Earlier this week, we learned that Disney has been in talks with Fox to buy many of the studio's assets, including its film division. In a new report, The Wall Street Journal reveals that the company's main impetus for wanting to make this happen is expanding their reach on television, something which has become essential for them after spending over $15 billion buying big screen properties like Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, and Lucasfilm. Ultimately, it all boils down to wanting to compete with Netflix!
In fact, the site reveals that after pulling its movies from Netflix in 2019, we can expect to see the same happen with Disney TV shows and new ones are going to be produced exclusively for Disney's planned streaming service. It's not clear whether that means new seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher would end up there or if this refers solely to newly produced shows moving forward.
This is why Disney is pursuing Fox as it gives them so many new IPs to play with, specifically the X-Men. As noted, "After an acquisition, Disney would consolidate its control of all its Marvel characters save for Spider-Man, still at Sony Pictures Entertainment, and could have them appear together in films and TV series." Needless to say, that would be a game changer both for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the company's small screen efforts (which have had mixed success; see: ABC/IMAX's Inhumans).