Much like at the climax of Avengers: Infinity War, the substantial, all-cash bid for the rights to intellectual properties owned by 21st Century Fox by Comcast is entering the endgame.
Last month, the proposed acquisition of Fox by Disney was cast in doubt when rival contender Comcast returned to battle. As reported by CNBC, the global telecommunications conglomerate was willing to offer $60B in cash for the Rupert Murdoch-founded company.
While at the time it was believed the Executive Chairman preferred Disney stock, and Comcast didn’t pose that significant of a threat, we learned last week that this is just not the case. In a sit-down with digital news network Cheddar, Richard Greenfield of BTIG said Murdoch “is not set on selling to Disney” and “simply wants to do business with the highest bidder.”
Unfortunately for the MCU fandom, the $52.4 billion deal offered by the Mouse House to purchase a majority of assets owned by Fox – including Deadpool, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men – “is in more jeopardy than some may believe.”
According to Deadline, CEO Brian Roberts told investors during the company’s annual shareholders meeting early Monday morning that Comcast is in the “advanced stages” of preparing a bid for 21st Century Fox – an offer dependent on the ruling in the AT&T-Time Warner anti-trust case, which is expected later today.
Seeing as a merger between 21st Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company would allow Marvel Studios unrestricted access to the characters mentioned above, the amalgamation has piqued the interest of MCU devotees hoping to observe a crossover between the mutant brethren and Marvel Studios’ multi-billion dollar franchise.
Sadly, though, it appears that the Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool crossover we’re all dreaming of may have to be put on hold, at least for now. There’s still a chance Disney might swoop in and be able to beat out their rival, of course, but at the moment, it’s looking like Comcast may be the ones who walk away victorious here.