Marvel's Next Step

ChrisM

ChrisM

Well-Known Member
maxairmike said:
This was a strategic business move to improve and enlarge the ability to capture a demographic that Disney has failed to capture in the recent past. If Universal has to pay into Disney's bottom line, well that's just another humorous note in the boardroom.
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Err, yes and no.

The rationale behind Disney's purchase of Marvel was spot on and had little or nothing to do with the parks.

However, Universal paying into Disney's bottom line is a lot more than just a humorous note in the boardroom, and the legal and accounting groups of both organizations have likely been tearing their hair out over it. Acquisitions are always messy and this one, in particular, has likely caused quite a few very highly compensated people to be burning the midnight oil for more than a couple of days. And counsel usually has the ear of whatever executive they want.
 
M

maxairmike

Well-Known Member
ChrisM said:
Err, yes and no.

The rationale behind Disney's purchase of Marvel was spot on and had little or nothing to do with the parks.

However, Universal paying into Disney's bottom line is a lot more than just a humorous note in the boardroom, and the legal and accounting groups of both organizations have likely been tearing their hair out over it. Acquisitions are always messy and this one, in particular, has likely caused quite a few very highly compensated people to be burning the midnight oil for more than a couple of days. And counsel usually has the ear of whatever executive they want.
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Obviously yes, but I was speaking more to the issue exhibited by the "they purchased Marvel just to steal Universal's thunder" attitude. To make an earlier statement even more generalized, I would hate to be tasked with any part of integrating Marvel where the parks and cross-promotional/antitrust/etc. issues may arise.
 
menamechris

menamechris

Well-Known Member
I think more thought and theory has been put into this thread that anyone in the Disney Company put into this topic today. Everything is pure speculation - probably because Disney bought it, and then dropped it. We haven't heard much about the Marvel brand from Disney since. Maybe if I was a shareholder and really keeping track of Disney's numbers this would be more important to me. But in the meantime, only time will tell if they was a smart business acquisition for Disney. Quite frankly, they may not even know yet....
 
lebeau

lebeau

Well-Known Member
menamechris said:
I think more thought and theory has been put into this thread that anyone in the Disney Company put into this topic today. Everything is pure speculation - probably because Disney bought it, and then dropped it. We haven't heard much about the Marvel brand from Disney since. Maybe if I was a shareholder and really keeping track of Disney's numbers this would be more important to me. But in the meantime, only time will tell if they was a smart business acquisition for Disney. Quite frankly, they may not even know yet....
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I actually sort of disagree. Disney has gone out of its way to bring its movie franchises in-house to the extent that is possible. And they have got that Avengers cartoon on Disney XD which is exactly the sort of thing the deal was meant to do.

From where I'm sitting, the Marvel deal appears to be going exactly according to plan.

I do agree that they probably haven't put much if any thought into using the Marvel properties at WDW. I'm not sure it would even qualify as an afterthought.
 
M

maxairmike

Well-Known Member
Not to mention getting a lot of Marvel merch into every park and DTD, as well as their store chain around the country. They are being pretty active with their acquisition of Marvel so far, and doing exactly what they intended to do with it. Any Marvel movies from here on out will be bringing money into their movie studios, instead of Sony or other studios like with the Spiderman and Hulk movies. The parks are not the current focus for integrating Marvel with Disney, and probably won't be for a while yet.
 
menamechris

menamechris

Well-Known Member
lebeau said:
I actually sort of disagree. Disney has gone out of its way to bring its movie franchises in-house to the extent that is possible. And they have got that Avengers cartoon on Disney XD which is exactly the sort of thing the deal was meant to do.

From where I'm sitting, the Marvel deal appears to be going exactly according to plan.

I do agree that they probably haven't put much if any thought into using the Marvel properties at WDW. I'm not sure it would even qualify as an afterthought.
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Well, you are right - I guess I probably should have said that the average adult Disney consumer hasn't heard anything about it.

No doubt they have some plan or strategy implemented, but like you said, I honestly do not think it will have anything to do with most of us (unless you have kids at home watching the Disney channels, like you said). I agree with you that we shouldn't expect to see any implementation in the theme parks or cruises.
 
Wilt Dasney

Wilt Dasney

Well-Known Member
SleepingMonk said:
Right, so how does a comic book character, and recent movie (Ironman) fit more in EPCOT than a "movie studio" ?
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This is all academic for reasons thoroughly outlined -- but having said that, I can see the rationale. Tony Stark is devoted to novel and experimental technology, and embraces the "brave new world" in a way that feels consistent with the old Future World ethos.

I didn't see Iron Man 2, but apparently there was a scene with a Worlds Fair-type expo that had a structure similar to Spaceship Earth. It's not a terrible fit thematically, even though I agree that any more general comic hero attraction (focused on stunts, action, etc.) is best suited for DHS.
 
lebeau

lebeau

Well-Known Member
menamechris said:
Well, you are right - I guess I probably should have said that the average adult Disney consumer hasn't heard anything about it.

