The Disney and Fox merger may not be finished until some time next year, but it’s almost a done deal. The shareholders and the government have given their approval, and Comcast is out of the picture. Now, the only real question is how soon can the X-Men and the Fantastic Four join the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Today’s Nerdist News is about Disney CEO Bob Iger’s hints about the future of the former Fox properties.
Join host and future X-Force member, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down Iger’s recent comments during a call with Disney investors. Iger indicated Disney plans to “expand iconic movie franchises like Avatar, Marvel’s X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Deadpool, Planet of the Apes, Kingsman, and many others.” Additionally, Iger indicated some of the newly acquired properties may be utilized as original films or series for the upcoming Disney streaming service.
Given that Iger referred to Deadpool by name, it seems likely Ryan Reynolds and company will be allowed to continue the franchise even under the new ownership. However, we fully expect Fantastic Four to get a complete reboot rather than build upon any of the previous movies.
The X-Men are going to be a little trickier. Two nearly finished films are on the horizon:Â Dark Phoenix and New Mutants. Dark Phoenix is scheduled to hit in February 2019, well ahead of Disney’s takeover. That movie’s February release seems secure, despite rumors that it might be shelved along with New Mutants. At some point, we believe Marvel and Disney will have to reboot the X-Men films as well, but Dark Phoenix could serve as a farewell to the original franchise.
What do you think Marvel should do with the Fantastic Four and X-Men movies? Let us know in the comment section below!
Images: Marvel/20th Century Fox
