Idea in Brief
The Problem
In the movie business, sequels seldom perform as well as the originals—with critics or commercially. That makes it very difficult to create a franchise.
Why It Happens
When making sequels, filmmakers err on the side of caution in balancing continuity with renewal. As a result, they experience diminishing returns.
The Solution
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, perhaps the most successful franchise of all time, strikes the right balance by (1) selecting for experienced inexperience, (2) leveraging a stable core, (3) continually challenging the formula, and (4) cultivating customers’ curiosity.
In just a decade Marvel Studios has redefined the franchise movie. Its 22 films have grossed some $17 billion—more than any other movie franchise in history. At the same time, they average an impressive 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (the average for the 15 top-grossing franchises is 68%) and receive an average of 64 nominations and awards per movie. Avengers: Endgame,released in the spring, has won rave reviews and generated so much demand that online movie ticket retailers had to overhaul their systems to manage the number of requests.