No doubt they have some plan or strategy implemented, but like you said, I honestly do not think it will have anything to do with most of us (unless you have kids at home watching the Disney channels, like you said). I agree with you that we shouldn't expect to see any implementation in the theme parks or cruises.
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Should Disney align themselves too closely with Marvel, they run the risk of losing the very demo that they bought Marvel to attract. They can't turn Marvel into Disney's Marvel or 1 of 2 things will happen:

1. People will see a Disney Deadpool and/or Punisher comic book and positively freak out.

2. Boys will decide Marvel sucks.

Both of these things could happen. So, I don't think you'll ever see Disney do anything that obviously brings Marvel under the Disney umbrella. They have specifically said they want Marvel to keep being Marvel. They just want to be able to exploit Marvel to the fullest.
 
menamechris

menamechris

Well-Known Member
maxairmike said:
Not to mention getting a lot of Marvel merch into every park and DTD, as well as their store chain around the country. They are being pretty active with their acquisition of Marvel so far, and doing exactly what they intended to do with it. Any Marvel movies from here on out will be bringing money into their movie studios, instead of Sony or other studios like with the Spiderman and Hulk movies. The parks are not the current focus for integrating Marvel with Disney, and probably won't be for a while yet.
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Every park? Mind you, I don't have a kid dragging me through all the toy store, but the only park I personally have seen Marvel merch is HS. And it was subtle at best.... Any upcoming movies - well, we know how Disney's movie studio track record has been as of late...
 
M

maxairmike

Well-Known Member
Indeed, every park. I have seen Marvel merch in Tomorrowland, Studios, EPCOT, and DAK (forget the exact stores), in addition to a decent size section in Once Upon a Toy (and I think I saw a few things in the World of Disney Store). I'm not even a big shopper, but I picked up on the presence of the new merch immediately.
 
menamechris

menamechris

Well-Known Member
maxairmike said:
Indeed, every park. I have seen Marvel merch in Tomorrowland, Studios, EPCOT, and DAK (forget the exact stores), in addition to a decent size section in Once Upon a Toy (and I think I saw a few things in the World of Disney Store). I'm not even a big shopper, but I picked up on the presence of the new merch immediately.
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Hhmmm...interesting. Never seen anything at those before. I will keep a look out this weekend.
 
M

maxairmike

Well-Known Member
It has been well over a month since I have been in the parks, so that may have changed. But as of the first week of March, that was what I saw.
 
FigmentJedi

FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
People who think the Marvel characters are too gritty need to realize that, like the DC universe, there are multiple ways to interpret them. We'll probably get something along the lines of the Movieverse or animated series rather then the grittiness of what has become of 616 or Ultimate Universe.

Also, I can easily see a Power Pack series in the future of Disney Junior.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
hemloc said:
More Disneyland, I suppose, but who knows what surprises the future holds :shrug:???

Marvel's Next Step: Disneyland
The studio boss on Marvel's theme park aspirations.
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Interesting thoughts here.

That little line in the legal contract about not doing anything in a theme park "east of the Mississippi River" seems to aim Marvel's physical park presence just at Disneyland and the overseas parks for now. But that will change.

If I were to bet two churros, here's how I think the timeline might run for seeing some actual Marvel enterprise in the parks, aside from merchandise on the shelves in some stores (that's already happened).

Immediate Term 1 to 2 Years
Marvel Character Meet N' Greets Where Appropriate (Thor at Norway Pavilion, etc.)

Short Term 3 to 5 Years
Marvel Attraction in Disneyland's Tomorrowland (Innoventions Building?)

Mid Term 6 to 12 Years
Planning/Construction For Third DLR Park (MarvelLand) On Anaheim's Expansion Plot

Long Term 12 to 20 Years
Fifth Theme Park (MarvelLand) For WDW

But then, who really knows?!

.
 
Princess_Minnie

Princess_Minnie

Member
I guess part of my problem is that Marvel is not Disney created. You can find the characters everywhere, including down the road at Universal. Six Flags. Cedar Point. If Marvel were incoorporated into a Disney park, YES they would do it differently and better, I have no doubt. But part of what I love about Disney is that you can't get the experience you get there anywhere else. With Marvel in the mix it would seem so ordinary and commonplace. Just another theme park based on Marvel Superheroes. I like the strictly Disney aspect of the Disney parks.
Again, this is all just IMO. I'm not a super-marvel fan. I will always defer to Disney over Marvel.
 
WondersOfLife

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
majortom1981 said:
Why keep marvel characters out of the parks? (replace the old wonders of life pavilion with something ironman related)
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FP.png





How about 2 new attractions not inspired by a disney character for once? we have plenty why not a new character? we have: stitch, iago & zazu, finding nemo, nemo, snow white, pooh bear, toy story, monsters inc., narnia, peter pan... and many many more


the non-disney character attractions were probably some of the best: World of Motion, Test Track, Mission: Space, Horizons, Carousel of Progress, The Enchanted Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, The Great American Adventure, space mountain, thunder mountain, mount everest, safari ride, journey into imagination, captain EO, magic journeys, the haunted mansion, country bear jamboree, body wars, cranium command, reflections of china, kitchen kabaret, food rocks, symbiosis, living with the land, o canada, impressions de france, universe of energy, peoplemover, maelstrom... most of what i've listed are also some of the best attractions in all of WDW.

We have pixar, why do we have to ruin it with marvel? If Disney's going to let Universal keep the land at their theme park, why put attractions in WDW? After all, it'll just make universal less popular and make them want to out-do disney again and make a new land that's even better than disney's fantasyland and new marvel attractions...right?
 

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