Kit Parfitt, an accountant, is well aware of the uneven quality of some of Disney's most recent Marvel Studios films.
He believes that the Moon Knight and She-Hulk miniseries were both subpar. Even worse is the Thor: Love and Thunder movie. Not a rewatchable film. ".
The 27-year-old, who calls himself a "massive" Disney fan and lives close to Brighton, claims that despite his disappointments, he will still go to the theater to see Ant-Man and the Wasp, the newest installment in the series, when it opens this month.
He claims, "When it comes to Marvel and Star Wars, I'll watch anything.".
That kind of dedication is what Disney is counting on as it tries to carve out a profitable path in a market where movie ticket sales are declining, pay TV service is being discontinued, and online streaming is losing money.
Boss Bob Iger, who was reinstalled in November after the abrupt ousting of chief executive Bob Chapek, told investors this month that the company would be doubling down on its big brands like Marvel and Frozen, time-tested profit-makers, while slashing spending on more risky "general entertainment" fare.
This year, there will be a third Guardians of the Galaxy film, a new Little Mermaid, and another Indiana Jones.
Following that will be Toy Story 5, Frozen III, a sequel to Zootopia (Zootropolis in the UK), and Toy Story 5.
The actions represent a bet that the strategy Mr. Iger oversaw during his first tenure as CEO from 2005 to 2020, when he acquired Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm and the company's share price increased by more than sixfold, will continue to produce positive results.
Even more so than in recent years, when it sent content to its Disney streaming service in an effort to gain subscribers, he said the company would take a step back from its streaming push and focus more on cinemas and traditional television to distribute content.
Will the standard playbook suffice?
Although investors are not yet persuaded, Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich claims that Disney has an advantage over its rivals due to the popularity of its brands.
Since March 2021, Disney's share price has decreased by almost half, and it did not change much after Mr. Iger announced his plans.
Everyone is aware of the many difficulties, she says. "We have a lot of hard work ahead of us. ".
In comparison to 2019, before the pandemic forced theaters to close all over the world, movie ticket sales are still about one-third lower today.
And the rise of streaming has fractured audiences, making it difficult to generate the kind of buzz that propels people to pay for entertainment.
Jackie Allen, a mother of two from Oxfordshire, claims that she decided not to sign up her kids for a Disney subscription because she didn't think the offer was worthwhile. She is also uninterested in the company's upcoming schedule.
She claims that it seems like they are rehashing something only to make money rather than considering whether it should actually be made.
Even devoted fans like Kit will admit to getting worn out occasionally.
He tells me that Disney's most recent action movies, like Avatar, can consistently entice him to the movies as he speaks to me among the tourists and locals perusing Disney's enormous store in Manhattan's Times sq\..
The lengthy backstories that come with building a franchise like Marvel, however, worry wife Andrea, who danced down the aisle to a song from the Disney/Pixar 2009 film Up.
Furthermore, neither of them feel a strong need to see a movie like Toy Story 5 in the near future.
The rising cost of living has made the couple more likely to stay at home, but they are also becoming weary of the story after four films and a spin-off.
Kit quips, "Milking something to number five is a little excessive.".
It's not a new criticism to say that Disney recycles and remakes classics far too frequently.
Since the first Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs film debuted in 1937, the company has been preparing for a total of nine sequels.
However, in recent years the strategy—which has been the driving force behind decades of success—has become mired in America's divisive culture wars, with some updates sparking claims from conservatives that the company is becoming too "woke.".
For instance, the controversy surrounding a same-sex kiss that the company later restored after staff members accused it of censoring gay affection overshadowed the release of Lightyear, a Toy Story spin-off, last year.
Right-wing politicians like US Senator Ted Cruz criticized the movie's same-sex plotline, which led to it being outright banned in some markets.
The profitability of a franchise strategy has been established, according to Janet Wasko, professor of media studies at the University of Oregon and author of Disney Inc.
"It is somewhat risky, but if it succeeds, it really can be incredibly profitable," she claims, adding that it builds on already-existing fans and consumers by expanding the possibilities they have to consume. They won't stop, in my opinion. ".
Amanda Welch, a 29-year-old subscriber to the company's streaming service who has visited Disneyworld more than ten times, says the company's strategy of returning to its most successful brands hasn't diminished her love of Disney.
In order to better control their spending, she and her fiancé Brandon Dumont, 31, have taken a few times off from the service. But they keep returning. Disney is occasionally turned on just to put the kids to sleep.
Brandon claims, "I'm not really tired of any Disney movies. "I could watch them repeatedly.
. "
