Marvels film production strategy is based upon its remit: they make the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and thats it. Theyre completely focused on one thing, and have all their eggs in a very strange, potentially niche basket: superhero movies based upon Marvel comics. In order to make that work, they needed to be smarter than everyone else, more ambitious and more creative. Crucially, they needed to be absolutely, 100% committed. Marvel Studios succeeds because it goes for it... to the extent that supposed risks like the Guardians Of The Galaxy movie actually pay off. When I was a kid, reading Rocket Racoon back-up strips in the back pages of the Marvel UK weekly Transformers comic (*cough* GEEK *cough*), Id never have dreamed that thirty years later Rocket would be famous worldwide: that Id be able to buy a Rocket plushie. Now I have a Rocket plushie, and my wife wants a divorce on the grounds that Im too embarrassing to be married to someone as hot as her. Marvel Studios has its rivals, sure: but they dont have that focus. Fox may have the X-Men and Fantastic Four (although Jesus, what are they playing at there?) but they make a whole lot of other films every year, as do Warner Bros, the people behind DCs superhero flicks. WWE claim to be an entertainment producer rather than just a wrestling organisation - and they are, to an extent - but wrestling is at the core of their product. Its their brand, whether Vince McMahon likes it or not. McMahon needs to give up on his ridiculous dream of being taken seriously as a businessman. Hes seventy, and its not going to happen. Hes not a daredevil entrepreneur: all of his ventures outside wrestling have been terrible, poorly executed ideas that have tanked badly, costing him hundreds of millions of dollars. Hes the most successful carny wrestling promoter in history, and hed see what was so thoroughly awesome about that if he wasnt so ashamed of the business hes in.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
