Marvel could become master of the cinematic universe if Disney land Fox assets

Jul 23 , 2018

Scarlett Johansson has played Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff in six MCU movies – but lacks her own stand-alone movie. Photo: Jay Maidment, Marvel Studios

Mooted US$71.3 billion studio purchase may see X-Men, Wolverine, Deadpool, and Fantastic Four appear in future big screen blockbusters

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 US$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. 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.

Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, has hinted he may retire from the role. Photo: Marvel

Characters like the X-Men, Wolverine, Deadpool and Fantastic Four will be at Marvel’s disposal once the deal is finalised. 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 hinted 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.

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 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:

X-Men