Believe it or not, it was way back in December 2017 when we first heard about Disney's plans to purchase 21st Century Fox and its many film and TV assets, and the merger is finally official.
This marks a new era in Hollywood and means Disney owns franchises like the
X-Men,
Deadpool,
Fantastic Four, and
Avatar. There's always someone who loses in situations like this, though, and around 4000 layoffs are expected to take place in the coming weeks and months.
For comic book fans, of course, there's a lot of excitement to see those Marvel characters return "home" to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, Marvel Studios owns all but Spider-Man and this will obviously be a game-changer for future movies.
While the merger only wrapped up a few hours ago, Disney has already added
Deadpool,
The Simpsons, and
The Shape of Water to its homepage. Now, it's going to be very interesting to see how things play out for these properties and how long it takes for us to start noticing a difference due to Disney being in control of them.
At 12:02 a.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, March 20, 2019, The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox will become effective. With 21st Century Fox’s iconic collection of businesses and franchises, Disney will be able to provide more appealing high-quality content and entertainment options to meet growing consumer demand; increase its international footprint; and expand its direct-to-consumer offerings, which include ESPN+ for sports fans, the highly-anticipated Disney+ streaming video-on-demand service launching in late 2019; and Disney and 21st Century Fox’s combined ownership stake in Hulu.
"This is an extraordinary and historic moment for us—one that will create significant long-term value for our company and our shareholders," said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. "Combining Disney’s and 21st Century Fox’s wealth of creative content and proven talent creates the preeminent global entertainment company, well positioned to lead in an incredibly dynamic and transformative era."
The acquisition includes 21st Century Fox’s renowned film production businesses, including Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Family and Fox Animation; Fox’s television creative units, Twentieth Century Fox Television, FX Productions and Fox21; FX Networks; National Geographic Partners; Fox Networks Group International; Star India; and Fox’s interests in Hulu, Tata Sky and Endemol Shine Group. Disney and 21st Century Fox entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice last year under which Disney will divest 21st Century Fox’s Regional Sports Networks.
Earlier today, 21st Century Fox completed the spin-off of a portfolio of 21st Century Fox’s news, sports and broadcast businesses, including the FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX Broadcasting Company, FOX Sports, FOX Television Stations Group, and sports cable networks FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes and Big Ten Network, and certain other assets and liabilities, into Fox Corporation.
Hit the "View List" button for a closer look at what this merger means!
There's Still Time For A Teaser
Joss Whedon shot
The Avengers' post-credits scene on the same day the movie premiered and with over a month to go until
Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters, there's still time for something to be added which sets the stage for the X-Men and/or Fantastic Four's arrival in the MCU.
It's hard to say for sure, but as cool as it would be to see Galactus' shadow cast over a planet, whether VFX work like that could be completed anywhere near in time is impossible to say.
However, it wouldn't really be that hard to reference mutants or a group of astronauts who went missing, and if this doesn't wind up happening in
Avengers: Endgame, there's certainly more than enough time for it to be added to
Spider-Man: Far From Home (a movie which Kevin Feige has said will be our first look at a post-
Endgame MCU).
The Eternals Will Change Everything
In 2020, Marvel Studios has only two movies on the way:
Black Widow and
The Eternals. The former certainly doesn't seem like the best place to introduce the concept of mutants (it's supposed to be set in the past anyway) so it's down to The Eternals to set the stage for the rise of mutantkind.
In recent years, it's been revealed that the Celestials are responsible for their creation and considering the fact this movie will delve into thousands of years of history, something could very easily happen here that opens the door to their emergence in the present.
As of right now, The Eternals seems like the most likely place for mutants to finally become known and a post-credits scene could easily show a character like Cyclops discovering his powers before a rebooted version of the X-Men arrives in theaters in 2022/23.
Deadpool Survives The Cut...Mostly?
Bob Iger has said that Fox will continue to release movies that Disney cannot (R-Rated content, imagery of people smoking, etc.) so that could leave the door open to Deadpool continuing to exist in his current form. However, there's one major problem with that.
While the Merc with the Mouth's solo franchise is already pretty standalone in nature, even regular moviegoers accept that he's part of the X-Men Universe, so having his adventures continue would be impossible unless it drops any and all references to what's happening in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the characters who belong to the world of the X-Men completely.
That all sounds rather complicated and the most common sense approach here appears to be just making
Deadpool PG-13 and part of the MCU proper. With any luck, Ryan Reynolds will continue playing Wade Wilson even if there are ultimately some restraints
The New Mutants Is Heading To Disney+
This has been rumoured to be the case for a while now, but the merger happening this soon pretty much makes it official;
The New Mutants is not getting a theatrical release.
While it may still be dated for August, those all-important reshoots haven't happened and we highly doubt Kevin Feige is interested in taking charge of them and making this our first look at the MCU's version of mutants. Instead, the movie is probably going to be quietly released on Disney+ (or Hulu) in its current form with little to no mention of the X-Men.
