MARVEL: the new synonym for superhero?

Superheroes for today’s audience

Marvel did a major overhaul of its characters and storylines for this new generation of comics and other media. Taking a great risk of completely alienating its trusty fans, Marvel did this big move to increase its audience and it has been a great success.



Their big movies are the main piece, being blockbusters that captivate a large audience while staying faithful to the previous stories until a certain point. The old fans can enjoy the visual effects and realism added to their beloved heroes and the newcomers can understand those movies without the obligation of catching up with years of comics.

Add to that the modern and engaging ways to show the troubles, dilemmas and relationships in such universe and you already have a winner.

It’s all connected

After catching everyones attention with those big budget productions, Marvel didn’t stop. TV series are all the rage nowadays and they entered that realm with a bang. Various heroes getting their own productions, the big support role of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the fact that they are interconnected and connected to the movies kept the ball rolling.

Those series are very well produced, with amazing cast, interesting stories and great visuals. And don't forget that seeing characters of a movie or series appearing in another one is a great bliss for the fans and keep their hopes up for the future.

Managing longevity 

How can a franchise this big maintain interest and avoid casting problems with big shot actors, their egos and/or busy schedule? Will the next movie have everyone again? Marvel is dealing with these uncertainties by always adding more well crafted heroes, telling more about the storyline in series and specific movies which gives them plenty of options to explain any absences and changes without messing the whole idea.

Engaging their actors is another tool that is bringing lots of positive feedback and avoiding that continuity fear. Their participation in events and social media, along with merchandise products and games are amongst the best in class, again connecting everything. The actors personalities are synced to their characters and they always bring something entertaining to the mix, keeping the interest alive. Have you seen Ryan Reynold’s Twitter?

Marvel is planning for the long run, contingencies are being set up and that’s one big reason for why they are being able to succeed. It’s nigh on impossible to please everyone but with all this integrated effort, Marvel is delivering a great experience to the public, increasing the popularity of superheroes and conquering the position of number one brand for this valued market.