Disney/Fox Merger: 8 Disastrous Implications It Has For The MCU

3. Marvel Studios Need The Competition

Competition begets quality; it's how the world works.

While it's fair to say that Fox haven't always produced a fancy rebuttal to Disney's superhero features, the company have very much done so in the last few years. They might've even done more, in fact, popularising R-rated superhero films and asking big questions of the genre in doing so. Logan and Deadpool are both testaments to that, and while there's little chance we'll see the House of Mouse option an R-rated comic book film in the future, we have seen that dynamic emerge on the small-screen, with shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Punisher portraying the mature roots of their source material with an almost infectious enthusiasm.

The problem with Disney absorbing Fox lies in the fact the company will have one less competitor to learn from. Warner Bros. certainly don't look like they'll be providing lessons anytime soon (apart from Wonder Woman), and while we have seen mature depictions of Disney's recent acquisitions - exemplified best by Rogue One - behind-the-scenes drama and creative fallout seem to be a common occurrence, both in Lucasfilm and at Marvel.

This isn't to say that Fox aren't prone to studio interference either - quite the opposite. It's just that, when you look at Logan, Deadpool, and the more recent X-Men films, you can tell that filmmakers have been allowed to execute their vision in full, unencumbered by the requirements of a shared universe.

The simple fact is Fox dare Disney to be better. Without that outlet, where does that leave the genre?