It's pretty obvious that a lot of the math nerds running hedge funds or making buy recommendations at Wall Street firms have sentimental reasons for liking comic book companies—namely, they were big X-Men fans as kids and associate with the idea that a geeky guy like Peter Parker secretly has super powers. But is there any justification for the “buy” recommendations for Marvel apart from sentiment? Travis Johnson thinks there is but the reasoning seems unpersuasive.
So we were left to spend the summer pondering just how weak the shares might get during a movie-less fall and how strong they might get as soon as investors begin to look forward to 2007, which will include one guaranteed blockbuster (Spiderman 3 in May, one likely one, (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer in June), and one possible hit,( Nicholas Cage's Ghost Rider in February), and to 2008 which will bring the first of Marvel's self-produced films,( Iron Man, scheduled for May).
Look. The Spiderman movies are pretty good but how many of these can Toby McGuire really make? At some point the franchise is going to burn itself out. And Fantastic Four? Doesn’t anybody remember how bad the first one was? Nicholas Cage in Ghost Rider? When was the last time Cage actually opened a movie? We don’t even want to think about Iron Man.
Marvel Entertainment: Superheroic Comeback [Seeking Alpha]
Posted by Aaron, Sep 14, 2006 9:54PM
I agree at some point yes the franchise will run it's course but the thing is, these are unique stories, people are always fascinated by the fact that their favourite comic book heroes are going to be on the big screen. Everyone wants to know what spiderman or venom or green goblin will look like, which actors will play them etc.... I won't say that storyline isnt important because it is, but I think the bottom line is that people are just excited to see how a movie can portray the chracters.