Ever since Disney closed the deal to acquire Marvel, speculation has centered on whether Disney would be able to fully utilize its new library of characters given the number of preexisting deals that Marvel had in place.
Although it appears that the film rights to major franchises like "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" won't be coming back anytime soon, the Marvel superheroes may still end up coming to the various Disney theme parks worldwide.
"We're just now considering all of our different options, so it would be premature to say when or where in the parks you would see Marvel characters," Disney President and CEO Bob Iger told The Los Angeles Times. "But I think it's safe to say that you're going to see some of those great Marvel characters walking around in the future."
When word of the Disney and Marvel deal broke last September, rumors immediately began swirling about how it would affect Marvel's original theme park agreement with Universal Studios, which includes a Marvel-themed attraction at Universal Studios Florida's "Islands of Adventure."
At the time, Deadline reported that Marvel and Universal severed ties on the West Coast, which could potentially allow Marvel's characters to appear in Disneyland without disrupting Universal's Marvel theme park in Florida.
More recently, Marvel merchandise finally appeared in Disneyland shops, potentially paving the way for the characters to appear in the future.
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2010/06/14/di ... eme-parks/
