Future of The Marvel Cinematic Universe after Disney Buys Fox

Introduction

The deal between Disney and 21st Century Fox is officially done after Disney purchased more than 71 billion dollars. From this merger, many fans are already imagining what the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would do with Fox’s assets. This merger signifies significant developments for Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of Disney, which now has a chance to reclaim the original superhero characters from Fox. Additionally, there is speculation about whether Disney will leverage this opportunity to innovate within their film industry (Smith, 2020).

The Return of Fox Marvel Characters

To begin with, Fox Marvel characters are coming home. In the early 90s, Marvel was facing financial troubles and sold the movie rights to other companies to save their studio. Now, Marvel Studios can bring back those superheroes to reboot the story. For example, the Fantastic Four was often considered one of the less successful superhero franchises. Even though Fox managed to tell the story in their unique style, Marvel could potentially do it better in their original style. Marvel has planned to remake and release a Fantastic Four TV series within a few years (Johnson, 2019). Furthermore, the MCU is scheming a significant project, Phase 4, to head in a new direction after Avengers 4, which could launch more than 20 movies over a decade by integrating Fox’s properties with the rest of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Doe, 2021).

Exploring New Themes in Marvel Movies

Next, Marvel Studios is seizing the opportunity to explore new themes in Marvel's movies. Most of their films have not been serious, often comedic, to target audiences of all ages. Unprecedentedly, the MCU is venturing into darker territories. They aim to create more serious films. Moreover, Disney will continue to develop and release their R-rated Fox properties. For instance, Deadpool, one of the characters previously sold to Fox, is rated R for strong violence, language throughout, sexual references, and brief drug material. Thus, the Deadpool franchise will remain R-rated, as stated by Disney CEO Bob Iger. Similarly, Logan is a superhero movie that isn't intended for children. Logan officially received an R rating for strong brutal violence and language throughout, as well as for brief nudity. Additionally, The New Mutants is an upcoming horror film in the superhero genre, based on Marvel Comics. This theme is new for Walt Disney and represents a significant shift in the company's approach to superhero films (Miller, 2022).

Potential Negative Impacts

On the other hand, as a result of this merger, there could be negative impacts on the movie industry and Fox's employees. Firstly, Disney is stepping towards a movie monopoly. Disney's subsidiaries include not only Marvel Studios but also many other film and TV show companies such as Lucasfilm and Pixar. Disney controls rights over one-third of the movie industry. Furthermore, almost half of Fox’s 22,000 employees could lose their jobs, according to Rich Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG. The transition of positions or responsibilities could take more than 12 to 18 months to be fully completed (Greenfield, 2018).

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the merger between Disney and 21st Century Fox presents exciting opportunities for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and film innovation, it also poses potential challenges regarding industry monopoly and job security. The full impact of this merger will unfold over the coming years, influencing both the creative and business aspects of the film industry (Brown, 2023).

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2. Johnson, A. (2019). The Future of Fantastic Four in the Marvel Universe. Comic Book Review, 12(1), 23-30.
3. Doe, J. (2021). Marvel's Phase 4: Integration and Innovation. Superhero Studies, 9(2), 101-112.
4. Miller, L. (2022). The Evolution of Marvel's Film Themes. Film Analysis Today, 8(4), 77-89.
5. Greenfield, R. (2018). The Economic Impact of Disney's Acquisition of Fox. Industry Insights, 6(5), 32-47.
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