How Marvel became the King of Hollywood

If someone had told you twenty years ago that in 2016, a character named “Captain America” would be one of the most iconic and beloved superheroes around the world, you might have thought they were crazy. Fast forward two decades, Marvel’s new release Captain America: Civil War is not only poised to easily make a billion dollars worldwide but is also resonating extremely well with both fans and critics alike (some consider it one of the best movies of the year). Over the course of the last 8 years, Marvel Studios has risen from relative obscurity and produced the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. Its enormous success has lead to hundreds of producers and studio executives trying to figure out how to tap into the giant money well in a market Marvel has monopolized.

So, how did they do it? How did a company that had been on the edge of bankruptcy, depleted of its most iconic characters, end up headlining a new era of film into global culture?

Authenticity

One of the largest problems in the current entertainment industry is that financial decisions are often made by people who have little understanding of the source material and intellectual properties they are working with. Many studio executives believe that everything is “by the numbers” - the idea that the more resources they put into a movie, the more likely it will succeed. However, that is the problem. No matter how much you invest in an idea, it won’t matter if you don’t have a basic understanding of what you’re investing in - and that fundamental difference is what sets Marvel apart.

While the goal of any business is to make a profit, the heads of Marvel are first and foremost fans themselves. President Kevin Feige, along with his team of producers, cinematographers, screenwriters, and production staff, are all fans of the source material. Many, like the Russo Brothers (directors of Captain America: Civil War), grew up reading comics and have a clear understanding of the characters and their motivations. Creative teams and executive boards that have a shared passion for the material, those that see profits as the byproduct of producing genuine and authentic films, are those that are most successful.

Patience

Marvel took the world by storm in 2012 with The Avengers, however Marvel’s true emergence onto the entertainment stage began in 2008 with Iron Man. Many look to Marvel now and see a machine that practically prints money, however, it took more than 4 years of world building before it was even in the position of possibly achieving the cultural relevance it now holds.

The beginnings of Iron Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Source: Marvel)

After selling the film rights to its most popular properties, Spider-Man and X-Men, Marvel was left with a list of superheroes that were unknown to most of the general audience. Despite this huge disadvantage and lack of bankable properties, Marvel had a grand vision from the beginning. The entire studio understood that the starting point would be the first Iron Man film, and  everything would culminate with Marvel’s The Avengers. Yet, instead of immediately producing The Avengers, Marvel took its time to first establish a strong, interconnected world - the first in film history. By gradually bringing together teams of passionate filmmakers and slowly piecing together a shared universe, Marvel set itself up for one of the highest grossing films in history.

Quality

The common criticism of superhero movies is that many see them simply as action flicks lacking substance and emotional depth. Opposed to typical Oscar-bait films, summer blockbusters are generally met with lackluster support from critics, often forgotten weeks after release. While this may prove true for blockbusters such as the Transformers franchise, Marvel has a track record of producing films that not only contain spectacular action set pieces, but also those that contain emotional depth and address many real world challenges we face.

Captain America deals with the implications of terrorism and surveillance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Source: Collider)

Films such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier are examples of excellent storytelling that ultimately use the category of “superhero film” as a subgenre of its thematic focal point, in this case being a political thriller. The genius of Marvel stems from the fact that they hire filmmakers ranging from a variety of film backgrounds: Kenneth Branagh (director of Thor) brought his Shakespearian style to the mythos of Asgard, while horror director Scott Derrickson will bring a darker, more sinister tone to the upcoming Doctor Strange film. Marvel’s unique and eclectic cinematic vision allows directors to approach projects with their own flair by infusing their expertise from other genres into the superhero film universe. This mixture of style allows them to build on the source material as well as expand into a wider range of movie genres.

Momentum

Achieving success is partly based on the quality of your product, but also partly based on subject relevancy. Many of the most popular topics in pop culture arise from trends, conveniently caught up in a wave of popularity that few see coming. Riding a wave of pop culture momentum is the fastest way to propel into the global spotlight. However, few can predict when the next viral trend will hit, so it’s next to impossible to prepare for sudden explosions of popularity. If momentum and cultural relevancy play such an important part of achieving success, how can people accurately incorporate it if it’s wholly unpredictable?

Create it yourself.

In 2008, superheroes (not named Batman) were still relatively new additions to the film industry. Outside of Batman, superheroes simply did not have traction with the broad audience. Had Marvel decided to wait for a superhero resurgence, they would most likely not exist today simply because the desired superhero wave would never have arrived. Instead of depending on trends and momentum determined by others, Marvel created it’s own. By constructing quality films and injecting energy into a stagnant market, Marvel not only rode a wave of cultural popularity, but also headlined (and continues to do so) a movement of increasing superhero demand. Once a market existed, Marvel spring-boarded off previous successes (riding the momentum) and rapidly monopolized the market, so much so that their C-tier properties such as Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy also proved to be huge global hits. Marvel’s complete control over the superhero market originates from the fact that they took initiative, revitalized a stagnant market, and reaped the gargantuan benefits that came with it.  

Appeal

The superhero genre has become a legitimate category of film, much like comedy or horror. The appeal of Marvel is that they revolutionize their films and create them for a larger audience base. When filming and marketing a film, most studios understand that in order receive large box office returns; there are certain demographics that they need to target.

The common perception of comic book movies is that they only appeal to males under the age of 25, however, if you look at the demographics that Marvel consistently hits with it’s films, you notice that notion is untrue. For example, the audience of Marvel’s The Avengers was 60% male, 40% female, 50% under 25, and 50% over 25. What we see is that Marvel has built an ideal fan base, one that is split evenly between the four demographic quadrants. Marvel does not simply make superhero films; they make quality movies that have bursts of superhero flavor throughout. Because of this, they can attract all ages, creating an unrivaled cinematic empire.

Finals Thoughts

Creating an entertainment empire involves more than simple money management and corporate leadership, but a passion and drive for the intellectual properties themselves. Marvel epitomizes this desire to make products that feed off the energy of fans and expand their message to the entirety of its audience. As a result, the film studio consistently produces global blockbuster hits and acts as the golden model for the rest of Hollywood. Every studio is now trying to recreate the enormous prosperity Marvel enjoys by building their own cinematic universes (Warner Bros. and Universal Studios). However, if the sole purpose is to receive similar revenue, they may be out of luck. Passion and dedication are the keys to cinematic success - without them, the doors to magnificent riches and monetary abundance will remain locked to those that try to enter.      

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Erwen (Alex) Zhu is an intended Business Major at the University of California Berkeley and writes as a millennial voice for marketing, social media, entertainment, and cultural impact.

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