News

Disney to buy Marvel Comics for $4 billion

Constantin Xenakis
News: Constantin Xenakis

The colossal Disney Studios is about to get even larger: by buying MarvelComics, which has a stable of more than $5,000 characters such as Spider-Man, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Daredevil and Ghost Rider.

Disney to buy Marvel Comics for $4 billion

In spending a mere $4 billion on the Marvel catalogue, Disney now has aserious advantage over other major studios such as Sony, the lacklusterUnited Artists, Universal and 20thCentury-Fox. Only Warner, which is owned by the same group as DC Comics, could be considered as a competitor with its «Batman» franchise.

In addition to its own huge catalogue, Disney now owns the rights to afantastic number of action heroes, which have recently become cash cows forthe movie & TV industry, for themes parks and for merchandising.

The agreement has not yet been completed: Marvel shareholders still have to approved the transaction, as do anti-trust authorities.

1. September 2009

More news

Top 10 flops of the 00's

Kaká and Ronaldo come to cinema's rescue

Shining: the sequel?

The vibrant tweets of an imprisoned producer