Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Has 'Strong' Franchise Potential Assures Disney Chairman

Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Has 'Strong' Franchise Potential Assures Disney Chairman

After reassuring Captain America 3 still has a May 2016 release, Bob Iger says he doesn't predict an Avengers-sized success for Guardians; but having seen the space epic, he says it has franchise potential.

By DCMarvelFreshman - May 06, 2014 07:05 PM EST


During a shareholders conference call earlier today, Disney chairman and CEO Robert Iger typically discussed the company's many future endeavors, which of course includes the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though he didn't dish out any major updates, Iger did comment that Guardians of the Galaxy was screened recently and that it certainly has franchise potential. Shocking, I know. Anyhow, he first addressed the ongoing box office success of Captain America: The Winter Soldier  and he also reassured that its sequel is still very much scheduled for release on May 6, 2016, despite the Batman/Superman movie also claiming the date. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier has far surpassed the first Captain America in total global box office, which obviously bodes well for our Avengers franchise," said Robert Iger. "We’ve had enormous success releasing Marvel movies on the first weekend of May, including the two biggest domestic openings of all time. And we’ll continue this tradition with the Avengers Age of Ultron next year and Captain America 3 in 2016. Avengers Age of Ultron is currently shooting an early footage and looks great." Bob Iger then went on to discuss Marvel Studios' upcoming space epic and first original movie since Thor. "This August 1st, we’re looking forward to introducing the world to more fantastic Marvel storytelling, with a great cast of new characters in Guardians of the Galaxy, which we screened last week and we believe it has strong franchise potential," he said.

Later during the conference, Bob Iger was asked to share his thoughts on Disney's expansive branding technique and whether he's confident that Marvel is at a new higher level right now. "Marvel is, as far as we're concerned, is just getting started," he said. "The results of Captain America, though I think are very, very telling, because when you look at the film that is approaching almost $700 million in global box office, I think $680 million, and you compare that to Captain America 1, which did under $400 million worldwide and even look at it versus Thor movies, a few of the Iron Man movies, you're looking at a film that has actually done substantially better than a lot of the Marvel films that we put out." He contined, "Now, it was a great film, but it's clear that momentum is building for that franchise and with Avengers 2 in production and coming up and characters from Avengers still very much in favor with audiences, I think there is huge potential there. In addition to that, we've got a new film, Guardians of the Galaxy coming out August 1 in the United States this summer, which we've seen, I mentioned in my comments. We feel quite good about that too. That's a whole other Marvel realm or universe in terms of where it takes place, the characters that populate it and the stories that you can tell for those characters. So, I think, I'm not going to predict that we've got another Avengers on our hands, but that's certainly the goal." What do you think?



Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits–Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand - with the galaxy’s fate in the balance. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is presented by Marvel Studios and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gilian, Djimon Hounsou with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Commander Rael and Benicio del Toro as The Collector. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film opens August 1, 2014.
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ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 7:31 PM
i hope its good,im rooting for it ,im loving the personality of the film, i am lyving everything i hear and see, fingers crossed its good!!
staypuffed
staypuffed - 5/6/2014, 7:36 PM
It won't flop. It will do well. case closed.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 5/6/2014, 7:36 PM
THE STAR WARS of the Marvel Universe!

Hope this is up there with AVENGERS and WINTER SOLDIER!

ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 7:36 PM
oh, they already started screening guardians, i wonder if it was for executives only or if it was test audiences?
ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 7:38 PM
LEEE-i hope its a good movie,though i do kind of want it to be my faovirte mcu film so far
LordMushu
LordMushu - 5/6/2014, 7:43 PM
Omg omg omg. They screened this!?!?!?
MisterHolmes
MisterHolmes - 5/6/2014, 7:44 PM
a marvel movie has franchise potential...shocker?
ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 7:46 PM
Mrsid-,bradley cooper as rocket to me ,especially with his voice, seems less the grizzled weary raccoon that he is usually presented in the comics as but , he seems more psychotic and angry in the film, he seems like someone that would be the loose cannon of the team
ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 7:49 PM
i goddamn hope we get a second trailer either with the season finale of AOS or DOFP
SuperCat
SuperCat - 5/6/2014, 7:51 PM
Not worried about this film. Think it's going to be a surprise hit at the box office.
SuperCat
SuperCat - 5/6/2014, 7:52 PM
More thumbs up, people! Stop being lazy! :)
MarkV
MarkV - 5/6/2014, 7:52 PM
I'll see it in the theater. I owe Marvel a favor after CA: TWS.

