Marvel
Disney's Hollywood dominance will soon expand, and with it, Marvel's reign over the superhero genre.
Comcast announced that it was backing out of its bid for Fox assets on Thursday, leaving the door wide open for Disney to finally acquire the Fox film studio and other assets for $71.3 billion.
There are a lot of questions that arise from this merger, notably how it will affect the Hollywood and box-office landscapes. But it also means big things for the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe, which now has a chance to incorporate Fox-owned properties into the franchise.
Characters like the X-Men, Wolverine, Deadpool, and Fantastic Four will be at Marvel's disposal once the deal is finalized. Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that the MCU may try a "new franchise beyond 'Avengers'" in the future, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige called next year's "Avengers 4" a "conclusion."
On top of that, veteran actors of the franchise like Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, have teased that they are ready to retire after "Avengers 4." "Avengers: Infinity War" set up a reunion between the original Avengers in the sequel, and I've written about why that could mean some of those characters' last hurrah.
With all of that in mind, Disney's merger comes at a perfect time if the MCU is planning to head in a new direction after "Avengers 4," but it could also have huge ramifications for all of the characters involved.
Below are 11 heroes, villains, and events that could be introduced to the MCU after the Disney/Fox merger, and what it could mean for the franchise: