Disney’s Own Iron Man Finally, Snow White can ditch those seven dwarfs for some tough guys—Spider - Man, Iron Man and the X - Men as Disney announced a $ 4 billion deal to acquire Marvel Comics. But Disnev’s princesses can live on in their fantasy world without fear of any of Marvel’s 5,000 tough characters, for they’ll coexist peacefully. Bob Iger, who began his tenure as Disney CEO with the acquisition of Pixar, knows his way around the world of animation. "We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long - term growth and value creation," he said in announcing the transaction. Unlike some of his counterparts—Viacom’s Sumner Redstone and News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch—Iger gets along with his colleagues and makes a point of delegating authority. And in sharp contrast to his predecessor, Michael Eisner, Iger has kept a low profile. Yet he has reaffirmed Disney’s legacy in animation with some of the boldest dealmaking in Hollywood in the Dast decade. Drawing Pixar into the Walt Disney Co. required rewriting the Disney management script. Disney had been distributor for Pixar’s productions, including such classics as Toy Story and Finding Nemo. But Eisner and Pixar founder Steve Jobs clashed like superheroes with super egos over the riches that both companies earned from their mutually rewarding arrangement. But in 2006, barely in his new job a year, Iger put an end to the child’s play. He orchestrated the $ 7.4 billion Durchase of Pixar, which had quickly developed into the hottest hand in animation. So far, it’s all been a Hollywood ending. Iger’s first smart post - Pixar move was to install animator John Lasseter, the creative maestro behind the surging animation studio, as the chiefcreative of the combined Disney/Pixar studios. The four Pixar releases since the Disney deal have grossed $ 2 billion in worldwide ticket sales. In addition to the box - office bonanza, the acquisition also bolstered Disney’s massive merchandise and theme- park businesses. Analysis are already gushing over Iger’s acquisition of Marvel Comics. "Overall. we think Marvel’s library and brands are a solid strategic fit for Disney," Anthony J. DiClemente. of Barclays Capital. "Disney should be able to leverage its global reach, execution, and distribution capabilities to grow Marvel’s brands and business opportunities. \ What company created the character Iron Man