On the morning of Tuesday, December 14, Disney executives proudly announced that they have acquired the complete rights to the 21st Century Fox movie production company. The reasoning behind this is smart; with the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe looking to expand, they wish to acquire back the rights to beloved characters such as the X-men and Fantastic Four.

“[It’s] so impressive what Disney’s been doing with Marvel,” said junior Jasmine Mathai. “I love almost all of the movies, even the ones with new characters I’d never heard of…the fact that they’ve acquired [the rights to] things like X-Men makes me so happy.” Jasmine’s views echo not only the hundreds of Marvel fans that reside in Bernards Township, but the millions of moviegoers throughout the whole world. And while comic book lovers could rejoice to the idea of a reunion between Reed Richards and Tony Stark, or a fight between Wolverine and the Hulk, the idea of what can be called the “Disney Monopoly” is beginning to look quite scary when looked at from a business perspective.

Disney’s influence through a variety of entertainment franchises is not a new concept to the general public. Advertisements appear more frequently with every new release, ranging from YouTube clips to TV commercials to billboards; Disney at every turn. Relative posters and novels are even placed close to the front entrance of our own media center every other month to coincide with the buzz of a new Disney movie launch. But what’s the problem with all the buzz?

The issue arises upon looking past the initial hype and realizing the gravity of Disney’s actions. Fox Film, originally founded in 1915, was rebranded 20th Century Fox Film Company after a merger deal in 1935. Since then, the company produced countless famous films from classics like The Sound of Music and Home Alone to modern works like Avatar and The Simpsons Movie. With this rich history spanning almost a century, 20th Century Fox reigned as one of the leading film production companies in America along with big names such as Paramount and Universal. Amateaur and veteran filmmakers alike regard these major companies as the highest standard in Hollywood, standing the test of time since the beginning, that is until now.

Disney chose to buy 20th Century Fox outright for a whopping 52.4 billion dollars. Through the deal, Disney will gain the rights of 20th Century Fox in total. This includes its different outlet production companies such as Fox Searchlight Pictures, along with shares in the popular streaming service Hulu. And while many see it as Disney expanding their reach to more media lovers and producing more desirable content, the business transaction gives birth to a new precedent in Hollywood. The destruction of one of the six biggest film production companies of all time cannot just be overlooked, nor can the fact that Disney executives have both the money and the desire to do so. It’s not only the elimination of art or media, but also the elimination of competition by a rival company.

If nothing else, the effect that Disney’s growing empire could have on upcoming filmmakers is astounding. The ability of struggling directors and new filmmakers to offer their ideas to multiple production companies forms the basis of the Hollywood system, a system in which truly original and unique art can be made in the form of a film. Disney’s purchase by crushes the cornerstone of this system, unsettling the balance of the industry in a new and scary way. Ironically, Disney has this system to thank for one of its biggest cash cows: the Star Wars franchise.

After receiving mass endorsement as part of the Disney company after 2012, it’s hard to easy to forget that Star Wars and its creator George Lucas have surprisingly humble beginnings. Fresh off the creation of his movie American Graffiti, Lucas wrote a screenplay for the original Star Wars, a revolutionary idea for its time. It was originally rejected by numerous film production companies, deeming it too hard to understand, before being taken by 20th Century Fox due to Lucas’ previous success with American Graffiti. The movie went on to become the highest grossing movie of all time, up until the release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Arguably the most beloved movie franchise of all time, Star Wars owes its creation to both the management behind 20th Century Fox, and the balance of production power Disney threatens to disrupt.

The purchase is not yet official, however. Government agencies must screen the entire purchase according to federal mandate in a process expected to take up to about a year. But should the deal be finalized, the question remains as to what Disney has planned next. What will they set their sights on next, now that they know that this is possible? And has a deal that has millions of movie fans cheering just marked the foundation of an entertainment monopoly? Better grab your popcorn.