- Disney is pausing production of Marvel and Star Wars content to cut costs and focus on its Disney+ streaming service.
- Marvel’s previous expansion dilutes attention and resources, while Star Wars has prioritized TV series over movies.
- Disney could consider licensing its content to other streaming platforms, following a trend in the industry.
Disney decided to pause the production of content for its Marvel and Star Wars franchises, CEO Bob Iger himself announced in an interview with CNBC.
The measure is part of a broad plan to reduce costs in the company, motivated by the poor performance of his latest films.
Iger explained that the goal is to “spend less” and focus on initiatives that boost Disney’s flagship streaming service, Disney+.
The decision to narrow the content focus on Marvel and Star Wars comes after a period of expansion on both franchises by the entertainment giant.
Through Marvel in particular, Disney injected large sums into production, both in films and in television series, which led to a “dilution of content and attention,” Iger said.
Disney acquired Marvel in 2009 for over $4 billion and the franchise has been extremely lucrative ever since.
What Disney will do with Marvel and Star Wars content
As for Star Wars, Disney has been prioritizing the production of TV series instead of movies. In fact, there hasn’t been a theatrical release of the franchise since 2019.
The company has focused its efforts on projects like “Andor” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” for Disney+, earning recognition and Emmy Award nominations.
Although the previous Star Wars movies were very successful, the franchise’s performance now has been more mixed. In fact, the last installment, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”, disappointed.
Disney’s new growth and marketing strategy is in line with the focus on streaming services and original content.
In this sense, Iger said the company “may” license its content to other streaming platforms, something that has been common practice in the traditional TV industry.
Warner Bros. Discovery is also in talks to license HBO content to platforms like Netflix.
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