Breaking news (potentially geek worthy)

Forbes, last night, ran a story that could potentially have giant ramifications on the geek world.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/06/14/afx6541803.html

Now on the surface it just looks like a story about movie companies merging. Companies merge all the time Tim, what makes this so special?

Let's take a look at this. Paramount Pictures, which will no doubt have a great summer with "Star Trek" and "Transformers 2" is looking to merge with another studio, like Sony or Universal.

For geeks, this is earth shattering because Marvel Comics has a deal in place with Paramount to make and distribute a lot of their movies. This is different than the other deals Marvel made with other companies like Fox, because Marvel is intimately involved in the making of these films. Their first two films made together "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" were both great movies that stayed true to the comics.

What Marvel and Paramount did was lay the foundation of creating a Marvel universe within the films, where characters from different movies will interact. Like Robert Downey Jr. showing up in "The Incredible Hulk." Marvel and Paramount have a blueprint to make other films like "Thor" and "Capt. America" in the same way that will all lead up to 2012 where we will see all of the characters combine into one giant film "The Avengers."

OK Tim, that is nice and all but what does it have to do with mergers.

Well, something huge.

Sony Pictures owns the rights to two Marvel properties: "Spiderman" and "Ghost Rider."

You with me yet?

If this merger is done with Sony in the next year (as the article states) then there is a good possibility that Spiderman could be joining Iron Man, Capt. America and Thor in "The Avengers." Or at least the possibility of cross promotion and opening up the world of Spiderman to the rest of Marvel properties.

Luke Cage appearing in the next "Spiderman" movie? Could happen. Or a team up with Dr. Strange? Might be interesting.

Merging with Universal would bring nothing to the table as Universal owns nothing from Marvel.

OK, you can geek out now.