The Disney/Marvel Relationship – Why it’s a Good Thing

Ever since Disney acquired Marvel back in 2009, I’ve been asked this question a lot: “Why did Disney buy Marvel?” or been told that “the companies just don’t mesh”, “Disney will dilute Marvel”, “Marvel is too violent for Disney”, and many more things of that nature. Some people refuse to believe Marvel and Disney can even coexist together, while others remain optimistic, but worried, at this merger. Since I’m a fan of both of these creative juggernauts, I’m the perfect person to be in a position to talk a little about why the Disney/Marvel partnership is a great thing for both companies, and fans.

With Marvel, Disney has now acquired a back catalog of characters that spans over 5,000. With Disney behind Marvel, Marvel can has great backing and funding from what is easily the biggest company for entertainment in the world. For fans of Marvel, this is great news, and nothing that you should be worried about.  This presents Marvel with a new way to bring these characters to life in new ways that weren’t as easily attainable as before. Not just with the comics and movie medium, but through television, rides, and so much more now.  Right now, Marvel is working on four TV shows: First we have a new Hulk TV show by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy) for ABC, as well AKA Jessica Jones, about a former superhero turned detective, both hoping to premiere in the 2012 fall season. Then we have Ultimate Spider-Man: The Animated Series, featuring Drake Bell as the voice of Peter Parker, which will premiere on Disney XD early next year. And finally Cloak and Dagger, but not much is known at the time, for ABC Family. This is on top of Marvel’s already impressive slate of movies: The Avengers in May, Iron Man 3 in May 2013, Thor 2 in July 2013, and the two new mystery projects that were announced last week for 2014. Rumors are running rampant that it could be anything from Captain America 2, Ant-Man, or Doctor Strange, all of which have been in active development. Marvel, as a company, is getting something that most comic book companies will never get the chance to do, and that’s put out movies and shows based off their characters, done by the company, and backed by Disney. It’s quite honestly the perfect situation.

Another great thing is for families with young boys. It’s no secret that Disney’s strongest property has always been their Disney Princess line. For years now, Snow White, Cinderella,  Tiana, Mulan, Jasmine, Belle, Ariel, Pocahontas, Aurora, and most recently, Rapunzel, have been Disney’s most well known characters, and made millions of young and teenage girls Disney fans for life. But the problem is, Disney has really only been catering to young girls, and young boys don’t have heroes of their own. Many of the films made geared towards them, such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, and The Emperor’s New Groove all performed well below expectations and are not really widely known movies, which dimmed any hope of capitalizing on them. Without characters for young boys, they grow uninterested and Disney and think it’s “girlie”. I’ve run into many children like this, and it’s honestly a little bit disheartening. Tangled went through excessive overhaul to make Flynn Rider a character boys could relate to, and the name was even changed to make it more accessible for boys so they didn’t feel “girlie” watching it.

But with Disney’s acquisition of Marvel, they can finally reach that demographic and give them characters they can love and relate to as well. Disney has been trying to reach boys for years, especially recently, with things like Pirates of the Caribbean, Tron Legacy, and Prince of Persia. Now boys will be able to able to enjoy thrilling adventures with their favorite heroes like Spider-Man and Hulk, all under the Mouse House. That’s not to say things will distributed through the Disney label all the time. Some characters, especially some of the darker and more adult characters such as The Punisher, if made into another movie, could land under Disney’s Touchstone banner, which is their best option. As for the people who say Marvel is too violent for Disney, I’d like to point out that none of the Marvel Studios movies (Iron Man 1 & 2, Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America) have been any more violent then the other PG-13 movies Disney has produced like Pirates of the Caribbean and Prince of Persia. If Disney can produce those, then there is no reason they can’t produce superhero blockbusters as well.

The Disney/Marvel relationship is something that is going to do great things for both companies. Disney now has access to over 5,000 new characters to pick and choose from to reach a new audience, while Marvel now has the resources and backing to bring their characters to life in new ways.  This is an excellent time to be a fan of both companies, and neither side should be afraid of what’s ahead.  I really look forward to seeing where this partnership goes, and can’t wait to see what we learn this weekend at D23 about their partnership.

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