But this aint no franchise.
Destined
Destined - 5/6/2014, 7:56 PM
Fingers crossed for GOTG, but it definitely has people's attention and with Marvel's name behind it, so it will do well from that alone.
JoJo1982
JoJo1982 - 5/6/2014, 7:57 PM
Already been screened!?!

Damn I wished I was there when they screened ot
JoJo1982
JoJo1982 - 5/6/2014, 7:57 PM



****it****
BlackPhillip
BlackPhillip - 5/6/2014, 7:58 PM
@MarkV

If it groses similar to the first Cap movie, then they definitely can make it a franchise. The Star Trek reboot made $385M at the box office. GOTG will definitely make that much.
deanwilkins
deanwilkins - 5/6/2014, 8:00 PM
I really want this to be greater than Star Wars. I'm loving what I've seen so far.
ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 8:01 PM
wait a minute, MCNYAGANO did say there was a guardians screening and he wasnt gonna tell when, did he...... hmmmmm

it probably is an executive screening but i can imagine
OpticBlastWins
OpticBlastWins - 5/6/2014, 8:03 PM
This movie is going to blow minds... lets drink another beer
Null
Null - 5/6/2014, 8:04 PM
I hope and think that this is gonna be big. It looks the part. As long as marketing for this movie goes well, I can see this making at least 600mil+ at the box office.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 5/6/2014, 8:05 PM
ezio @ Me too buddy, me too!
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 5/6/2014, 8:06 PM
SuperCat @ Already thumbed it and it felt GOOD! :p
ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 8:09 PM
im not expecting any deep,complex themes from this film ,i am expecting a film with a fun story, great characters and some heart to it and i hope i get that
Mankzin2
Mankzin2 - 5/6/2014, 8:09 PM
I think the Skrulls are in the Fantastic Four Universe. So you won't be seeing them in any Marvel Studios production
ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 8:11 PM
Mankzin0james gunn said that marvel doesnt own the badoon but they partially own the skrulls
ATrueHero1987
ATrueHero1987 - 5/6/2014, 8:13 PM
I agree! Now bring on that 2nd trailer!
blackandyellow
blackandyellow - 5/6/2014, 8:14 PM
The only thing that can screw GOTG is TMNT releasing a week later. Anthropomorphic raccoon and tree vs. anthropomorphic turtles and rat.
ezio619
ezio619 - 5/6/2014, 8:15 PM
MarkV-you know what other space epic that people thought wasnt gonna be a franchise? yeah,it stars a rogue, princess, a green little alien and a big furry bear like creature and two droids and its one of,if not the biggest franchise of all time,i am not saying guardians is gonna be good or be successful but dont jump to conclusions yet
ATrueHero1987
ATrueHero1987 - 5/6/2014, 8:16 PM
@Mankzin2 Not true. Skrulls, like SW & QS, can be used by both studios.
Namor
Namor - 5/6/2014, 8:16 PM
I can't wait to see Quasar introduced to the MCU.
LeonNova
LeonNova - 5/6/2014, 8:17 PM
I had no idea who the GOTG were prior the the announcement, but now that I've went and read the 2008 series, The Thanos Imperitive, and am currently reading the Marvel Now series, I can really say I've grown to love these characters and am very excited for this movie. I'm not expecting it to be an Avengers or Winter Soldier level success, but I think it has potential to be a big hit at the box office. I'd anywhere from 300-500 million worldwide will be what it grosses, but I'm hoping I'm wrong and it's more. As far as the quality of the film, I'm hoping it will even give The Winter Soldier a run for it's money, but we'll see. I'm loving how the MCU is continuing to grow and expand. With the films, AOS, Agent Carter, and the netflix shows all being made, Marvel has made the closest cinematic experience to an actual comic book universe we've ever seen.
ShelfPorn
ShelfPorn - 5/6/2014, 8:25 PM
Regardless of how good it looks as an adult, Rocket Raccoon and Groot are much more adorable than the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so that alone should rope in a much large audience of children and families. Now, if Marvel had decided to make Rocket Raccoon look like a retarded hunchback Shrek like that bizarre decision for the TMNT then it would be something different completely, but they are smarter than the competition and understand merchandising. Kids don't want to cuddle with the Toxic Avengers Turtles.
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