Disney's Purchase Of X-Men Studio Fox Might Happen This Week

If the reports are correct, Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, and with it the 20th Century Fox film studio, is well on its way to becoming a reality. In fact, it may happen as soon as Thursday.

According to CNBC, Disney is the last company standing when it comes to groups bidding on purchasing Fox, after Comcast bowed out on Monday. The potential deal is said to be worth over $60 billion, which would see Disney take control of Fox's TV and film studios, and cable networks like FX, FXX, Nat Geo, regional sports networks, and more. Fox would keep its news and business assets, namely Fox News and Fox Business. The company would also retain the Fox broadcast network and Fox Spoerts.

Should the sale happen, it could mean Disney gaining the film rights to X-Men and the Fantastic Four, two major Marvel properties that have been unable to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It would also give Disney a much bigger library to monetize when it comes to streaming.

The company plans to launch its own streaming service in 2019 to compete with Netflix. With the Disney and Fox film and TV libraries to beef it up, the current king of streaming may not be able to keep up. It would also give Disney many more film franchises under its belt--Die Hard, Alien, and Avatar, just to name a few.

Still, what's the likelihood of Disney making more R-rated Deadpool films, or an X-Men horror movie like the upcoming New Mutants? Additionally, Disney is already the biggest studio in Hollywood, thanks to the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, along with Pixar and a number of other assets. With 21st Century Fox also in its back pocket, Disney would be unrivaled by any other studio.

Until an actual deal is announced, it's hard to tell what a potential sale would mean in the end. Given the reports and the size of the agreement being made, though, things are going to get very interesting very soon.