As it stands, it looks very much like a generic teen horror movie anyway, and it wouldn't be surprising if the movie receives a title change which further distances it from the mutant characters now on their way to the MCU. It's already been reported that there are no costumes or codenames in it, anyway.
But What About Dark Phoenix?
Right now, this is a very interesting question. Disney has found itself with an
X-Men movie on its hands which the majority of fans aren't interested in and which directly contradicts and interferes with Marvel's plans for the franchise. It would be impossible for Feige to make it part of the MCU, and if those rumoured test screening reactions are any indication, doing so would be a disaster.
Disney could release it as an end of an era for the
X-Men series and hope moviegoers are smart enough to figure out it's not linked to the MCU (the fact it's simply titled
Dark Phoenix helps).
Alternatively, they could just scrap it altogether but that wouldn't be a smart business decision and it's bound to make at least a few hundred million dollars even if it is a critical flop.
Personally, I would say that the best option is to also release this one on a streaming service but it may very well be too late at this stage. Either way, we should learn more soon.
What About All Those Projects In Development?
While we know Kevin Feige has spoken to Noah Hawley about his
Doctor Doom movie, there's no way that or any of the other projects we've heard about are going to happen in their current form.
It's entirely feasible that Feige will see the potential in some of them and have them rewritten for the MCU but even that seems like wishful thinking and projects like
Gambit and
Multiple Man are dead.
We'll just have to hope that those involved are as creative as Hawley has been in regards to what they would have entailed as that's probably the only way we're ever going to learn more about them.
Marvel's First Family
For me, what happens to the Fantastic Four is perhaps the most interesting and exciting part of this merger. Fox has developed three terrible films starring Marvel's First Family and the fact their last effort made such a paltry amount at the box office could mean that Marvel Studios will leave the characters on the shelf for a while and just utilise their villains.
That would be a terrible shame as any comic book fan knows just how much potential this lot has.
It's possible that Marvel Studios could go the route of the Ultimate Universe by introducing the heroes as teenagers (which wouldn't be my personal preference) and I know some fans would like to see them in the 1960s before they get "lost in space." Regardless, I hope the reboot isn't too far away...
The Uncanny X-Men
Yes, this is what I'm hoping the eventual reboot is titled!
Regardless, we know this one is coming and with so many great characters and villains now at Feige's disposal, there's no way he'll leave them on the shelf and they're bound to be a priority for Phase 4. Going down the teenage route feels a little too similar to what's been done by Fox in recent years but how could an adult group ever be introduced?
Well, I guess they could have operated in secret (Charles Xavier's ability to wipe minds would help with that) until the mutant gene finally started becoming too publicly known for them to fly under the radar any longer. Either way, these heroes have a bright future in Feige's hands.
For a recap of 10 X-Men/Fantastic Four characters
we think Marvel should prioritise, continue reading below!
Cyclops
While it's true that we've seen plenty of Cyclops over the past twenty years or so, I think an argument could be made that Fox never quite got the character right. James Marsden and Tye Sheridan were both well cast but neither has been given the opportunity to show what a great leader Scott Summers is and most of their screentime has been devoted to pining after Jean Grey.
From the very start, Bryan Singer made a point of emasculating Cyclops as soon as Wolverine showed up and while I'm sure Marvel Studios is well aware of the importance this character holds to X-Men fans, there's sadly a risk that they'll feel he's been overexposed.
With any luck, though, he'll be given the chance to shine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and these movies will focus on his actual personality, including Scott's slightly darker side which has seen him align himself with Magneto in both the regular and Ultimate Marvel Universes over the years.
Doctor Doom
Victor Von Doom has appeared in three Fantastic Four movies as the primary antagonist and for that reason alone, I don't think Marvel Studios will be too quick to use him in the reboot.
Kevin Feige is no fool, though, and he surely realises that Doctor Doom has the potential to be a foe for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and not just Marvel's First Family. It's vital that there's some sort of connection between Doom and Reed Richards but there are ways around that if the heroes are going to be left on the bench for at least a little while.
Doom is an incredible villain who hasn't even come close to being done justice on the big screen, so I would say that he should be an even bigger priority than Galactus and the Silver Surfer.
Wolverine
I know what you're thinking but bear with me! Wolverine has been overexposed both on the big screen and in the comic books for years now but as great as Hugh Jackman was as Logan, I still feel like we still haven't seen the definitive version of the character.
For starters, I think it's about damn time that he gets his suit, while there are so many elements of his history that Fox glossed over by obsessively returning to his time as Weapon X. There aren't really any characters like Wolverine in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe and as great as he is when he's with the X-Men, just imagine the hero crossing paths with Black Panther and Spider-Man.
