We’re one step closer to the Fantastic Four and X-Men coming to the MCU, as it’s being reported that Disney has reached an agreement to buy many of Fox’s assets.
From USA Today…
CNBC has been reporting that Disney has held talks with the Rupert Murdoch-controlled media company to acquire its studio and television production assets, leaving Fox with its news and sports assets. Fox is also talking with CNBC parent company Comcast, but the talks with Disney have progressed more significantly.
The deal contemplates the sale of Fox’s A&E, Star, regional sports networks, movie studios and stakes in Sky and Hulu, among other properties. What would remain at Fox includes its news and business news divisions, broadcast network and Fox Sports.
The enterprise value of the Fox assets in the Disney deal is seen as above $60 billion, according to sources. Current Fox shareholders would get one share of the Fox company that remains after the movie and television assets are sold plus shares of Disney in a fixed exchange ratio.
The deal would surely bring all of the Marvel Comics characters together under the Marvel Studios banner, as Fox has long refused to revert the rights to X-Men (and spinoff characters including Deadpool) and the Fantastic Four back to Disney.
In addition, it’s likely that Disney would now own the Avatar franchise (which is already part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom), as well as other IP such as Alien. It could also finally mean the re-issue of the unaltered original Star Wars trilogy.
Sources say that Disney could make an official announcement as early as next week.
[Source: USA Today, CNBC]
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