Since 2008, Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has produced blockbuster movies including Iron Man, the Avengers, Captain America: Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy, among others. To present, the top MCU movies have gathered more than $26 billion globally, and this figure increases daily as more and more films are released. But what exactly has contributed to the success of these flicks and Marvel Studios in general? What actions have Marvel (and Disney) taken to generate such enormous profits? Let’s discover what makes Marvel Studios a $53 billion business.
Assembling The Avengers
Initially, launching a firm may involve only you, the entrepreneur. To reach the next level of success, you will need a talented team, even if you have the talent and determination to get things started. To ensure the success of your business, you must hire the most qualified candidates for each position, whether you’re hiring for management, sales, IT, design, marketing, etc. Over time, Marvel has recruited excellent specialists for each of its properties.
Certain individuals have achieved greater success than others, but Kevin Feige’s philosophy has always been to select the right people for the appropriate job. Marvel could have easily pursued the most bankable celebrities in Hollywood, but there have been times when the company chose not to settle for a sure thing. Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth, for instance, were well-known in Hollywood, but neither had achieved superstardom nor was exclusively responsible for a franchise.
Some fans were especially concerned about the casting of Evans because of his less famous role as the Human Torch in the terrible Fantastic Four films. Regardless, Feige and his crew felt that Evans had the necessary qualities to play Steve Rogers in their interpretation of the character. There was talent present. The same holds true for Hemsworth as Thor and the crews assembled for each movie.
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Taking Some Big Risks
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With The Avengers’ phenomenal popularity, it appeared that Marvel could do no wrong. Guardians of the Galaxy drew skepticism from even Marvel’s most devoted fans, despite the fact that sequels for the Avenger characters were a surefire way to ensure continuing popularity. When the film was first revealed, many individuals scratched their heads and exclaimed, “Who are they?! ” Even among comic book readers, The Guardians was not a well-known franchise.
When the cast and crew of the project were disclosed, cynicism only increased. With a lesser-known director and a generally unfamiliar property, Kevin Feige would definitely require that the film’s lead be a proven box office draw. Chris Pratt assumed the starring role. Pratt was best recognized for his supporting role on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation as the charming but dimwitted Andy Dwyer. Despite the recent film office success of Jurassic World, he was not a name that was sure to bring in the big money, despite having been in modest roles on the big screen.
Suddenly, the project was deemed Marvel’s greatest risk. Yet, despite taking this risk, Feige did what he had done so well in the past: he sought out the appropriate talent and trusted his writer-director to imbue the film with his own distinct personality. The outcome? A genuine success that exceeded everyone’s critical and commercial expectations. The film has a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and grossed slightly over $774 million worldwide. Guardians of the Galaxy is currently regarded as one of the best and most enjoyable MCU flicks.
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Thinking Outside The Box And Delivering To The Masses
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After the massive success of The Avengers and its sequels, Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, Marvel decided to create a different type of superhero picture. When developing the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel knew it intended to experiment with the superhero genre by transforming it into a political thriller. Marvel’s choice of filmmakers was just as startling, if not more so than its unconventional approach to superhero films.
Kevin Feige chose to assign the project to Anthony and Joe Russo, who are more renowned for their comedic work on blockbuster television shows such as Arrested Development and Community. The Russo brothers had never directed a Hollywood blockbuster with a substantial budget, nor had they previously worked on an action thriller. There were a significant number of fans who questioned Feige’s choice of directors.
In April of 2014, Captain America: The Winter Soldier debuted to glowing reviews and broke April box office records. Many fans now think that Winter Soldier is the best Marvel Cinematic Universe film that stands alone. The film was hailed for its narrative and its intensely choreographed, gritty action sequences that relied on actual effects. Kevin Feige secured the Russo brothers to not only direct the upcoming Captain America film, Captain America: Civil War, but also the epic two-part Avengers movie.
Turning The Idea Into A Billion-Dollar Business
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According to its publicly available global box office data, Marvel films have grossed $26 billion over the course of their existence, but this is not nearly half of what the corporation is worth. Disney’s 2019 launch of Disney Plus was expensive, but Marvel’s streaming content alone has generated over $40 billion for the firm. Forbes estimates that the company’s value in 2022 would be $53 billion when these figures are added to the $3 billion it earns from consumer products.
Notably, Disney does not reveal Marvel’s value, therefore the Forbes estimate is the most accurate assessment of Marvel’s value to date. Given the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home and the fact that Thor: Love and Thunder was the last film considered into the equation, it is reasonable to believe that Marvel’s value has improved during the past year. With the upcoming release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it is anticipated that these numbers will climb even further. For a firm that declared bankruptcy in 1996, Marvel is the epitome of a Cinderella tale.
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Sources: Wallaroo, WGTC, Forbes
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