Disney buys Marvel for $4bn
New York, August 31 – Walt Disney said on Monday it plans to buy Marvel Entertainment for $4bn in a deal that would add characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four to its entertainment empire.
The cash and stock deal values Marvel at $50 a share, or a premium of 29 per cent to Marvel’s closing stock price of $38.65 on Friday. The deal has been approved by the boards of both companies.
Marvel’s shares shot up to $48.70 in pre-market trade. Shares of Disney, which will acquire ownership more than 5,000 Marvel characters, dropped about 3 per cent.
Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 a share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own.
Can you say, wow?
Not sure what all this means, but off the top of my head:
- I wonder if Universal will still be able to have Marvel Land at their theme parks, or will Spidey and company start showing up at Disneyland?
- Will the more “adult” aspects of some of Marvel’s comics be Disnified?
- Will Disney start to exert editorial control over the Marvel line (i.e., will they force Joe Q. to get Peter and MJ back together?
- Will the cost-conscious Disney trim staff at Marvel, will they trim the budgets of the Marvel films?
Obviously there is more (MUCH MORE) to this story.
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