The geek world imploded this week when it was reported that Disney is working on purchasing the bulk of 20th Century Fox. Immediately, fans either got excited to see properties such as the X-Men merge with the House of Mouse or bemoaned the unstoppable dominance of Disney. Shortly after this report came out, though, we were told that the whole thing might already be dead in the water, as talks between the two companies had apparently cooled already.
Now, however, we’ve learned that we should ignore that second report as the notion has allegedly not yet been thrown out. CNBC – who broke the original story – says that the “pencils aren’t down” in regards to a merger between the two studios. This might have something to do with the fact that the companies’ stock prices have shot up since the news came out. Disney rose seven percent while Fox hit a more impressive 18% increase.
In case you missed the initial report, it stated that the Walt Disney Company were looking to purchase the majority of their rival studio. This included its entertainment divisions, but left out the news and sports. It’s a move that could massively reshape the cinematic landscape, as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four could be brought into the MCU, while a DVD release of the unedited version of Star Wars: A New Hope could also be on the cards.
However, some have feared that this would be an undesirable move, as the deal would reduce the major Hollywood studios from five down to four, leaving less creative outlets for filmmakers. Disney’s family-friendly image also has some worried that the company would water down certain Fox properties. Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, for one, doesn’t want his character under Disney‘s clutches, and even Ryan Reynolds expressed concern about the future of the Merc with the Mouth.
What do you make of all this, though? Are you interested in seeing a Disney/Fox deal? Or are you dead against it? Have your say in the comments section down below.