The Impact of Early Disney Supervision on Marvel Studios: A Hypothetical Analysis
When Disney acquired Marvel in 2009, they strategically held off on integrating Marvel Studios fully under their direct supervision. However, what if Disney had done this earlier? Would the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have seen a different landscape in terms of movie quality and commercial success? This article explores the hypothetical scenario where Marvel Studios was managed by Walt Disney Studios right from the start, and analyzes the potential improvements and drawbacks of such a decision.
Corporate Structure and Movie Production
Understanding the corporate structure timeline provides insight into the MCU's phased development. The three phases of the MCU, which can be divided based on the supervisory role of the respective entities, are:
Phase 1: 2010-2012 (Universal/Paramount etc. as distributors) Phase 2: 2013-2015 (Marvel Entertainment under supervision by Disney Consumer Products) Phase 3: 2016-2019 (Marvel Studios under Walt Disney Studios)This shift in supervision rights had a significant impact on the production and distribution budgets. Here is a comparative analysis of the production budgets for Phase 2 and Phase 3 movies:
Movie Phase 2 Budget (US$M) Phase 3 Budget (US$M) Captain America: The Winter Soldier 170M 250M Thor: The Dark World 150M 180M Guardians of the Galaxy 170M 200M Ant-Man 130M 165M Avengers: Age of Ultron 365M 700MIncrease in Budgets and Movie Quality
With increased budgets, all Phase 3 movies have seen an improvement in critical and commercial acclaim. The Phase 1 movies averaged an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while Phase 2 averaged 81%, whereas Phase 3 is averaging 89%. Additionally, the worldwide box office gross for Phase 3 teams to $1.224 billion, compared to $878 million for Phase 2.
While bigger budgets do not guarantee better movies, it is evident that increased financial resources have played a significant role in enhancing the overall quality and commercial success of the MCU.
Impact on Spider-Man and Other Movies
Another critical aspect to consider is the fate of movies with shared distribution agreements. If Walt Disney Studios had managed Marvel Studios in 2009, it is likely that they would have had more leverage in negotiating a larger share of the Spider-Man movie business, as Marvel Entertainment was under Disney Consumer Products’ supervision at the time. This Arm’s Length relationship contributed to a fiscal agreement where Sony got most of the movie money while Disney Consumer Products (DCP) got the licensing money. If Walt Disney Studios were in charge from the beginning, the Spider-Man franchise might have been distributed and produced differently, potentially being brought fully into the MCU universe.
Furthermore, the management struggle may have also affected the development and eventual release of other Phase 3 movies, such as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. The budget disputes between Marvel Studios Head Kevin Feige and Marvel Entertainment Head Ike Perlmutter could have been resolved more promptly and effectively, leading to smoother production workflows and higher overall quality in these films.
While these hypothetical scenarios can only speculate on what might have been, it is clear that early Disney supervision would have had a significant impact on the MCU's trajectory, potentially resulting in more financially and critically successful movies.