Make Mine Disney?

Last June, Disney bought up the rights to Stan Lee's company, POW Entertainment. Today, it was announced that, pending antitrust review and shareholder approval, Disney was now going to buy the publisher that Stan "The Man" was associated with for most of the last 40 years, Marvel Comics.

If approved, this potentially changes a lot of things on many fronts.

For example, after various existing agreements expire, Disney can have first crack at the lucrative movie franchises Marvel has been building since the advent of the Spider-Man movies with Tobey Maguire, eventually including the X-Men movie series, and their work in progress, the Avengers.

Next, there's the possibility of animation--this IS Disney, after all. Can you imagine the potential of new animated series featuring the vast array of Marvel characters? Even if they do as in the last X-Men series and recycle plots from the comics without crediting the original writers (and I hope they do not sink so low), there's a lot to work with.

Then there's what I believe will be the upcoming demise of Universal Studios theme park. They can talk all they want to about Scooby-Doo, or Popeye, but most people were more interested in Spider-Man and the Hulk. I'd say there's zero chance of any licensing agreements being renewed when Disney is almost literally next door.

And, finally, the comic books. Almost all the Disney characters are languishing in publishing oblivion, plus the defunct Crossgen line, and the recently acquired POW Entertainment. All they needed was someone who know how to publish comics. And the outside chance to possibly re-associate Stan Lee with Marvel.

If they do revive Crossgen, will they be able to get the various creative teams back together, at least to finish storylines in progress at the time of the company's demise?

For Disney, this marriage is made in heaven. They can expand the Disney brand through the Marvel brand and vice versa. It also might make them the world's biggest comics publisher.

Now, keep in mind, I'm NOT saying any of this will happen. I'm not in the loop and have no idea whatsoever of the short or long term plans of any of the companies mentioned. This is just me thinking about what might happen, if a lot of things go a certain way. It is conjecture, not fact.

But it is interesting that these deals are coming together a lot like a couple of years ago, when Danny Ainge made subsequently larger deals that ended up with the Boston Celtics becoming NBA Champions at the end of that year. Disney might be looking for similar results on the world entertainment stage.

It just might become the House of Mouse Ideas.

Mike