Are Marvel fans exhausted by the slew of movies that are released as part of franchises? A new study shows that Marvel and DC fans might be feeling a sense of fatigue over the recent follow-up of content that is being released in theatres.
Even as recent releases have been dominating the global box office numbers, a certain section of the audience is getting overwhelmed by it all.
Fandom, a fan platform, has reported that even though a larger section of the fans would watch a new Marvel release in comparison to a DC release, the likelihood is more towards content that contains a single, stand-alone superhero story rather than a plot that begs to pull out characters from the franchise.
The survey drew in from around 5,000 fans ranging from entertainment to gaming. The study shows how the audience can be categorized into four different subcategories, in order to understand the underlying motivation. These categories are the Advocates, the Intentionalists, The Culturists, and The Flirt. Each subcategory has a different perspective towards watching the same film.
The Advocates are what is known as the loyal fanbase, those who will definitely watch a new Marvel film right after its release. The Advocates are “deeply invested” in the Marvel universe and will not miss the film at any cost. These films have become a part of their generation in a way that they know every little aspect of the universe. Next comes The Intentionalists, who are the largest in the fanbase, who will possibly check the reviews, get influenced by the marketing, and follow the filmmaker more than the projects.
They will watch the film within two days of release. Then, there are the Culturalists who are mostly influenced by buzz and will likely watch the movie within a month. At last, there is The Flirt, who are more likely to watch the film only if they have time.
Fandom suggests that on an average, almost half of the franchise’s fan base comprises of Culturalists and Flirts, thereby also bringing in the specific importance of marketing along the way. According to the study 81% of Marvel fans would watch any other project from the franchise but 67% from the DC fan base would do so.
20% of DC fans say they are tired of the constant releases whereas for Marvel, the pull is around 36%. Original projects fare better in that format, rather than caring for another film in the ever-expanding franchise.
