Chapter 426 - DC and Marvel (Part 3)

When she saw the comic book dropped by Owen in the bookstore, she thought of superheroes. When she first arrived here, special effects couldn't quite support the appearance of superheroes on the big screen in all their handsome and brave glory. But things were different now. With the gradual development of special effects technology, it was more than enough to make the big screen accept more special effects.

Most importantly, the audience loved the special effects!

Think about Jurassic Park, how much did people adore the lifelike dinosaurs that appeared on the screen? And what about that massive ship sinking beneath the iceberg? Would such heart-pounding scenes have been possible without special effects?

So, even though Laila had initially forgotten about superheroes due to her busy work, the pile of comic books that Owen dropped in front of her served as a reminder and opened the door to that new world for her.

In the past, superheroes from different universes started on their own, using their charisma to win over audiences and then coming together to create massive alliances. For example, Marvel's Avengers and DC's Justice League. When the first Avengers movie came out, how many people were awestruck by the massive Helicarrier soaring in the sky, and how many cheered for the heroes' teamwork?

Superheroes who could only showcase their abilities in comics and animation were finally freed from those limitations thanks to advances in special effects technology, landing on the big screen that could best showcase their talents. Just thinking about it was thrilling.

Laila didn't initially plan to acquire DC and Marvel. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but rather that she couldn't. Because... she didn't have that much money.

Her funds were invested in the Eastern cinema chain, and what remained in her hands had to cover the expenses of building the theme park and dealing with Phoenix Film's expenditures on various film projects.

Her stroke of luck was that all the films she produced were making money, so there was no worry about losing money. Even if some films had longer payback periods, compared to other companies, her vision and luck were enviable.

Though she could buy the rights to individual superheroes from Marvel and DC, she knew it would be foolish to do so, especially knowing that superheroes would have a glorious resurgence in the next one or two decades. She couldn't afford to be shortsighted.

She also knew that in the coming years, both companies had decided to recall superheroes who had strayed from their control to form alliances. Laila couldn't remember the exact year, but she knew that both companies had successfully reclaimed their rights and used their resources to bring those once-outcast heroes back into their plans.

So, she didn't intend to purchase the rights to individual heroes; she hoped to acquire them all in one go. A single company had thousands of superheroes, and not only the popular ones were beloved; even the lesser-known ones had their fans.

Out of thousands, not all could appear on the big screen and be accepted by the audience, but even if one percent or one-thousandth were loved by the audience, it wouldn't be a small number.

Laila remembered that in the future, Disney acquired Marvel for $4.32 billion-plus equity, and it was big news at the time. The result was that they made a great deal, acquiring a superhero goldmine at a "minimal" cost!

Marvel probably wouldn't be as expensive at this point, but unfortunately, Laila didn't have the money to make a cheap acquisition. The good news was that she still had time, as long as she acquired Marvel before seeing how valuable their superheroes would become!

DC created the first superhero - Superman, and the entire world was built around him.

Comics, animation, TV shows, movies, merchandise... the value generated around him was difficult to quantify precisely. What was certain was that this superhero would continue to bring in profits in the future.

Laila was interested in DC because their first superhero (Superman) came from their stable, and the first non-superpowered hero (Batman) also came from them, showing how valuable their creativity was. Unfortunately, DC had been acquired by Warner Bros. in the late 1960s, becoming one of Warner Bros.'s subsidiary companies.

Even if she wanted to buy it, they probably wouldn't be willing to give up such a promising company. After all, the "World's Finest" partnership of Superman and Batman had brought in enough profits to warrant the company's attention.

To hitch a ride on the superhero explosion of the future, she could only focus on Marvel.

According to her memory, Marvel needed several more years to make a comeback, and until then, they were barely holding on by producing scripts for big studios and selling the rights to their heroes, such as Blade to New Line Cinema.

The money they could get for the rights wasn't much; when Sony raked in $3 billion with Spider-Man, Marvel only received $62 million.

Perhaps that's why Marvel's boss later gambled by trying Iron Man. The result was well-known worldwide: Iron Man became a hit, and Robert Downey Jr., who portrayed Iron Man, also became a star.

Before that, no one could have guessed that Iron Man, who couldn't be considered an A-list hero and had plenty of flaws in his character, would attract so many fans. Many people said that Robert Downey Jr. brought the character to life, but few noticed that Iron Man's character itself was so unconventional.

Owen was definitely a die-hard fan of superhero comics. Laila noticed that no matter which character she mentioned, he could discuss them extensively. Looking at how he was talking so passionately now, who could believe that he was the same clumsy guy she saw in the bookstore?

The two of them had a great time chatting, and the people sitting behind them also joined in their conversation without hesitation. When they disagreed on opinions, they would argue loudly, which made Laila laugh and gain a lot from the discussion.

It was such a lovely place! When she left the coffee shop and got into her car to go home, she had already decided to visit there more often. Originally, she had gone there to study the prospects and potential of superheroes, but she unexpectedly fell in love with the relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

Who would have believed that her first group of friends could be a bunch of comic book enthusiasts? But she really liked not having to carry the troubles associated with her last name, "Moran," and being able to speak freely with a group of young people who didn't know her identity.