News Bob Iger is back! Chapek is out!!

[Casper Gutman]

The only piece I don't blame them for (obviously) is Chadwick Boseman's death. I think he could have been the next "top guy."

But when you read between the lines, it's like they thought Cap, Tony, Thor, and Hulk were all co-leads. They weren't. It was Cap and Tony, then a HUGE gap before you got to the next tier.

The only excuse for killing them both in the same movie would be if you had creative control of Spider-Man with an X-Men movie in the can.

Or because the actors wanted to leave and its still illegal for studios to kidnap stars and force them to work.

As knowledgeable as these boards can be about theme parks, the general understanding of film is... underwhelming.

 

[Touchdown]

Or because the actors wanted to leave and its still illegal for studios to kidnap stars and force them to work.

So true, not to mention RDJ’s fee was getting to the point of cutting into profitability.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Or because the actors wanted to leave and its still illegal for studios to kidnap stars and force them to work.

1. Everyone has a price.

2. Even if Evans and RDJ wanted to be done, Feige didn't have to make Endgame the final movie for both of them. They could have set up a transition to "the next generation" much better than they did.

As knowledgeable as these boards can be about theme parks, the general understanding of film is... underwhelming.

Interesting, how many years of experience in the Media & Entertainment industry do you have and at what level?

FFS, I'm not talking about the mechanics of filmmaking, I'm talking about a crappy creative decision.

 

[LSLS]

You know Moana and dozens of other Disney movies were on Netflix before anyone had ever heard of Disney+, right? And that movies were airing on HBO and TNT and USA long before anyone had ever heard of Netflix?

Theatrical release hasn't been the exclusive home of feature films for 50 years. It's always been for people who want to see it now or see it on a big screen.

I do think there is a difference though. Before, it would be what, like 6 months or a year til you would get it to streaming? I mean, Infinity Wars came out in like April, and started streaming on Christmas, with DVD sales starting in August. Now it's like 6-8 weeks. Honestly, I didn't go see Wakanda forever, in no small part because since I wasn't excited for it, I figured I could wait a month and just watch it at home.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The Barbie disrespect.

…I forgot about that. I’m so ashamed

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

People want to push the "MCU in trouble narrative" so badly and its utter nonsense. Dr Strange 2 outperformed the original by more then 40%. Thor 4 outperformed Thor 3 domestically and in those international markets in which it was allowed to open - it fell short of 3's box office entirely because it didn't play in Russia or China. It is also the first blockbuster franchise to have four installments that each make more then the previous one in the domestic box office. Wakanda Forever isn't the global event of the first one, but that's not terribly surprising because the ads didn't even present a main character and instead sold an ensemble cast in a story of grief and loss, not a blockbuster formula. Its still doing very well and demonstrating significant legs - it had a miniscule 31% drop in its third week.

Folks can grumble about the state of the parks or highlight that Strange World bombed without disingenuously pretending Disney is failing across the board.

Again…call me “Sir Walter”…or “Wally” if you buy me a drink….

I don’t say MCU is “in trouble”…but it is oversaturated, losing efficacy and pushing toward the comic book fringes that turns off the lucrative casual audience.

Not the same thing

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Now it's like 6-8 weeks.

My assertion is that this was due to COVID, not the launch of Disney+, and that it will be reversed.

No evidence, just my gut.

 

[TalkingHead]

Do you know what the biggest single driver of new Disney+ subs was?

Hamilton.

Because it was different - it drew in new people who didn't have it before. But most fans of Marvel/Pixar/Disney/Star Wars already have D+ and don't sub because a new show is coming out, so therefore Disney doesn't get new revenue for Andor or Secret Invasion or whatever.

Guessing something similar happened with Get Back.

 

[Touchdown]

Again…call me “Sir Walter”…or “Wally” if you buy me a drink….

I don’t say MCU is “in trouble”…but it is oversaturated, losing efficacy and pushing toward the comic book fringes that turns off the lucrative casual audience.

Not the same thing

Which is why introducing the F4 and especially X-men is tantamount, these fringe characters (and keeping Spider-man going) can be the bridge to pivoting to those properties that can spawn another 10 year run.

 

[ChrisM]

I was right there with you.

I will never understand the mistakes? And they were intentional. As a reminder to everyone: the writers for the first movie were ORDERED by the management to keep hamill out of it. For the DUMBEST reason in history.

It’s malfeasance. Deliberate failure.

