Marvel StudiosDisney is an inspiration for investors everywhere because it’s made more than $18 billion since buying Marvel for $4 billion in 2009.
Here I was thinking my £2 win on a £1 scratch card was a huge success.
Disney bought Marvel a year after fans were first introduced to Iron Man (R.I.P.) in 2008. Tony Stark’s debut raked in nearly $100 million at the box office in its opening weekend and Disney CEO Bob Iger must have seen those dollar signs flashing before his eyes as it wasn’t long before he closed the deal with the comic book company.
Marvel StudiosAccording to CNBC he commented on the purchase at the time, saying:
This is perfect from a strategic perspective. This treasure trove of over 5,000 characters offers Disney the ability to do what we do best.
The company released its first Disney produced Marvel movie, The Avengers, in 2012 and I don’t think I need to tell you how much of a success that franchise turned out to be.
Though for reference, the latest Avengers film, Endgame, just became the highest grossing movie of all time.
Marvel Studios In the decade since Disney took over Marvel it has produced 16 of the 23 movies currently in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and earned more than $18.2 billion at the global box office – not including the cost of production or marketing costs or the billions in merchandising Disney has made over the last decade, CNBC report.
Paramount distributed Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor and Iron Man 2, while Universal distributed The Incredible Hulk as part of deals predating Disney’s acquisition of Marvel.
Sony produced Spider-Man: Homecoming and the most recent Marvel film Spider-Man: Far From Home in partnership with Disney as part of a deal which allowed the Sony-owned character to appear in the MCU.
Marvel StudiosDisney are working hard to keep fans happy – as well as to keep that cash rolling in – and they have no plans to slow down as Marvel’s president Kevin Feige revealed big plans for Phase Four of the MCU at Comic-Con this weekend.
They announced 10 films and TV projects which will all be released in the next two years; some in theatres and the rest of Disney’s upcoming streaming service Disney+. Upcoming films releases include Black Widow, Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.
I think it’s safe to say the Iger was right when he said buying Marvel would allow Disney to ‘do what [they] do best’ – they’ve certainly got this storytelling/money-making thing down.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.