The unprecedented buyout of 21st Century Fox by Disney is still pending government approval here in the United States; however, it seems negotiations regarding the two companies’ merger elsewhere in the world are coming to a close.
The rumor comes from a Bloomberg source who wishes to remain anonymous as details about the deal have not yet gone public. The source says that the $71 billion Disney purchase of 21st Century Fox is nearing final approval in Brazil. The country has been one of the largest holdouts as far as giving the deal the green light; however, it looks like things may just go the way of the Mouse House after the two companies agreed to sell off the Fox Sports channel and in-country programming. The regulatory agency Cade concluded that Disney’s ownership of both Fox Sports and ESPN would have otherwise been too overpowering and left only one other competitor in the Brazilian sports network.
The final decision is expected from the agency Wednesday.
It was not Disney’s first choice to sell off those assets. During the two months in which Cade was overseeing regulatory negotiations, the companies attempted to work out other, less drastic measures. Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger himself flew down to Brazil earlier this month to personally get in on these meetings.
Disney and 21st Century Fox are being forced to make similar deals in other countries. In the United States, the House that Mickey Built agreed to sell off Fox’s 22 regional sports networks after the Justice Department concluded that ownership of those channels plus Entertainment Sports Programming Network would ultimately give the company too much influence in the arena of sports broadcasting. Across the pond in Europe, Disney will be selling off its 50 percent stake in A+E Networks in order to meet demands of regulators.
The unidentified source also tells Bloomberg that Mexican authorities are expected to demand similar deals from the companies.
Regardless of how the Disney-Fox deal works out across the world, the Mouse House will still acquire global domination through other means, such as Avengers: Endgame. Here is the synopsis:
A culmination of 22 interconnected films the fourth installment of the Avengers saga will draw audiences to witness the turning point of this epic journey. Our beloved heroes will truly understand how fragile this reality is and the sacrifices that must be made to uphold it.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Brie Larson, Josh Brolin and Chris Pratt.
Avengers: Endgame is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 26, 2019.
Source: Bloomberg
Here’s Every Hero Who Appears In The ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Trailer
Today, Marvel Studios released the first official trailer for Avengers: Endgame and revealed which heroes will likely be on hand for the re-match against Thanos.
Avengers: Infinity War united nearly every hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the showdown with Thanos and after a decade of films that proved to be an extensive roster. However, the Marvel Studios epic concluded with Thanos succeeding in his mission to acquire the Infinity Stones and use their power to erase half of the universe’s population, with many of the aforementioned heroes being included among the casualties. Fortunately, the original Avengers teammates survived Thanos’ decimation and it appears they will be joined by a few the new heroes who debuted since the group initially formed when they head into the second showdown with Thanos.
Iron Man
After being spared by Thanos, Tony Stark can be seen adrift in space with limited supplies and oxygen. Although Nebula appears to be with him, the unlikely companions seem to be lost with little chance of being rescued, though it is hard to imagine that Stark will spend most of what could be his final adventure away from the action.
Captain America
The First Avenger will unsurprisingly return for the conclusion of the first decade of Marvel Studios stories and he is determined to undo Thanos’ decimation. Of course, many fans are concerned that reversing the decimation could come at a great cost for Captain America considering Chris Evans’ contract expired with Avengers: Endgame.
Black Widow
Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a Black Widow, returns for Avengers: Endgame and it appears she’s been assessing the consequences of Thanos’ actions. Standing by Captain America’s side as they head to attempt to reverse the decimation, Black Widow seems confident that their plan cannot fail.
Thor
Although Thor nearly defeated Thanos by stabbing through the chest with Stormbreaker, The Mad Titan had enough energy left to use the Infinity Stones to heal himself while erasing 50% of the population in the universe. Now, a contemplative Thor can be seen in the Avengers: Endgame trailer and one can’t fault him for reflecting on the fact that victory was almost in his grasp.
Nebula
Nebula and Rocket Raccoon were the only Guardians of the Galaxy characters to survive Thanos’ wrath, with former being left alone on Titan with Tony Stark. With the film expected to conclude Thanos’ and Nebula having more reason than most to see the Mad Titan brought to justice, fans are hoping she will have an extensive role Avengers: Endgame.
Ronin
The new trailer also confirmed that Hawkeye will assume the Ronin mantle when he returns and the death of family is the likely reason for his new identity. It appears Natasha will attempt to recruit her old friend when they embark on a mission to defeat Thanos, but whether or not Hawkeye agreed to join them remains to be seen.
Ant-Man
After the mid-credits scene for Ant-Man and the Wasp, many were theorizing that the Avengers would have to rescue Scott Lang from the Quantum Realm and subsequently use the alternate dimension to travel back in time to defeat Thanos. While it appears Scott Lang managed to escape on his own, he may have brought the van containing the way to the Quantum Realm to the Avengers’ front door.
Bruce Banner
While the Hulk was absent from the first Avengers: Endgame trailer, Bruce Banner managed to make a brief appearance. The brilliant scientist could be seen assessing the list of casualties of Thanos’ decimation and it has clearly taken an emotional toll.
