Marvel Back Together

On Wednesday, the merger between Disney and FOX became official. While there's a lot this will mean going forward in the world of both TV and movies, the biggest initial point of discussion is the reunification of Marvel.

When Marvel properties initially joined the world of films, Marvel wasn't making them by themselves. In fact, it was FOX that bought the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four, releasing the first modern Marvel film in 2000. Sony followed with Spider-Man in 2002, and the race was on.

In 2008, Marvel started making the films themselves, building what we know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A few years ago, they were able to strike a deal with Sony to re-integrate Spider-Man, who first appeared in "Captain America: Civil War" and was a part of the last Avengers tale as well.

But with X-Men and Fantastic Four still standing apart, two of the biggest pieces of the Marvel archive remained separate. Until Wednesday. While "Dark Phoenix" is still set to be released in June and "New Mutants" is coming later this year, the X-Men universe as it was constructed is coming to a point where the future is up in the air.

So, too, is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While we won't know for sure until "Avengers: End Game" drops in April, it's clear the MCU has reached that same point. The arrival of "Captain Marvel," and pieces like Spider-Man and the Black Panther, there is new blood to go forward. And with Marvel getting the X-Men and others back, logically they have another well to tap as the old guard, like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk likely bid farewell.

While this summer, and the films in production, are set, what will be exciting the next six to 12 months is seeing what kind of projects are announced and whether Marvel will attempt to take some of the actors already working in roles (like Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool) and bring them into the MCU.

It's a brave new world, and for Marvel fans the possibilities are endless.