If you’ve ever wondered why Disney has aggressively released new content for Marvel and Star Wars, that’s because the House of Mouse has made a ridiculous amount money from each franchise.
Current CEO Bob Iger is currently locked in a proxy fight with activist investors with ties to former Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter who Iger infamously ousted after the notoriously stingy Perlmutter almost fired Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige. (Perlmutter was adamantly opposed to making movies about Black Panther and Captain Marvel because only white male superheroes move toys. Yeah…)
As part of that proxy fight, Disney has revealed just how much it’s made since purchasing Marvel and then later Star Wars. Both properties cost roughly $4 billion each and, well, it was worth the investment. According to The Wrap, Marvel has brought in $11.6 billion. In a surprising twist, Star Wars has proven to be an even bigger cash cow, earning Disney $13.2 billion despite a much lower output. That’s nearly $25 billion combined, so it’s safe to say Iger made the right call.
Via The Wrap:
The revenue reflects the aggregate 10-year revenue streams, both generated and expected, directly associated with theatrical releases, including theatrical, home entertainment, TV (pay and free), and consumer products. It does not include derivative revenue streams, such as park attractions, nor does it include DTC originals associated with those franchises or pre-established franchise consumer products revenue.
Disney also touted its success with Frozen and Toy Story, which have delivered significant returns on investment: 9.9 and 5.5, respectively. By comparison, despite their huge revenue hauls, the ROI for Marvel and Star Wars were 3.3 and 2.2.
(Via The Wrap)