Last year, the entertainment industry was rocked by the news that Disney made a deal with Fox to buy most of its entertainment assets including many of our favorite movies and TV shows. On one hand, the loss of a major studio to a merger will potentially mean fewer films and reduced competition in Hollywood. But getting the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be a pretty good consolation prize. Although the Fox and Disney deal has been widely expected to close next summer, Comcast still wants to play the spoiler. Today’s Nerdist News is all about the potential threat to the Disney and Fox merger.
Join host and corporate assassin, Jessica Chobot, as she gives us the details on Comcast’s spoiler bid to steal Fox right out from under Disney. Fox and Disney’s deal called for around $52 billion in a stock transaction. Comcast reportedly wants to up the bid to $60 billion, all in cash. This doesn’t mean that Comcast will automatically get Fox, but it does spell trouble for Disney.
Neither deal will go forward unless the Fox shareholders approve them. And while Disney’s status as the biggest studio in Hollywood will likely get its bid a lot of support, the promise of an extra $8 billion really could be a deciding factor. If Disney ups its offer for Fox, then that could trigger a bidding war for the studio’s assets. At that point, it will come down to which company has the deeper pockets and which one is willing to go the distance.
The other major x-factor is AT&T’s attempt to merge with Time Warner. The government is fighting that merger in court, and its outcome may determine the fate of Comcast’s bid. If AT&T prevails, Comcast will likely continue pursuing Fox. But if the government successfully shuts down the Time Warner merger, then Fox and Comcast probably won’t be joining forces any time soon.
This battle is just getting started, and for the sake of the MCU, we know which outcome we’d like to see. Getting the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Deadpool back was about more than just those characters. It would open up the door for all of their spinoff characters and expand Marvel’s potential film prospects. Want to see a Silver Surfer movie or an Alpha Flight spinoff in the MCU? There’s only one way that’s going to happen.
Who do you think will prevail in the war between Disney and Comcast? Share your predictions below!
Images: 20th Century Fox/Marvel Studios
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