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Like the downtrodden parents in a Dickensian novel, the weeping mountain of Paramount is ready to exchange cold, hard cash for two of the children it has with Marvel and send them packing off to live in a mouse-infested castle.

Which is to say, under a surprisingly easy and grievance-free deal, Disney – which bought Marvel last year for $4.3 billion – has negotiated the rights to The Avengers and Iron Man 3 away from their former home studio.

It’s a shocker, since despite the big Disney/Marvel acquisition, Paramount had been fully in charge of shepherding The Avengers to the screen, and put on a big show for the impending film at this year’s Comic-Con. But now, thanks to $115 million and a higher distribution fee, the studio has agreed to hand over the worldwide distribution rights to the Mouse House for both of the movies.

"We appreciate the tremendous momentum that Paramount established with these iconic Marvel characters and look forward to propelling the brand even further in coming years," said Disney chairman Rich Ross, in a statement picked up by The Wrap.

And in more pertinent news to us as movie-watchers, Disney has been quick to announce release dates for both films, with The Avengers still set for May 4, 2012 and Iron Man 3 now apparently aiming for May 3, 2013.

Of course, the big issue on Iron Man 3 is whether Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau will return for the next outing. We suspect Downey Jr. either has a clause in his contract or could demand a hefty payday to make the thing, but Favreau’s input is not so guaranteed.

But it’s a while before anyone has to make real decisions on that one…