Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019 for $71.3 billion was a game-changer for the entertainment industry, and particularly for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This strategic move not only brought all of the outstanding Marvel characters under the umbrella of the MCU, but has recently proven a huge success with the release of the new Deadpool and Wolverine movie, which has set several box office records, becoming the biggest opening of the year so far, and the highest-grossing opening for an R-rated movie ever.
The Divide in Intellectual Property Rights
Before this merger, Marvel characters were scattered across different film studios due to intellectual property rights and film rights agreements. In the early 1990’s, before the success of the MCU, Marvel licensed the movie rights to the X-Men to 20th Century Fox to avoid bankruptcy. Fox owned the rights to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and characters like Deadpool and Wolverine. Fox released over twelve Marvel movies, dating back to 2000’s original X-Men movie. This separation of character rights limited the potential for crossovers within the Marvel universe and some of its most famous comic book characters. Meanwhile, Disney owned Marvel Studios, dating back to its acquisition of Marvel in 2009, and the rights to the Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, and other key characters, and began producing hit movies under the MCU banner. This division, however, often frustrated fans who wanted to see interactions between iconic characters such as the X-Men and the Avengers on the big screen. Now we may just see some of these anticipated crossovers in film and TV.
Unlocking Crossover Potential Through Intellectual Property Consolidation
The acquisition of Fox by Disney brought these outlier Marvel characters under one roof, enabling Marvel Studios to create content that feature interactions between previously separated characters. The new MCU produced Deadpool and Wolverine movie is a prime example, blending the distinct styles, characters, and storylines of the Fox Marvel universe with the broader MCU. This merger allowed for the inclusion of characters and content that were once off-limits due to intellectual property restrictions. The massive success of Deadpool and Wolverine is a testament to the power of this merger and the strategic consolidation of intellectual property rights. With the intellectual property rights to all Marvel characters now consolidated by Disney, Marvel Studios enjoys greater creative freedom and consistency in storytelling for future projects. Deadpool and Wolverine leverages this advantage, incorporating a mix of MCU and Fox Marvel content, much to the surprise and enjoyment of the audience.