In 2008, approximately 4,105 movie theaters experienced the opening weekend of a comic book movie that would change the landscape of cinema forever. Iron Man’s release marked the beginning of a brave new world that would put the power and influence of the cinematic medium into the hands of geeks and nerds everywhere.
Two major events highlight this point: Disney purchasing Star Wars, and Disney acquiring Marvel.
Disney has always been a major entertainment conglomerate, which means they only invest their money where they truly believe they are going to get the most return. Their first investment was Marvel in 2009. After the success of Iron Man, the highest-grossing film of 2008, Disney merged with Marvel.
The MCU Phase 1 alone proved the deal to be a fruitful one and launched a major growth for both companies.
The second acquisition Disney completed was that of one of the most successful nerd franchises of all time, Star Wars. Disney purchased LucasFilm in 2012.
We’re not going to talk about how they subsequently destroyed the quality of said franchise, but the point is they saw the value in a franchise whose entire fanbase was—and is—science fiction geeks. Anyone who considers themselves a part of any fandom is passionate, but those of us that dwell in the science fiction based fandoms are more passionate than most and that is reflected most at the box office.
Six of the most recent highest-grossing movies of all time are what would be considered “nerd” films, and they’re all owned by Disney: Avengers: Endgame (2019), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Black Panther (2018). All of those films grossed over a billion dollars, with Endgame grossing 2 billion.
If anything is clear, it’s that nerds and geeks have started dictating what’s popular.
Another point that illustrates how much power nerds have over the current cinematic landscape is the announced release of the Snyder cut of Justice League. Admittedly, fans complained and whined on the internet for three years and like an exhausted parent with a screaming baby, HBO Max grabbed the SnyderCut “pacifier.” HBO decided to shell out the money to produce the director’s intended vision of the film. This event shows the scope of influence that the fans have. Though I do feel that giving in to that influence sets a dangerous precedent for the industry, the consumer’s presence in the industry is now undeniable.
Since 2008, geeks and nerds have shaped pop culture and influenced the industry in an irreversible way. Disney has become the world’s largest entertainment company, and, though they were big before, the additions of Marvel and Star Wars have propelled them into an entirely new stratosphere. All of this is possible due to the popularity of both independent franchises. Most of the highest-grossing films of the last decade were Disney-produced nerd movies, and the release of SnyderCut is entirely due to the persistence and passion of the fans.
The industry is no longer just a bubble for creators. Audiences have more influence than they ever have before. And though that information is exciting and somewhat useful, if the quality of our geeky movies is to remain at such a high level, the influence the audience needs to be kept in check. It should be kept in mind but not used to make creative decisions.
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