There seems no end to the amount of MCU content coming our way. And why should there be? After all, there’s astronomical profit to be had.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe in numbers
It would be safe to assume that no one, not the fans and not the execs at Marvel either, could have foreseen the behemoth amount of money the MCU would eventually amass. Back in 2008 Marvel threw its hat into the ring with Iron Man. Under the direction of Jon Favreau and a charismatic performance by Robert Downey Jnr., Iron Man exceeded expectations grossing over $585 million off a production budget of $140 million. This isn’t to say that superhero movies hadn’t already proven to be a lucrative endeavour. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy was a financial success, as were the X-Men films. Christopher Nolan literally resuscitated the Batman franchise and gave us the first superhero film to cross the billion dollar mark with the Dark Knight. So, the message was quite clear, if done right, superhero movies could cream it at the box office. However, Marvel, through it’s own process of trial and error, yes, we’re looking at you Iron Man 2and Thor: The Dark World, were able to refine their film-making formula to the point of exact science.
And the numbers don’t lie
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has been running for 13 years, is one of the most successful franchises in recent memory. It is also one of the most important to Disney because it generates a significant portion of its entertainment revenues. Companies that get listed on SP and FTSE 100 index markets are institutions of renown, making major bucks for all their share holders. The Walt Disney Company is part of the S&P 500, and it's acquisition of Marvel has only solidified its place in this elite group. Outside of the films, of which there are currently 26, although that number will soon change to 27 with the much anticipated release of Spiderman: No Way Home, Marvel has also created a string of hit series with ties to the films. In essence, the MCU is one huge interconnected franchise that demands that fans watch everything to fully comprehend the multi-pronged storyline. In terms of revenue, the numbers have been astronomical and like most things in Hollywood, if its works once, they’ll do everything they can to make it work again, and again, and again. Of course not all sequels are equals and the cemetery bad movies is littered with the bodies of sequels that didn’t cut it. The ace up Marvel’s sleeve isn’t just that they’ve managed to crack the formula of constant returns, but that they’ve got enough source material to last for ages thanks to the comic books. To date, the total revenue generated just by the movies alone has tallied up to more than $23 billion, and that number still excludes The Eternals and the soon to be released Spiderman: No Way Home.
The way of the Western? That’s unlikely
Despite astronomical success, not everyone has been on board the HMS Marvel Cinematic Universe. Already there is talk of superhero fatigue, and rightly so. There’s only so much an audience can take of a certain concept before tiring of it. If anything, comic book culture will likely continue to sustain the slew of MCU titles and series that will still come our way. The fact of the matter is that this isn’t the first time in cinematic history that audiences have been bombarded with a singular type of concept. In the 1950s hundreds of Westerns got released and by the time the time the 1990s rolled around, they were a rare breed. However, the current slate of superhero movies, while raking in the bucks at the box office have also damaged the film industry tremendously. We’re seeing much less independent movies making it to the cinema with studio execs reluctant to even greenlight pitches from noted film makers like Steven Spielberg, who had this to say about the barrage of superhero movies back in 2015:
“We were around when the Western died and there will be a time when the superhero movie goes the way of the Western.
Thus far we’ve had 13 years of Marvel movies, which is incredible to say the least. Like many who enjoy these movies, this writer came of age reading the comics and watching the cartoon shows, but I think there will come a time when the sun will set on the MCU, it’s just unlikely to happen anytime soon.