Disney buys Marvel Entertainment for $4 Billion

marvel-merger

Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy will be getting superhero friends quite soon. Disney has announced that it will be purchasing Marvel Entertainment (comics, movies, yes..the whole company) for $4 Billion in a combination of cash and stock purchase. Pending paperwork and other details, the deal is expected to be fully done within the year.

In official statements, according to Disney:

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

according to Marvel:

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “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.”

On a related note, most of Marvel’s blockbuster franchise movies are still tied up with studios so Disney won’t be making any superhero films just yet. Marvel’s CEO Ike Perlmutter will still get to run Marvel.

The fanbase on the other hand is mostly outraged as people are worried about seeing baby versions of their superheroes and maybe seeing Donald Duck VS The Hulk.

Here are some fan-made videos and mashups. Enjoy!