disney will take over ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man and the X-Men.

Marvel shareholders will get $30 per share in cash plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share owned.

The boards of Disney and Marvel have both approved the deal, which now needs the backing of Marvel shareholders and competition authorities.

Marvel shares were ahead $10.17, or 26%, to $48.82 shortly after the market opened. Disney shares fell 47 cents, or 1.8%, to $26.37.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8230504.stm

Remember Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios (Hollywood) both have Spiderman related attractions and all parks feature Marvel's characters. Wonder if they saw this coming..

[lick]

I never heard of Marvel, i always though Universal Studios owned Spider Man and x men

[Stefy09]

wth thinking of disney owning spiderman and x-men makes spiderman and x-men seem like kids films

[lick]

I think they are trying to get more males to like disney other than teen girls who love Miley and Jonas Bros

[Fez]

I think they are trying to get more males to like disney other than teen girls who love Miley and Jonas Bros
I don't think males will like Disney, they'll like Marvel, I doubt they'd start publishing under the Disney name.

It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

[Mathew]

My guess is that Disney have noticed their comic sales go down. Think about it - when was the last time you or younger brothers bought a Disney magazine? :P

With 5,000 Marvel characters, Disney basically have everything they need to make a lot of money. Whether they make more than $4bn is another story..

[e5]

I never heard of Marvel, i always though Universal Studios owned Spider Man and x men
lol you've never heard of marvel:S? hahaa.

[Describe]

My guess is that Disney have noticed their comic sales go down. Think about it - when was the last time you or younger brothers bought a Disney magazine? :P

With 5,000 Marvel characters, Disney basically have everything they need to make a lot of money. Whether they make more than $4bn is another story..
I doubt the magazines are as popular in Britain as they are in the U.S.A.

[luce]

I never heard of Marvel, i always though Universal Studios owned Spider Man and x men

same i went there in easter and i thought all the characters you saw were owned by universal?? Be interesting to see what happens if im honest because they could make a lot of money or just fail epically. I will never think of spiderman as a disney character like pluto though :S

[Alkaz]

I only know some of the most popular marvel comic characters because of my older brothers who are like 20-25, if they werent here then I wouldnt have and just thought it was marvel. But, even still, I have heard of marvel lol.

[Jordan:A]

Disney must make millions a day, hopefully they do buy Marvel

[StefanWolves]

Does this mean the Theme parks in Florida (Islands of Adventure, ect, as mentioned somewhere above) ~ will now be owned by Disney? if so that sucks, because I go their every year at Christmas and the Disney theme park tickets are always sky high compared to the Universal (Marvel ones) ~ which means they'd put the prices up.

This sucks. :P

[kuzkasate]

Gotta say, that is an AWFULLY dear price. Never realised they were worth this much!

[IceNineKills]

Marvel just made a massive mistake.

Disney will put Hannah Montana in one of the next Spiderman films.

[Mathew]

Does this mean the Theme parks in Florida (Islands of Adventure, ect, as mentioned somewhere above) ~ will now be owned by Disney? if so that sucks, because I go their every year at Christmas and the Disney theme park tickets are always sky high compared to the Universal (Marvel ones) ~ which means they'd put the prices up.

This sucks. :P
Universal does not = Marvel.
In Islands of Adventure, a section of the theme park is called "Marvel Super Hero Island". All the theming, pictures, rides, stores are ALL drawn by Marvel (Comics). With Disney buying Marvel, that means all merchandise and licensing fees which Universal pay Marvel will now go straight into Disney's back pocket.

Something I have seen on a few sites..

The contract allows Universal to continue using the Marvel trademarks for as long as the attractions are in operation. It also ensures that no other theme park east of the Mississippi River — including Walt Disney World — can develop attractions based on the same characters
Doesn't mean Disneyland in California can't though.. :P


Gotta say, that is an AWFULLY dear price. Never realised they were worth this much!
For 5,000 drawings, it's a lot. It depends on how Disney use the characters as to how good or bad the deal is.


Mavel just made a massive mistake.

Disney will put Hannah Montana in one of the next Spiderman films.
How was it a massive mistake? Wouldn't you sell 5,000 little characters for $4 billion?

[AlexOC]

I used to read Marvel comics :P

Hope they create some new characters.

[paul4wolves]

I heard that they are going to make it more family friendly :(, spiderman and xmen are going to be **** :(

[AlexOC]

So no more killings and action?

Just spiderman reading books.

Aww

[Black_Apalachi]

But I don't want Disney to own Marvel :(.

I'm guessing Stan Lee & Co. will all be carried over to continue working as is currently?

Btw everyone going on about Marvel characters in Disney theme parks etc, just get those ideas out of you're head now before I find the biggest facepalm on the internet :rolleyes:.

[IceNineKills]

How was it a massive mistake? Wouldn't you sell 5,000 little characters for $4 billion?


Do you want Hannah Montana to star in the next Spiderman film?

And no, If I owned Marvel I wouldn't have done the deal with Disney. In another 30-40 years those 5,000 characters will be worth alot more.

[Colin-Roberts]

Do you want Hannah Montana to star in the next Spiderman film?

And no, If I owned Marvel I wouldn't have done the deal with Disney. In another 30-40 years those 5,000 characters will be worth alot more.
or in 30 years could be worth absolutely nothing?