The turnover of Marvel movies and Marvel series can seem relentless. There’s just so much to keep track of in the MCU! A new study by Fandom asserts that while most fans are in for the long haul, lots are getting a little tired of it.
According to Variety, the report compares devotees of DC movies and Marvel, finding that quite a few more devotees of the latter are getting a bored. 36% of Marvel viewers state they’re getting fatigued by the amount that’s coming out yearly, whereas only 20% of DC fans feel the same. That said, 81% of Marvel’s audience will watch anything attached to the franchise, whereas DC only has 67% that feel the same.
On a more granular level, DC’s viewers have a higher tendency to zero in on a specific hero, at 57%, whereas 38% of Marvel’s cohort are invested in the entire franchise. “Reaching consumers in an impactful way is not a one-size-fits-all formula,” Perkins Miller, CEO of Fandom, states. “Understanding the spectrum of fan identity and how it affects fan behaviour has never been more critical across the ever-expanding entertainment landscape.”
These findings paint a broad, fascinating picture. Yes, it sounds like Marvel fatigue might be real, but by contrast, DC has only a couple of releases a year, and ultimately it’s only a fraction of their overall audience.
It makes sense that DC is more likely to have people who’re there for a specific character. Batman movies and Superman movies are just so prolific, they’re a franchise unto themselves. Thor movies, MCU characters, and the like just don’t that same universality, though some are getting there, like Iron Man and Captain America.
Fandom’s survey polled 5,000 entertainment enthusiasts, aged between 13 and 54 years-old. Regardless of your affiliation, have a look at our guides to Marvel’s Phase 5, Ant-Man 3, and Aquaman 2 for what’s on the horizon to get excited about.