Disney, the entertainment giant spanning multiple venues, has announced their intention of buying Marvel Entertainment. Marvel, another major entertainment contender, hold the license on a plethora of properties including that of the upcoming MMOG, Marvel Universe.

Gamasutra reported on today's announcement:

The acquisition is likely to have wide-ranging implications for the license-reliant video game industry, with major Marvel-licensing publishers including Sega and Activision, and Gazillion's upcoming Marvel Universe MMO.

Disney CEO Robert Iger commented: "This transaction combines Marvel's strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney's creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainhas digment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories."

With Disney delving more into the MMO genre, Marvel Universe and Gazillion will likely get continued support as a hit superhero game would only strengthen Disney's position in the entertainment realm. No official word has been made though on what this buy out means for Marvel partnerships, but certainly something will be heard after the deal has been solidified.