As more details emerge about Walt Disney Company's purchase of Marvel Entertainment, every new piece of information makes the story a little more fascinating. Take, for example, a recent report regarding the brewing battle between Disney and Universal Studios over the right to use Marvel characters at theme parks.
Over at Deadline Hollywood, Nikke Finke has put together a comprehensive list of all the characters, attractions and specific locations around Universal's various theme parks that are likely to be the object of intense legal debate in the near future. The list is divided into characters licensed for specific attractions and "walk-around" characters licensed to appear in costume around the park, including such high-profile figures as Spider-Man, Dr. Doom, Hulk, Storm, Captain America, Cyclops, Green Goblin and Wolverine.
According to the report, future appearances by characters could be determined by a variety of factors, including their status as an attraction or walk-around property, and even the park's location.
"Marvel wanted more moolah for the licensing agreement renewal, which Universal wanted to cut back," reports Finke, citing anonymous sources inside Universal. "In the end, Universal severed ties with Marvel for the West Coast park, while maintaining an amicable relationship for the Orlando park."
While this would allow Disney to use the characters in their West Coast theme parks, the company isn't likely to split the brand between competing parks, so... Sorry, California!
Finke adds that her sources at Universal believe their existing deal with Marvel should protect their ownership of characters for specific attractions and shows, but the status of their walk-around characters is, well... a little less stable. Take, for example, the last, "we believe" line of the following statement she received from Universal:
"Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and the Marvel characters are a beloved and important part of the Universal Orlando experience. They will remain so. Our guests are going to get to meet Spider-Man and all our other Marvel characters. We believe our agreement with Marvel stands and that the Disney/Marvel deal will have no impact on our guest experience."
So, will your friendly, neighborhood wall-crawler have to make a new neighborhood his home? The story is, as they say, developing...
Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter!
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