The fact is, Wolverine is a character with an awful lot of box office potential and it could be Marvel Studios we ultimately have to thank for finally putting him on the same screen as Deadpool.
Apocalypse
While it definitely appeared as if Fox was building to a big Mister Sinister reveal somewhere down the line after teasing the villain in movies like Logan and Deadpool 2, the fact that those developing these Marvel movies are completely clueless means that was probably never going to happen.
As much as I think Sinister needs to be introduced (and tied closely to the Summers family), it would be even more compelling to see a comic accurate version of Apocalypse enter the fray, especially if that kicks open the door to alternate timelines, time-travel, and a sci-fi vibe which fans of the X-Men will be all too familiar with.
Bryan Singer tried and failed to bring a satisfying version of En Sabah Nur to the big screen back in 2016 and while I think Marvel Studios would hold off on introducing him, a new take could see him easily become the big bad of not only the X-Men franchise but the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.
Invisible Woman
The entire Fantastic Four should obviously be a priority for Marvel Studios but it's about damn time Sue Storm gets the spotlight.
The most powerful member of the Fantastic Four, we've seen a bimbo version and an entirely forgettable scientist version but a comic accurate Sue who is the matriarch of this family and also every bit the leader Reed is is a must for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus, if that A-Force movie really does end up happening, she would need to play a key role there.
Invisible Woman is an incredible character and someone who could be vitally important in what's still a mostly male-dominated shared universe. Captain Marvel is opening the door for characters like Sue so Kevin Feige and company need to take advantage of that.
Sabretooth
We got a fleeting glimpse of Sabretooth's potential in X-Men Origins: Wolverine but that was sadly squandered and he hasn't been seen since in Fox's X-Men Universe.
Moving forward, I can't think of a better foe for the new Wolverine than this guy and there are a lot of great comic book storylines which Marvel Studios could choose to address (them being related in any way should be forgotten but the fact Victor visits Logan on his birthday each year would help make him a great recurring bad guy even in the X-Men franchise).
Sabretooth just so happens to be the sort of bad guy who could pop up elsewhere too; just imagine him crossing paths with Black Panther in Wakanda! Regardless, this is an X-Men villain with a huge amount of potential who deserves to be treated the way he deserves on the big screen.
Franklin Richards
One of the biggest questions fans have about the Fantastic Four's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how they could possibly be introduced. Will they be teenagers or could it be that they travelled to another dimension after being bombarded with those cosmic rays?
If so, it's perfectly feasible that they'd return to Earth with a child in tow and there's an awful lot Marvel Studios could do with Franklin. An Omega-level mutant, the youngster is one of the most powerful characters in the entire Marvel Universe and if Kevin Feige is going to start playing with alternate worlds, then having someone who can create them might come in very handy.
If you know anything about the Fantastic Four's adventures, you'll be all too familiar with what could be done with Franklin and he could even be used to reboot franchises and launch that Secret Wars movie we've heard so much about if The Beyonder isn't on the table.
Storm
I want to start off by saying that I most definitely don't want to see Storm end up being married to Black Panther. It didn't work in the comics and more than likely wouldn't play out that well in live-action either.
However, exploring Ororo's African origins is a must and Marvel Studios should cast the role accordingly. There are ways she could be tied into T'Challa's world, of course, but Storm can easily stand on her own as a character and it would be great to see her step up and do more than summon the odd lightning bolt or to create some clouds when she's in a bad mood!
Storm is a great character and one of the Marvel Universe's most powerful mutants so it would be awesome to see her powers portrayed properly as she flies through the sky and kicks some ass.
Silver Surfer
Way back when Fox lost the rights to Daredevil, Kevin Feige offered them the chance to keep the Man Without Fear in exchange for being allowed to use Galactus and the Silver Surfer. They said no.
With that in mind, it's pretty obvious that these two will pop up before too long but I would love to see a larger focus on the Silver Surfer first with Galactus teased over a number of movies. Norin Radd could even get his own solo movie before the Eater of Worlds appears to flesh out his origin story and to explain how he become Galactus' Herald.
It's shocking that Fox has never made a Silver Surfer movie but that leaves the door open to Marvel Studios properly introducing the character because the version we met in 2007 has been mostly forgotten by now (despite possibly being the best part of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer).
Kang The Conqueror
Marvel Studios has introduced the majority of The Avengers' biggest villains but we've yet to see Kang the Conqueror grace the big screen. The time-travelling villain is closely tied to the Fantastic Four so he's probably been owned by Fox up until this point but that's about to change.
Kang could unite the Avengers and Fantastic Four, while also serving as a big bad every bit as terrifying and powerful as Thanos.
The way he plays with the timeline would be fun to explore, as would adapting any number of the story arcs which have seen him best Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Kang is an amazing villain who deserves to have his story play out on the largest stage possible so I definitely think Marvel Studios should make giving him the spotlight a real priority.