How Disney built Marvel into a multibillion-dollar culture

Summer is here and blockbusters are back on the silver screen. Many of the biggest movies so far have been Marvel flicks. You can bet that they’ll continue to rack in many millions in the weeks ahead. Marvel is so now ingrained in pop culture that it’s easy to forget that the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe movie and show collection has only been around for about 15 years. And in many ways, the MCU is unprecedented.

In total, MCU films have brought in more than $25 billion in box office receipts, making the franchise now the most successful in history, blazing past the second-ranked Star Wars and its $10 billion.

Many credit Kevin Feige, the current president of Marvel Studios, for building the franchise into the behemoth it is today.

Kevin Feige

Perhaps the most important superpower Feige and Marvel have brought to battle is tying together the numerous characters, storylines, worlds, and plots into a vastly interconnected web of assets.

Traditionally, movie studios limited overarching plots to only a few key characters and a couple of films. MCU movies, however, function as a TV miniseries of mega proportions, tying together nearly 30 movies (plus shows) over about 15 years. The movies alone run more than 50 hours combined.

Extensive run times and high-quality movies may help strengthen bonds between characters and audiences. Experts note that the MCU’s core characters, like Thor and Captain American, are beloved by viewers. Further, the MCU is careful to select top-notch directors and to continually challenge and reformulate their formulae. Rom-coms, space operas, period dramas, heist flicks — diverse genres reign supreme.

The result? Marvel can reel people with diverse tastes in, and if hooked, there’s a good chance they’ll check out other films and shows as well.