In 2009, exactly 13 years ago to the day, multi-billion dollar company Walt Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment, securing rights to the plentiful realm of superheroes belonging to the comic book giant. During a trip down memory lane, Reddit users have been hotly debating whether the landmark acquisition has proven to be beneficial for all involved or, well, the opposite of that.
Unsurprisingly, most comments are pro-acquisition, with one name, above all, getting the most mentions.
One user wholeheartedly believes, and understandably so, that Marvel Studios wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far as they would’ve if it weren’t for Disney’s purchase, even leading some users to wish for the company to acquire Sony next, for the rights of Spider-Man.
Another popular reply also argued that Disney’s acquisition was “overall a good thing,” the reason being that Ike Perlmutter, the former CEO of Marvel Entertainment, ended his involvement with the studio earlier than expected all due to Disney’s purchase. Perlmutter’s input regarding the Marvel storylines wasn’t always positively embraced by fans, as he had made odd choices regarding some fan-favorite characters.
Some users are still torn when it comes to the multi-billion dollar deal, defending that prior to the purchase, Marvel studios “was still on shaky ground”, adding that it “couldn’t have grown the way it did without the acquisition.”. At the same time, and on a less positive note, the user also regrets that this decision was bought by “a megacorporation with questionable ethics”.
Another user pointed out that Disney doesn’t always handle darker narratives with great care. Disney’s movies target a very specific audience, keeping it PG for everyone who might attend the movie theaters for their latest release.
Overall, most fans are positive that the purchase was definitely a good choice and a great opportunity for Marvel. Some are still on the fence about Disney’s questionable morals and growth as a multi-billionaire megacorporation, though only time will tell whether Disney will finally get the rights to every Marvel superhero on the large screen.