In a new report about Fox Studios executives getting promoted, it is mentioned the Disney and Fox deal has the potential to go through much earlier than anticipated, maybe even prior to The Avengers 4.
While initial reports offered the Disney purchase of Fox Studios wouldn’t go through until Spring or early Summer next year, now according to Deadline, some insiders have indicated the deal could possibly close by the end of 2018, but it is said the official forecast is early 2019.
Marvel Studios has The Avengers 4 coming out May 3, and even Captain Marvel has a March 8, 2019 release date, both of which now have the potential to be released following the X-Men and Fantastic Four Fox characters returning to Marvel.
While Marvel Studios using the Fox X-Men and Fantastic Four characters right away may be doubtful, Captain Marvel could always use a character like the Super Skrull, as both Fox and Marvel Studios share the rights to the Skrulls, but Fox owns the individual characters.
Avengers 4
Regarding The Avengers 4, it does mark the end game for the Marvel Studios Phase 1-3 plans, so it’s always possible some sort of post-credit scene could involve use of the X-Men or even the Fantastic Four.
Just today saw Marvel release a deleted scene from Ant-Man and the Wasp involving the Quantum Realm, which could always be used as a way to bridge the MCU and the Fox Marvel characters. The scene features Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne telling Hank Pym, “There is so much we didn’t know about this place, Henry. Worlds upon worlds. Entire civilizations. Far more than we ever theorized.”
Interestingly enough, aside from Spider-Man: Far From Home, Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce any more movies for their Phase 4 plans, which follows Avengers 4.
Even if the deal doesn’t go through, Fox could always let Marvel Studios “borrow” their characters to use in The Avengers 4, as the deal is going to happen, and the two studios have come to a mutual deal for the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Deadpool movies regarding use of Ego and Negasonic Teenage Warhead.
News of the Fox and Disney deal possibly going through this year also follows the recent announcement about the Deadpool 2 PG-13 re-release, which is set to go up against DC’s Aquaman in December. Likewise, X-Men: Dark Phoenix (actually just “Dark Phoenix” as Fox dumped the “X-Men” title for some reason), has seen its release date pushed back away from Captain Marvel.
