We’re on the verge of a year of huge change for pop culture as a result of the impending Disney/Fox deal, and according to Disney’s chairman of direct-to-consumer and international offers, the merger is now in its final stages.
Kevin Mayer has been involved in this historic transaction since the start, and in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the dealmaker remarked that he’s excited for the changes to come.
“The deal closing keeps me up at night, but it is almost done and closed,” Mayer said. “I’m eager to execute. I’m eager to get these services out in the public’s hands. That is an excitement more than it is a nervousness.”
Reports from a couple of months ago suggested that the merger was due to be finalized at the start of 2019, and that certainly seems to be the timespan Mayer is indicating here. And while we shouldn’t assume the shift in ownership’s various effects to be seen all at once in the movies and TV shows we watch, you can expect a steady stream of news in these next few years for better or worse, as Disney reveals its plans (or lack thereof) for a range of high-profile properties, from Avatar to The Simpsons to Alien.
Of course, this deal will prove to be an especially big moment for MCU fans, with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige soon to have whole new sections of comic book mythology unlocked to him. The producer is remaining characteristically tight-lipped on what his intentions are for the likes of Deadpool, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, but while we shouldn’t expect to see Wolverine and the gang pop up in, say, next year’s Avengers: Endgame, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised if one or two relevant projects get announced in the near future.
That being said, after Disney has worked so hard to acquire Fox, they may not want to rush into any major changes, but it’s clear either way that we’re in for a wild ride come 2019.
