So Mickey Mouse what’s your super power?

Marvel. How is it that one brand name can resonate in each international market, especially in the film industry?

Because of their characters. Each one has their own colourful signature to them and are easily marketable. Not since Star Wars has a movie gotten so much attention, that it inspired multiple generations to go see the film, buy the toys, and become a part of the brand.

But what sets Marvel apart from other superhero movies that just the logo itself makes people interested?

Well, for one North America has become fixated on sequels and remakes. The idea that the Marvel Universe has a continuous story arc that is building to an epic conclusion, it gives people the incentive to stay on board, and see what happens next. The stories are carefully planned out so that more characters can be introduced. Everyone considered Guardians of the Galaxy to be a big gamble for Marvel. No one knew the characters, there wasn’t an A-list actor, and it dealt with many sci-fi elements. But because they marketed it as a film to be the next Avengers, people felt as though they had to see it.

Usually when it comes to big budget movies it relies heavily on product placement to return its funding towards the budget. Over the course of its progression Marvel has become the Superbowl of product placement, and to have your product in the film will cost a pretty penny. Which is a good thing though because less companies advertise and the consumer is not being spoon-fed different products throughout the film, such as a Transformers movie per say.

Studios seem to be more interested in the business aspect of things, and can sometimes forget that they are trying to tell a proper story. Most superhero movies add so many plot, and character elements to them that they become excessively complicated. Having too much product placement thrown into the mix only makes the experience less memorable. Whereas if you were to watch any Marvel movie they make sure their central characters are well developed, simplified, and easy to follow. Almost to the point where you can turn off the volume to any of the movies and still understand what is happening.

The overly simple plot lines is something Walt Disney has capitalized on for decades. And with Walt Disney now having the rights to Marvel, it helps bring in a younger audience to see their films, as parents trust both brands. It also helps with international markets because superheroes have always been a big inspiration to pop culture. Marvel has now begun to capitalize on other markets by adding subplots that deal with internationally based characters and then market the films to insist on the idea that the movie takes place in their country.

Expanding on multiple demographics is a smart choice for any company but also difficult, and Marvel doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. There was the recent re-introduction to the Ms. Marvel as a Pakistani American, and also the new character Thor Girl. There is also talks of the first female lead movie with Scarlett Johansson. This will appeal to the young female demographic and will continue to grow the brand of Marvel.

Competition is also growing, as other movie studios are learning the Avengers formula of adding multiple superhero characters into one film to entice a bigger audience. Time will only tell when people will begin to get exhausted of the superhero trend. With each movie studio combined, there is already a reported 23 Super Hero movies expected to hit theatres in the next four years. They’ve also now expanded into the television market. So it’ll be interesting to see what the next step will be for Marvel when it comes to staying relevant to its audience. There is always the case of being overly saturated with a product, but somehow Marvel has kept its audience wanting more.