In a combination of cash and stock deal, Disney and Marvel have agreed in principle to a deal that would place Marvel under Disney’s already vast umbrella of control.

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

With films on characters like Iron Man (Iron Man 2), Captain America, and Thor currently in the works at Marvel Studios, it has yet to be said whether any of those films will be affected by the deal. No indications have yet been made that there will be any alterations.

With this deal Disney now has access to and control over 5,000 Marvel characters.

Source: Hollywood Reporter