Disney buys Marvel for a very HUGE amount

The Walt Disney Co. added Spider-Man, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Captain America, and the X-Men to its vast cast of characters on Monday with a surprise agreement to buy Marvel Entertainment Inc. for some $4 billion.

The deal, Disney’s biggest since its acquisition of animation house Pixar three years ago, will combine the comic book giant and its huge stable of action heroes with the entertainment empire of Mickey Mouse.

“Adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Disney president and chief executive Robert Iger said. “We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

Disney and Marvel, in a joint statement, said that Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own.