Matt Storey, like many lifelong fans of Marvel Comics, is worried.
Though it's too early to predict anything, the Walt Disney Company's $4 billion purchase of Marvel Entertainment earlier this week sent shockwaves through the comic book world, prompting a flurry of opinions from many fans.
Storey (sophomore-engineering science) worries Disney could water down icons like the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man, characters he's grown to love. He's kept up with Marvel's major storylines since he was a kid.
"Each superhero focuses on some unique aspect of humanity and their stories elaborate on these different aspects," he said.
But Disney and Marvel appeal to two distinctly different audiences, and the merger could upset both groups, he said.
"Recently with Watchmen and other movies, [Marvel's] become a little bit more known, and I think Disney will help Marvel continue that trend," Storey said. "I'm just afraid they might alter the perception of these characters by making them more mainstream."
But John Secreto, the manager at Comic Swap, 110 S. Fraser St., isn't worried. He thinks the buyout shows comic books' prevalence in mainstream culture, and most retailers are excited, he said.
"It would just be silly to worry, because no one has any idea what's going to happen," he said.
Secreto believes Disney bought Marvel because of the popularity of well-known characters like Spiderman, and though a Hannah Montana comic would be interesting, he doesn't think that is Disney's focus.
Scott Smith, assistant professor of English and comparative literature, teaches an honors seminar focusing on graphic novels.
He agrees the comics are probably the least of Disney's interests in the Marvel purchase.
"They want movies, they want merchandising, video games, theme parks," he said. "It's brand recognition that they want."
But he doesn't think extra money from Disney will be enough to get more people to read comic books.
"These characters could become even more iconic, but I don't think that that's possible," Smith said. "I think Spiderman is pretty much already out there."
