Which is why if they don't see the option of merging Marvel and CoH, then they can and will only view CoH as 2 things 1: a threat to thier currently owned superhero franchise, 2: a laughable suggestion due to the first option.
And you seem to not realize that Disney
already owns and works with other superhero franchisesFor instance,
The Incredibles? That ain't Marvel, but it's put out by Disney/Pixar.
Sky High? Also not Marvel, put out by Disney, Gunn Films, and Max Stronghold Productions Inc.
Judge Dredd is owned by IPC Media, and the movie was put out in the United States by Hollywood Pictures, a
Disney subsidiary. Unbreakable is an original by M. Night Shyalaman, and is distributed by Touchstone Pictures, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios.
None of these are seen as a threat to Marvel, are they? No. Marvel hasn't tried to arrange for their distribution to end, has it? No - it can't. You seem to be of this idea that Marvel has some sort of control over Disney, or some leverage to affect decisions. It doesn't. Disney could literally shut Marvel down on a whim and there's nothing Marvel could do about it (it'd be a stupid idea, but it's one Disney could make). Marvel cannot 'take its ball and go home' or sever ties with Disney - it is
owned by Disney and only exists as an independent entity because Disney allows it to. If Marvel even
tried something like that, they'd be promptly reorganized into a smaller LLC that's more closely tied and reliant to the parent company, much as NCsoft is doing with ex-NCWest right now.
Finally, there is no threat posed by CoH to Marvel or its franchises - at least, not by Disney's viewpoint. For one, CoH is a well-established and respected superhero MMO with numerous fans just
waiting to get back in and resubscribe. The Marvel MMO is almost not an MMO - it's a Diablo-clone featuring Marvel characters. It's a different genre of game - the only similarity with CoH is that it involves superheroes and is multiplayer.
From Disney's standpoint, if they were to purchase CoH and run it concurrently with their "Marvel MMO," they would basically have fingers in two parts of the MMO market. Those looking for a Diablo-like (competing with Torchlight and Diablo itself) and those looking for a conventional MMO (Competing with Champions Online and DCUO). They would have a new stable of characters to use, which they could work into Marvel crossovers or even incorporate into the Marvel universe if they so wished - or keep them separate and use them on their own merits, as they have with The Incredibles.
We know that with Disney's clout and a little advertising budget, City of Heroes can thrive again. If it can thrive under NCsoft's mismanagement, I can only imagine what it will be capable of under a responsible owner. If Disney treats it responsibly, it's not going to flop, and it's not going to fail for a long time. Obtaining it at a reasonable price from NCsoft (if NCsoft will give them a reasonable price - something they'll likely be put under pressure by their shareholders to do) will be both cheaper
and faster for Disney than building their own game. Getting CoH means profits more-or-less immediately, compared to waiting another year or two for their Marvel MMO to pan out -
with no guarantee it even will. Even if running CoH
does pull players from the "Marvel MMO" that's
still money in Disney's pocket either way - and it's money taken away from Champs Online and DCUO, who currently dominate the Superhero MMO niche, with CoH's closure.
So, if you stop and think about it, getting CoH and running it properly is a pretty sweet deal for Disney. Nice and low-risk; they know how it will likely perform, since it's performed before. The only question is can they get it at a reasonable price from NCsoft, assuming NC's willing to sell? And as I'll reiterate,
Disney's viewpoint is the ony viewpoint that matters, Marvel has no say in the matter.
So... where's this mysterious conflict of interest you keep seeing?