Marketplace®
Every story is an economic story

Chart of the Day: Disney is cleaning up with Marvel

The Disney-Marvel business model relies on d-list heroes making a-list money.

Marvel’s latest, “Doctor Strange” cleaned up at the American box office this weekend, adding about $85 million to a more than $325 million worldwide gross. Crucially, the Sorcerer Supreme played by Benedict Cumberbatch is not an A-list comics book character. He’s not even second-teir, like Iron Man and Thor were (believe it or not) before they got movies. Doctor Strange is more like Ant-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy, other heroes Disney and Marvel have been able to mine for big box office returns. That idea is crucial to their business model, and it’s one rivals have tried to emulate. Listen to that story in the player below.

Related Topics

Latest Episodes

View All Shows
  • Marketplace
    3 hours ago
    25:22
  • Marketplace Morning Report
    10 hours ago
    7:09
  • Million Bazillion
    15 hours ago
    30:57
  • Marketplace Tech
    15 hours ago
    12:45
  • This Is Uncomfortable
    6 days ago
    28:44
  • Make Me Smart
    4 months ago
    24:33