Ugh…bourbon…must:..get…now…

They, quite literally, had the most obvious guardrails mapped out for them to craft a new story around...

- "Once more unto the breach, dear friends...", and of course not all of them would make it out alive.

- Then weave in the new generation of characters in a way that provides them with an authentic relationship to the old.

That's it. That's all they had to do. Instead they just lit it on fire. Gross incompetence.

 

[Ayla]

But just about EVERYONE knows who Mario is.

A lot of people do, but I doubt that same number want to watch a movie about him.

I don't.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Guessing something similar happened with Get Back.

Not that I'm in any way claiming to know a representative fraction of the general public, but I can thinknof several couples that don't have young children who subscribed to Disney+ because of Get Back.

Unless there's still hours of previously unreleased Beatles film floating around, I doubt their subscriptions continued. I think we've exhausted the supply of preciouy untold Beatles stories by now.

 

[dreday3]

A lot of people do, but I doubt that same number want to watch a movie about him.

I don't.

I thought I was the only one!

 

[Tha Realest]

They, quite literally, had the most obvious guardrails mapped out for them to craft a new story around...

- "Once more unto the breach, dear friends...", and of course not all of them would make it out alive.

- Then weave in the new generation of characters in a way that provides them with an authentic relationship to the old.

That's it. That's all they had to do. Instead they just lit it on fire. Gross incompetence.

Everyone forgets when Lucas sold Disney they had an entire new trilogy arc plotted out by Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine, Oblivion). Kathleen Kennedy and JJ Abrams jettisoned it in favor of their trilogy.

 

[Ayla]

While I agree the general public may not have as much knowledge of fans, I think you are discounting how large the fandom is. Mariokart 8 is closing in on 50 million games sold. That’s one game for every 160 people on planet Earth. Those are massive numbers. Not to mention Mario is only second to Pikachu and Mickey in fictional character popularity in the world. The points I made will cause a vast majority of them to go see the movie as it’s now clear that unlike the live action movie, this movie is honoring the franchise and treating it with care.

A video game is not a movie.

Playing Mario Kart is fun. Do I want to watch a 2 hour movie about it? Not a chance.

 

[Trauma]

A lot of people do, but I doubt that same number want to watch a movie about him.

I don't.

Well I guess the movie is doomed Universal should cancel it.

 

[Ayla]

Well I guess the movie is doomed Universal should cancel it.

We get it, you're a fan boi.

The US numbers on the theater release will tell the real story.

 

[Heppenheimer]

A lot of people do, but I doubt that same number want to watch a movie about him.

I don't.

Despite being of precisely the age that should be sucked in by the irresistible force of Mario nostalgia, I have no interest either.

But the characters and general concept probably need no introduction to the general population. Unlike Strange World, which to explain properly in the trailers would give away the main plot twist, a Mario film is probably one of the easiest properties in the world to market. Unless this film manages to be an all-time stinker, its almost guaranteed to be a hit... which doesn't, of course, mean it will be particularly good.

 

[Ayla]

Despite being of precisely the age that should be sucked in by the irresistible force of Mario nostalgia, I have no interest either.

But the characters and general concept probably need no introduction to the general population. Unlike Strange World, which to explain properly in the trailers would give away the main plot twist, a Mario film is probably one of the easiest properties in the world to market. Unless this film manages to be an all-time stinker, its almost guaranteed to be a hit... which doesn't, of course, mean it will be particularly good.

Agreed. I'm 48.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Again…call me “Sir Walter”…or “Wally” if you buy me a drink….

I don’t say MCU is “in trouble”…but it is oversaturated, losing efficacy and pushing toward the comic book fringes that turns off the lucrative casual audience.

Not the same thing

The MCU was ALWAYS built on the "fringes" because all the moderately desirable properties - Spidey, Hulk, X-Men, etc - had been sold off when Marvel was in mega-fire-sale mode. Iron Man and Cap were B-listers at best. The MCU has shown, remarkably, that it can thrive even further out on the fringes, with a blockbuster series based on nobodies like the Guardians and a very successful launch for Shang-Chi.

Honestly, we've heard the same criticisms, the same portents of doom - "oversaturated, losing efficacy, etc." - since almost the moment the MCU began 14 years ago. Box office returns show that they are as accurate now as they ever have been. If the MCU ever gets into real trouble, sure, they can pull the X-Men rip cord. But right now, when you can make money off Shang-Chi, there's no reason to do so.