I wanted to throw my own two cents worth into the ring when talking about all this Disney Marvel thing.
Oh, the comments about “Don’t let them Disney the fuck out of my X-Men” and cries that “Marvel Films will now all star Miley Cyrus” are just plain over reacting. It’s fun to speculate on what it might be like if Marvel published stories like Disney does for folklore characters and fairytales. Heck, I am even anticipating a line of DTV animated features based on Marvel properties much like WB has been churning out over the last few years. Disney is now poised to make that happen.
I want to share a comic I read today that sums up some of the reaction I have been seeing online.
From Penny Arcade
So people think that Disney buying Marvel is a MERGER. That they are somehow becoming one company and one property. Well maybe I am not reading the same news sources as they are, but I saw NOTHING saying that Disney was suddenly going to integrate their characters into the pages of Marvel comics popular titles. Nor did I see anything implying that Marvel Films will now be farting out Disney Channel kid stars in their films.
Disney owns Pixar, yet Pixar has a very distinctly different feel than Disney films do. Disney owns ABC, but I don’t see Zach Efron making guest appearances on Grey’s Anatomy, and the Jonas Brothers have yet to appear on Lost. Disney also owns Miramax, which has properties and distrubution of films that have NOTHING in common with Disney properties.
So while others are over reacting and freaking out because Disney bought themselves a comic book publishing company, that suddenly Mickey Mouse has a shot at becoming an X-Man.
What is likely to happen is that if Disney wants to make kids comics featuring their characters, or make a line of merchandize of Mickey Mouse toys in Spiderman Pajamas, they now have a direct line to do so.
Marvel will still be Marvel. I have no doubt in this.
It was a smart move for Disney to acquire the property and add it to its empire, but like the other kingdoms that have joined the House of Mouse, each has retained its own identity.
Disney didn’t buy it to change it. They bought it so they could keep the money they make.
