Well, here’s one way to get the X-Men and the Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe…
According to CNBC, The Walt Disney Company has held preliminary discussions about acquiring parts of 21st Century Fox, including its movie studio division 20th Century Fox.
Apparently, early discussions have been ongoing for several weeks, although formal talks are not currently taking place. It is said that the deal would not include the likes of the FOX broadcast network or Fox Sports, with Disney believing that could open it up to an anti-trust case giving its ownership of ABC and ESPN.
It would however include the movie division, FX and National Geographic, Fox’s TV production assets, and its stake in international broadcasters such as Sky and Star.
From a movie studio standpoint, should Disney acquire Fox it would not only give the company the rights to the aforementioned X-Men and Fantastic Four, but also the distribution rights to the original six Star Wars movies (the 1977 original is owned by Fox in perpetuity), as well as franchises such as Avatar, Planet of the Apes, Alien, Predator and Die Hard.
UPDATE: According to The Wall Street Journal, talks have ceased as the two companies could not agree on a price for the deal, and the chances are discussions resuming are said to be slim. Nevertheless, Fox is still keen on offloading its assets and will likely be meeting with other potential buyers.
