Disney and Marvel Studios' attempts to bring the X-Men back into their universe is still underway and it appears the bidding war has really heated up. A recent report suggests that Comcast has put in a higher bid than Disney to obtain 21st Century Fox. The offer is said to be an all-cash offer, compared to the all-stock offer that Disney made, based on the reports. However, there is still hope for a higher bid to come in from Disney.

Comcast's competing bid

On Wednesday, Deadline reported that Comcast made an all-cash bid of $65 billion. The offer is to obtain many of the film and TV assets that 21st Century Fox owns.

In addition, that amount is to purchase a stake in the Hulu service, as well as international holdings Fox has.

In comparison, Disney made an all-stock offer which amounts to $52.4 billion. The report mentions that the new Comcast offer equals $35 per share for 21st Century Fox. That puts Comcast's bid at a "19 percent premium" compared to Disney's. However, the bidding war is far from over.

Recent merger heats things up

As Deadline also mentioned, a big merger took place just a few days ago. Thanks to a US District Court decision, AT&T and Time Warner were able to complete their impending merger. The two huge media companies attempted to begin the process back in 2016. However, a Justice Department lawsuit claimed it violated anti-trust laws.

Now that the two companies have been officially allowed to merge, it shows that other media companies mean business and are trying to wage war as the climate is changing in terms of how content arrives. With the 21st Century Fox deal, either Comcast or Disney will be looking to get a piece of Hulu, which is a major streaming media service.

It's also mentioned that this recently approved merger has given Comcast new confidence. With that anti-trust lawsuit going on, it raised potential concerns about a big deal being struck between Comcast and 21st Century Fox.

Disney wants Marvel properties

Comcast and Disney have been the two opponents in this bidding war for a stake in the 21st Century Fox properties and holdings.

Fox's Rupert Murdoch has previously said that he wants to "do business with the highest bidder." He also has said that an all-cash deal is "much more attractive" which could suggest that Disney needs to figure out a counter-bid.

One of the biggest things that could emerge from the deal if Disney wins would be the rights to several superhero franchises that 21st Century Fox owns. They include the popular X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises. Disney and Marvel Studios have recently been able to bring Spider-Man into their universe, but longtime fans of the comics would love to see the other groups.

In a previous report, Marvel Studios' chief Kevin Feige indicated that he is just waiting for a "call" that tells him "yay or nay" regarding being able to use those other superheroes. With Marvel bringing forth so many successful films at the box office, it will be interesting to see who obtains the rights.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED