Disney Almost Bought Marvel Studios Before 2009, But They Thought It Would Tarnish the Brand
Another interesting revelation has come into the light thanks to Disney CEO Bob Iger’s new book, The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. It turns out that Disney was actually looking to acquire Marvel Studios way before 2009 when they were just barely starting their MCU journey.
The initial idea at the time came from former Disney CEO Michael Eisner before Iron Man was even released. But, at the time, Disney thought that Marvel would tarnish their brand because they were too edgy. Here’s what Iger wrote in his book (via: Comicbook):
“This wasn’t the first time Marvel has been on Disney’s radar. Early in my time working for Michael, I attended a staff lunch in which he floated the idea of acquiring them. A handful of executives around the table objected. Marvel was too edgy, they said. It would tarnish the Disney brand. There was an assumption at the time — internally, and among members of the board — that Disney was a single, monolithic brand, and all of our businesses existed beneath the Disney umbrella. I sensed Michael knew better, but any negative reaction to the brand, or suggestion that it wasn’t being managed well, he took personally.”
Well, you all know the rest of the story! Disney ended up getting smart and bought Marvel Studios and proceeded to make billions and billions of dollars! And guess what!? The Disney brand wasn’t tarnished, it was strengthened. Acquiring Marvel was one of the smartest moves that Disney has made. Those films have brought in over $22.5 billion!
It’s really interesting to get behind-the-scenes insight on this kind of stuff and learn what people were thinking. Eisner was always trying to push the boundaries of the Disney brand and take it beyond the family-friendly properties.
There’s another great behind the scene book you should read if you’re interested in this kind of stuff. It’s called The Keys to the Kingdom: How Michael Eisner Lost His Grip. It’s fascinating.
