Disney has no fear of masked-man overkill: ‘You can never have too many heroes’

With Walt Disney Co. buying Marvel Entertainment, inquiring minds at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia XVIII Conference in New York wanted to know if there will be a glut of superhero films. ‘You can never have too many heroes,’ Tom Staggs, Disney’s chief financial officer, deadpanned. Asked, and answered, puny mortals. Staggs said once the $4-billion cash and stock deal closes, there would be an immediate impact on Disney’s consumer products division. That’s probably code for Marvel’s 5,000 characters appearing on backpacks, bedding and action figures. Over time, the Marvel characters will present new video game opportunities -- both for those games published by Disney’s group, as well as by third parties...