What If Disney buys WarnerDiscovery?
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the news. The newly acquired WarnerMedia is being sold by AT&T to Discovery, Inc. for an unhealthy sum of monies.
It was just two years ago AT&T decided it was a good idea to combine content and distribution, and just one year after they launched HBOMax. At the same time, they’ve also been trying to build out nationwide 5G across the country and grow their fiber optics network. It’s a little difficult to do both.
Now, AT&T is selling off its entertainment division (WarnerMedia) to Discovery Inc. This new entity is called WarnerDisovery. New speculations are rising that WarnerDiscovery is eventually being prepped for sale to a bigger conglomerate like Disney, NBCUniversal, Amazon, Apple, or Netflix in the not-so-distant future.
The WarnerMedia-Discovery Inc. deal is expected to close in 2022 and they’re already planning to spend about $20 billion/year on new content development. With further speculation about what will happen with Discovery+ and HBOMax, it would seem WarnerDiscovery is poised to compete against these bigger tech giants, not sell out to them.
But, if certain comic book foreshadowing in DC’s Doomsday Clock is anything to pay attention to, then we may see this new entertainment company sold to Disney within the next decade. And if that happens, we are looking at some of the best crossover possibilities in not just Marvel & DC, but ALL of entertainment.
IF Disney can purchase WarnerDiscovery and add that catalog of brands to their existing powerhouse of a company, then we will see some of the best movies, cartoons, comics, toys, merchandise, theme parks, VR experiences, apps, games, and whatever else you’ve been dreaming about since you were a kid, in history. The merger of some of the most iconic characters in all of entertainment.
Here are four of my favorite possible outcomes if Disney buys WarnerDiscovery:
Wrestling on Disney
With WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery Inc., and then the future purchase of WarnerDiscovery by Disney, Disney will have access to TNT and the Bleacher Report. And, if things continue the way they have been, All Elite Wrestling will be thriving on TNT, TBS, and Bleacher Report PPV. IF Disney wanted to, they could move this catalog of entertainment into Disney+ and push it further by integrating their brand of classic characters.
Think Spongebob’s Football but with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy mixing it up with Kenny Omega, Orange Cassidy, and The Young Bucks. Amazing. This would be much better if Disney is ready to bend their band of characters for more mature audiences, but it could happen either way.
Pixar welcomes Rick & Morty
Cartoon Network is owned by WarnerMedia and they struck gold with Rick and Morty. I know we’re all awaiting the next 70 episodes the R&M gang signed on to. If everything is looking right, Rick & Morty will be more popular later this decade than ever before. Kind of hard to imagine, but it could be possible as new audiences continue to grow with the release of new episodes. Pushing it past classics like The Simpsons and South Park.
BUT, if Disney wanted to take Rick & Morty and punch it up a notch, they could have the team of Pixar takeover animation and release a new movie franchise. Think about that, not only could we see Rick & Morty somehow travel into the Pixar universe via the portal gun, we could see the entire catalog of characters like Woody, Buzz Lighty Year, Sully, Mikey, Lightning McQueen, The Incredibles, Remy, and so many more hanging out with and adventuring with Rick & Morty! Again, if the team at Pixar/Disney is willing to bend their characters and branding for more mature audiences, it would be worth trillions. And make millions of people happy. Also, who wouldn’t want to see Rick blow up Sid’s head or save Nemo’s mom just ’cause? Infinite possibilities.
Looney Tunes invades Disney
I know, I know, I’m kind of losing my shit too. Bugs Bunny face to face with Mickey Mouse. Donald Duck and Daffy Duck squaring off. The Martian and Winnie The Pooh saying hello. It could be iconic. I’d like to imagine the entire Looney Tunes gang and Animaniacs invading the peaceful and joyful Disney World. nWo style. Disrupting things like a bad Sunday afternoon. We could see a Space Jam-like moving with Disney’s gang vs. the classic Warner Brother’s lineup. Video games, toys, and so many other amazing options. New cartoon shows and interactions that could last another 100 years.
Marvel vs. DC
I wasn’t sure what could be bigger- Marvel vs. DC or Looney Tunes vs. Disney. I went back and forth over what means more to history and while we’ve seen it before in 90’s comics with Marvel & DC, nothing would match what future iterations could look like on the big screen. With Kevin Feige at the helm and Geoff Johns on the team, the character interactions and storyline arcs would be amazing. We’ve already seen groundbreaking interactions and continuity rewrites involving DC comics and Watchmen characters. DC’s recent Doomsday Clocky story arc actually hints at a merger of DC and Marvel and mentions Marvel characters BY NAME. BUT, as amazing and thought-provoking it is to see Marvel and DC characters interacting in the comics, it’s going to be mind-blowing to see it within the MCU.
DCEU Meet MCU
WarnerMedia is all over the place with the existing DCEU. Not to mention, the multiverse of movies they’ve already created post-Crisis via the Arrowverse. While we wait to see what happens between now and Aquaman 2 in December 2022, we already know where Marvel is moving with the MCU. Phase 4 and Phase 5 are lined up and we know we’re getting an introduction of Fox’s previously owned Fantastic Four. And yes, we’re getting the X-Men and mutants too. But, then what?
Infinity Saga is done. Timetravel and the multiverse have been introduced including the Spider-verse and further crossover deals with Sony. Secret Wars. Young Avengers. Thunderbolts. Galactus. X-Men vs. The Avengers. It’s all done. Now what? Insert the Justice League. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and so many historic heroes and villains. 45 year old me can’t fathom it. Incredible storyline possibilities and future technologies that may create something visually unthinkable to current audiences.
Now, that would be some good fun.
Is it worth Disney owning EVEN MORE of the entertainment world? Probably not. I’m not sure why WarnerDiscovery doesn’t want to compete. But if they’d like to step out of the game and CASH IN, I’d like to see them make several SMALLER deals with other entertainment companies. They should stay away from selling to conglomerates. I realize that’s probably extremely difficult. Almost every channel, streaming service, or means of entertainment is dominated by a conglomerate. However, IP could be broken up individually and sold to smaller companies, which would create stronger competition and more options for consumers. Creating a more sustainable marketplace for sellers and buyers alike. Now, I’m just getting a little too far ahead.
Hey, this just my speculation and theory.
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