Fact check: Post Title: Disney were once interested in buying Marvel in 1995 before Marvel went bankrupt [From Bob Iger - The Ride of a Lifetime] Original Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/r/Marvel/comments/1esrlkn/disney_were_once_interested_in_buying_marvel_in/

1. Summary of the results

The claim that Disney was interested in buying Marvel in 1995 cannot be verified based on the provided sources. While Marvel's bankruptcy in 1996 is well-documented ^{[1] [2]}, none of the sources confirm any Disney interest in acquiring Marvel during 1995. What is confirmed is that Disney ultimately acquired Marvel Entertainment much later, on December 31, 2009, for $4 billion ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual details are missing from the original statement:

• Marvel filed for bankruptcy on December 27, 1996 ^[2]
• The company was facing significant financial challenges at the time, including:
• Low cash reserves
• High debt levels ^[2]
• Marvel's actual salvation came through a merger with ToyBiz, not Disney ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement presents several problematic elements:

• Attribution Issues: While the statement claims to source from Bob Iger's "The Ride of a Lifetime," none of the provided analyses confirm this source or its contents.
• Timeline Manipulation: The statement creates a narrative suggesting Disney missed an opportunity before Marvel's bankruptcy, but this claim isn't supported by any of the provided sources. This could potentially:
• Create a false narrative about Disney's business acumen
• Oversimplify Marvel's complex financial history
• Downplay the significance of the actual ToyBiz merger that saved Marvel ^[3]

The statement appears to be mixing verified historical facts (Marvel's bankruptcy) with unverified claims about Disney's interests, potentially creating a misleading narrative about the relationship between these two companies.