A deal has been agreed between the Disney corporation and Marvel which will effectively see the latter become a satellite company of the former, giving Disney control over film franchises like Spiderman and The Fantastic Four. $4 billion will change hands, representing an excess of almost 30 percent on Marvel's current share price, which has suffered because of the recession. A senior source at Disney said that he hopes it will increase his company's appeal to boys, since they have recently done well with brands aimed at girls, like Hannah Montana.
"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," said Marvel Chief Executive Officer Ike Perlmutter of the groundbreaking deal. "Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic library of characters."
The first DVD to come out under the new agreement will be X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is due for release in two weeks. Work is ongoing on Iron Man 2, which is set to star Scarlett Johansson, Edward Norton and Samuel L Jackson alongside the heavily armoured Robert Downey Jr.
Disney President Rob Iger has assured fans that "the goal here is not to rebrand Marvel."
