Disney and Fox Deal Expected to Close Next Week

The Walt Disney Company‘s purchase of 21st Century Fox is about to become official. In just a matter of days, the merger will be complete.

According to a media release by Disney on Tuesday morning, the deal is expected to close by 12:02 AM ET on March 20th, which is next Wednesday. So eight days from now, Disney and Fox will likely be the some company.

The deadline for Fox shareholders to elect the form of consideration they’d like to receive in the deal will be at 5 pm ET Thursday afternoon (March 14th). Following that date, Fox is expected to distribute those holdings at 8 am ET on Tuesday, March 19th. Less than 24 hours later, the transaction should be complete.

This acquisition is one of, if not the largest in the history of the entertainment industry. Disney is already the leading brand in Hollywood, owning the rights to franchises like Star Wars, Pixar, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as its own profitable IP. Given that Fox is already a powerful brand in its own right, this merger will significantly change the landscape of the entire industry.

While the effects of this deal reach far and wide, what intrigues comic fans the most is the massive addition that it will bring to the MCU. With Fox now being owned by Disney, the characters from the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises can now be utilized by Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel Studios. This opens up an enormous amount of opportunity for the future of the franchise that will likely be without previous leads Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.

What do you think of this massive deal? How long do you think Marvel will wait to introduce the X-Men into the MCU? Let us know in the comments!

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