expected to be finished sometime next year.
Part of the massive TV and movie assets of 21st Century Fox that will be handed over to Disney via the deal include IPs like in-development streaming service tipped to launch next year. Now, Iger finally offers some insight as to what their plans are with regard to these properties.
Related: Disney Films Won't Go To Netflix Anymore, Starting With Captain Marvel
During Disney's third quarter 2018 financial results conference call (via The Motley Fool), Iger shared their plans for the countless high-profile properties that they'll be gaining once the Fox merger is finalized. "20th Century Fox Film is yet another example. It gives us the opportunity to be associated with and to expand iconic movie franchises like Avatar, Marvel's X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Deadpool, Planet of the Apes, Kingsman, and many others," he told the company's investors.
This is a good indication that Disney is planning to continue what Fox has started with regard to some of their successful franchises. One of people's main concerns about the deal was the possibility of the House of Mouse watering down Fox's edgier properties to fit their family-friendly portfolio. Based on Iger's comments, it seems like they're looking at these new properties as a way to diversify their brand, which somehow addresses that issue. Of course, the public won't know whether or not Disney's handling of these IPs will be for the better, but at least it appears like they have a good idea of what to do with them.
As for Marvel properties such as X-Men, Fantastic Four, Deadpool and all their tie-in characters, the creative responsibility to incorporate them in the MCU rests on Kevin Feige's shoulders. The Marvel Studios' president Deadpool series considering its success, it's more likely that they'll opt to reboot both the X-Men and Fantastic Four in order to better suit their own canon.
Iger, however, didn't address issues of the possibility of countless people losing jobs over the merger and understandably so considering the nature of the meeting. This means that people working at Fox whose jobs are threatened by the deal will sadly have to wait a little while longer to learn whether or not they'll be carried over to Disney. While it's not been confirmed, huge company buyouts like this normally lead to layoffs in order to prevent additional cost, which is one of the biggest worries that industry people have with the looming sale.
More: How Avengers 4 Can Add X-Men To The MCU Retroactively
Source: The Motley Fool