Fans wary of Disney's purchase of Marvel Entertainment can sleep a little easier tonight as we've got some comments made by CEO Robert Iger at the D23 Expo in California. Among other things, Iger touched on his excitement surrounding the monumental acquisition, as well the company's approach to properties currently owned by other studios. Find out more after the jump.
To put it simply, it appears Disney will handle Marvel as they currently do with Pixar. To this end, Iger reinforced his commitment to let current Marvel creators develop properties fans want to see. Disney will merely be a supporter on the sidelines. He did express interest in possible crossovers between Disney and Marvel characters as a future endeavor, but noted plans are far from concrete. I'm sure this will give those yearning for a Captain America-Mickey Mouse team up more to speculate over in the coming years.
Iger also addressed another major concern fans have expressed: what is the status of properties currently under other ownership, like X-Men and Spider-Man? Iger seems content to let those deals run their course first before adding them to the Disney name. In other words, it looks like there won't be a push to acquire those properties early. Does this mean fans will have to handle a few more subpar X-Men movies before the franchise changes hands? It sure looks that way.
Nobody can be sure whether this hands off approach indeed comes to fruition, but I think Iger at least deserves the benefit of the doubt going forward. Disney has said all the right things since the Marvel purchase ten days ago, and I'm becoming more and more confident that this relationship can thrive. The House of Mouse clearly can run a successful franchise in a variety of mediums, which can provide Marvel plenty of opportunities to showcase their brand. If the company had not already set such a great precedent with Pixar, my optimism would be subdued. Until there is reason to worry though, I won't. We'll be sure to keep you updated as more developments emerge.