Marvel’s ‘WandaVision’ seems to make Disney + even more powerful

Of course, Disney + has a treasure trove of beloved content from its brands, including Disney Animation and Pixar, as well as one of the biggest hit streaming series with “The Mandalorian” from Star Wars. However, Disney + didn’t really have the deepest bank of new and exclusive content since its launch in 2019.

That changes this weekend with the arrival of “WandaVision” – a series that could make the powerful Disney + even more powerful.

“There are millions of Disney + subscribers who spend $ 50 to $ 80 a year for just eight weeks of ‘The Mandalorian.’ If Disney succeeds in getting its list of Marvel series right, these customers should be willing to pay a lot more for Disney + in the coming years, “said Matthew Ball, former Amazon (AMZN) Studio executive, told CNN Business.
“Marvel Studios is the most successful entertainment franchise in history,” said Ball. “Even Cicero would need an hour to praise the achievements and popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Case in point: Marvel has grossed more than $ 22.6 billion at the global box office since 2008, according to Comscore (SCOR). This includes the biggest box office hit ever, “Avengers: Endgame” of 2019, which grossed more than $ 2.7 billion. In a rapidly evolving Hollywood, a constant in the past decade is that viewers love Marvel.
'WandaVision' flexes a few different muscles as Marvel adds its power to Disney +
“WandaVision” – which follows the exploits of superheroes Scarlet Witch and Vision while they apparently enjoy suburban life – can also receive more attention, as it arrives when several Marvel films have been archived, along with most films, because of the pandemic. Disney hopes that the fervent love for the brand will translate from box office success to small-screen subscriptions.

Ball believes so. “With over 50 hours of connected stories, the MCU is already a series,” he said. “Even if there was a reason to doubt the MCU’s ability to function as a video series on demand over a serialized subscription, [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige has 13 years proving that skeptics are wrong. “

Marvel superheroes have already shown that they can find an audience in streaming. Characters like Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage had their own success Netflix (NFLX) series before Marvel Television closed in 2019 and transformed into Marvel Studios.
Although “WandaVision” is the first Disney + series from Marvel Studios, it will not be the last. Disney (DIS) plans to release “The Hawk and the Winter Soldier”, “She-Hulk” and “Hawkeye”, among a number of others.

Zak Shaikh, vice president of entertainment for media company Magid, believes that the arrival of “WandaVision” is ultimately “delivering on the promise of a Disney + subscription.”

“With films going through an especially difficult time, it helps Disney +’s overall proposal to have Marvel generating content on its edge of the platform,” he told CNN Business. “A series also helps in building the world, because there is more time to explore the different facets of the Marvel Universe than two hours of a movie.”

But now with more Marvel series going to Disney + and new films like “Black Widow” and “Eternals” scheduled to hit theaters this year, will the successful brand be diluted?

Probably not, according to Ball.

“Overly complex saturation and narratives are always a risk, but so far, more content has helped the MCU to become a better, more popular and more loved franchise,” he said. “For success, your TV series – especially those that allow you to further diversify your characters and narratives – must do the same.”

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