Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm – four instantly recognizable comic book characters who may wind up receiving a much-needed shot in the arm thanks to Disney’s historic acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its entertainment assets.
Those film and television rights won’t come cheap; word is the Mouse House tabled a record-setting deal in excess of $52.4 billion, which will, through time, bring the Fantastic Four – not to mention the X-Men and Deadpool – back home to Marvel.
It’s a merger that will undoubtedly have countless far-reaching implications for the entertainment industry at large, but on the ground level, comic book fans are already beginning to envision an altered MCU that makes room for Marvel’s First Family. Case in point: this clever piece from ‘SPYRAL_super_hero’. Initially posted via Reddit (h/t ComicBook.com), it rebrands Avengers Tower with the number four – a sigil for Richards and the gang – while also including the Human Torch taking flight. Feast thy eyes:
Compared to some of the other fan-made posters kicking around, which focus on all of the many characters who will soon be making their way over to the Marvel camp, this piece deserves credit for its inherent subtlety. Besides, who wouldn’t like to see Johnny Storm pay a visit to Stark and the other leading members of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?
Granted, it’ll likely be another three or four years before we see the full effects of Disney’s buyout – to their credit, the above poster includes the hashtag “#FlameOn2020,” and we’re under no illusion that the Fantastic Four will be entering the MCU anytime soon.
It is, of course, still fun to speculate, as in time, the Disney-Fox merger will upend the superhero genre as we know it, and we’ll be keeping you informed every step of the way.