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the fall of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Writer's picture: John BrandtJohn Brandt

A while back, I predicted the fall of Netflix before its stock crashed to the tune of 40%.


And, unfortunately, there may be similar tidings for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Especially considering your oh-so-humble narrator here is a perfect 100% with his predictions…)


Let's dive in:


I’m a huge MCU fan.


But…


It doesn’t look so good this side of Avengers: Endgame.


Peanut (my new nickname for my chick) and I saw Thor: Love and Thunder recently.


Annnnnd, I walked out of the movie disappointed.


I didn’t hate the movie. But I didn’t love it either.


Lesson in there:


The last thing you want in your copy is a lukewarm response. Love and hate are much more powerful (and profitable) emotions.


Anyway, my biggest gripe with the movie was that it relied too heavily on jokes.


Another lesson in there:


Using humor in your copy can help you slang more of your products or services. But too much humor or “cutesy” copy makes your list cringe and delete your email faster than an Ethiopian chasing a chicken.


This one was a bummer because Thor: Ragnarok (also directed by Taika Waititi) is one of my favorite Marvel movies.


And Thor Ragnarok was funny, man. Much funnier than the first two Thor movies, which was a great change of pace for the character. But Love and Thunder’s Thor has become a bumbling idiot for the sake of the joke.


Now, I laughed a bunch of times throughout the movie. But I couldn’t connect to heavy and emotional moments because it was a joke fest.


Another lesson in there:


Too many jokes in your copy sabotages the “emotional hi-jacking” effect that profitable copy uses. Remember: every buying decision is an emotional decision that you later justify with logic.


And my last gripe with Thor:


There were certain times when the movie became too woke.


Another lesson in there:


Get woke, go broke.


But this email ain’t about Thor. It’s about the MCU as a whole, so let’s get into it shall we?


The MCU is currently in “Phase 4.”


It’s the phase after the massive, 20-some movie climax which ended with Endgame.


And the MCU seems to lack a sense of direction.


Not to mention… there’s a metric fvckton of movies and Disney+ shows in Phase 4, which may be to the detriment of the MCU.


There have been like 12 projects in Phase 4, and we’re still in the beginning of the phase. For comparison, Phase 1 only had 6 movies.


In Phase 4, we’ve had like 5 movies and 7 Disney+ shows.


And everything’s scattered.


(Avengers: Endgame spoilers ahead…)


The Avengers defeated Thanos, and there has yet to be a big, looming threat emerge over earth’s mightiest heroes.


They also lost their two leaders: Iron Man and Captain America.


In Endgame, Tony Stark died. And Cap traveled back in time and aged as if he was never frozen for 80-some years.


They transformed Thor from the god of thunder into the god of the butt of the joke.


And they’ve introduced a bunch of new characters that nobody has ever heard of. Like the Eternals, Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, America Chavez, Ms. Marvel, and I’m sure I’m forgetting others.


I’ve never read the comics, so I don’t know any B- or C-list Marvel characters.


But the biggest failure of Phase 4 so far?


The lack of direction.


They tried some new things:


* Disney+ shows, which didn’t exist in previous phases. Every show is lukewarm at best and unwatchable at worst. (The best show was WandaVision, which was also the first show that dropped).


* Working with different directors like Oscar winner Chloe Zhao (Eternals) and Sam Raimi (Doctor Strange 2).


* Introducing new characters most people have never heard of.


* Emphasizing diversity — Shang-Chi is the first Asian avenger. Ms. Marvel is the youngest superhero.


Here’s the problem with everything I mentioned above:


Marvel strayed from the formula which resulted in their first 23 (give or take) movies averaging a billion dollars at the box office. For example, Chloe Zhao and Sam Raimi are great directors. But they had too much freedom with their movies, which makes them feel less connected to the greater MCU.


Which brings me to the point of this email:


If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.


More:


Kevin Feige is the executive producer behind every MCU movie. He’s the guy responsible for its unprecedented success.


But he might have too much on his plate.


Marvel used to release 2-3 movies per year.


Today?


They release 3-5 movies per year. And at least 5 Disney+ shows per year.


And there has been a massive drop in quality from Phase 1, 2, and 3 to Phase 4.


And you know what?


Business owners make the same mistakes Marvel’s making in their businesses.


In fact, check this out:


I chatted with a prospect this week. They need help with emails, but their CEO doesn't wanna give up control. The CEO enjoys writing, so he handles all the copy. But that’s not the best use of his time.


Why?


Well, for one, being a good writer doesn’t make you a good copywriter.


For two, when you’re too “close” to your brand (as every biz owner is), it’s easy to miss the forest for the trees.


For three, as a business owner, you must learn to relinquish control of your business or you’ll enslave yourself. Or sabotage your business. Or both.


When businesses grow to a certain point, the CEO becomes the biggest obstacle in the way of growth. It’s a psychological glitch as deadly as a Black Mamba. Deep in the subconscious of a successful CEO, they have a version of imposter syndrome, which tells them they don’t deserve their success. So they go and start fires all across their business to justify their salary and importance and role.


But the counterintuitive solution is this:


As your business grows, you must get out of the way as much as possible. You have to realize you’re only holding the business back. And your role transitions into more of a figurehead position — you write books, speak at conferences, conduct high-level strategizing, etc. and develop your personal brand to attract new audiences into your realm.


In other words:


You have to learn to work on the business instead of in the business.


One way to start working on your business instead of in your business today is by smashing this link right now and booking a discovery call.


Go on, do it now. I’ll wait.


If we’re a good fit, you may never have to worry about your email marketing again.


And y’know what?


Not only will you buy some of your freedom back, but you might also realize that you were the main reason your business ain’t growing as fast as it could.


And that, my loyal reader, is worth its weight in gold.


Because fast forward 5 years from now:


You might be chillin on a yacht, cooking up biz ideas with other multi-millionaires, and plotting on how you’re gonna give away 7 figures to charity. Imagine how much you're making if you're giving 7 figures away.


Mayhap not because we decided to work together. But because of the realization that your business grows faster when you put the right people in the right place and get the fvck outta the way.


Put that into your pipe and smoke it.


Anywho:


This email’s gone on far too long already.



John


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