The merge between Marvel and Disney has been approved earlier this morning by Marvel stockholder. Once the deal passes the Securities and Exchange Commission, the two companies would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney.
“We’re thrilled to welcome to the Disney family the talented team at Marvel,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company, who announced today that Disney has completed its acquisition of Marvel Entertainment Inc.
“We believe the creative and business potential of this combination is substantial and can help us grow both our top and bottom line, leading to a significant increase in long-term shareholder value.”
What does this mean exactly for shareholders and fans alike?
For shareholders, they will receive a total of $30 a share in cash plus approximately 0.7452 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. For fans, expect Disney to have the right to produce movies based on characters from the Marvel Universe that hasn’t already been licensed to other studios (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four). According to Collider, it also means “Disney will be able to use the characters to create even more merchandising opportunities and also new superhero themed rides at Disneyland and Disneyworld.”
Marvel’s assets include a library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over 70 years and businesses, including licensing, movie production and publishing.