Who's America will Disney/Marvel portray? Betray? Allay?

[dave]

Ted Anthony at the Associated Press wrote the following in his article, "Marvel vs. Disney: Two very different Americas":

It's difficult to come up with two more competing takes on American life than those built by Walt Disney on one hand and Marvel Comics on the other. Here are distinctly opposite versions of the American experience, each an indelible part of the country's popular culture.

In this corner: Disney's America, a pastoral vision built upon one man's idealized memory of his small-town childhood, filled with trains and friendly people and dreams that really do come true if you believe hard enough. A world of black and white, rendered in brilliant Kodachrome.

In this corner: science run amok, reluctant superheroes transformed by radioactive spider bites and weird cosmic rays, costumed avengers who are in therapy, struggle to pay the bills and grouse about their superhuman lot. Shades of ambiguous gray, drawn in color-drenched shadows.

(I was struck by this point, also, during this season's "Family Guy" premiere. Marvel has been a lot of things -- misogynist, pandering, lowbrow, etc. -- but it's never been accused of anti-Semitism. Disney, on the other hand...?)

Is there a way for these versions of Americana to merge? Or, should one be forced to change? Will American audiences benefit from a new, improved version of America? Or, will only the worst of these visions emerge?

I don't really think this is an issue because I don't necessarily agree with the Disney vision being represented here. Disney proper perhaps, but let's consider the subsidiaries. A subsidiary like Touchstone for example which gave Disney its first R rated film.
Point is Marvel will be a subsidiary and hopefully(HOPEFULLY!!!) Disney really won't have much involvement in the creative. I don't see many mainstream marvel character crossovers with Mickey Mouse characters.( a Spiderman/Gargoyles team-up perhaps?) Disney wanted these characters because as a property, tehy've been sucessful. They're not going to mess with it. Not immediately anyway.
The way I think Disney will affect Marvel is in distribution , promotion and offer them a lot more resources in film-making.

....but I'm probably being overly optimistic.

[dave]

I can't help but feel Marvel's upcoming "Heroic Age" has something to do with Disney. Not that the Mouse House dictated to Marvel that all the heroes have to get back to being good and pure -- but, if this does truly come from a years-long gameplan devised by Bendis, this had to be a selling point in the negotiations. Don't worry: All the scary, murky, immoral stuff that's happening in the books right now will be cleaned away within the first year of our buy-out.

Do you think Disney would have bought Marvel if it intended to stay as gray and "Dark Reign"-like as it has been since "Disassembled?"

I KNEW someone would say that!
Whether its Disney or not, I'm thrilled if it means a return to a 70's 80's Marvel hero archetype. But just because the line between hero and villian becomes clearer doesn't mean less interesting stories. There was plenty of conflict and character flaw in the Marvel characters before.
It's difficult at this point to see where they're going to go with this ("Difficult to see,always in motion is the future."), but it's been clear to Marvel (and DC for that matter) that the industry is going to die off as their aging fan base does. They've been talking about making their properties more accessible to "all ages"(which let's face it, is a euphemism for "kids") for more than 10 years now. Perhaps the deal with Disney got them off their ass to finally do it, but the intention was there long before Disney.

Also, Disney is really all about the all mighty dollar. They may have that warm fuzzy exterior, but I'm sure that Disney execs are as shrewd and ruthless as anyone around. They just know what sells.

They know that watering down Marvel will alienate a huge demographic. Sure they may spin off kid level Marvel merchandise - yes, you'll be able to buy that Mickey holding Cap's shield figureine - but the comics? I doubt they'll change. And the same goes for movies, imo.

Even their "mainstream" stuff. Take Tinkerbell for example - Disney execs wanted quote "sex appeal" for her. Believe me, if Dark Reign sells, then Disney will be selling Dark Reign on a stick to anyone who's buying.

-Jamie

good point Jamie, but Dave also made a good point about the upcoming "Heroic Age". How do you feel about that?
The original article spells out Marvels vision with comparison to Disney, as "In this corner: science run amok, reluctant superheroes transformed by radioactive spider bites and weird cosmic rays, costumed avengers who are in therapy, struggle to pay the bills and grouse about their superhuman lot. Shades of ambiguous gray, drawn in color-drenched shadows."
I personally don't think the "Heroic Age" is going to change anything stated there. I think that's always been Marvel's way and Marvel heroes have always been heroic with the current exceptions probably most notable in you Civil War's and Dark Avengers and such.

What is "Heroic Age"? Is it a story arc that looks to be on the darker side?

not a story arc as much as a direction and quite the opposite.
check it here:
http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.10914.marvel~colon~_the_heroic_age