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Tag: Planet Money

Planet Money — The Spider-Man Problem

Original Art and The Artists

Podcast, January 28, 2022

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – JULY 02: South Koreans wear Spider-Man cloths during the ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Seoul Premiere at Yeongdeunpo Times Square on July 2, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Kismet.

I’m prepping a series of posts to celebrate the Spider-Man’s upcoming 60th anniversary, and my favorite podcast series, Planet Money, airs an episode on the complex Spidey film partnership between Sony and Marvel.

It’s a great episode, and covers a ton of round in under a half an hour. If I noticed anything “missing,” it’s the drama that happened a few years ago when we heard posturing (bloviating, actually) about Sony and Disney not reaching a new agreement to keep Spidey in the MCU.

Really?

The last Sony Spider-Man film not in the MCU, Amazing Spider-Man 2, grossed about $700 million worldwide. Not shabby, but no where near expectations.

The current Spidey film, No Way Home, has grossed about $1.7 billion globally, and counting. That’s an extra BILLION dollars.

Think about that. It doesn’t matter how that negotiation ultimately played out, everyone made a TON of money. At least on the film side.

On the comic book side? That’s a tale for another day.

Interlude — Planet Money Podcast

Original Art and The Artists

Who wants to sell these guys a superhero?

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/12/967425295/we-buy-a-superhero-origins

Doorman? Yep, he and the rest of these oddball characters launched in Marvel’s West Coast Avengers #46, courtesy of our pal John Byrne.

Planet Money is our favorite economics podcast (Freakonomics is a close second) and we were pleasantly surprised to see the most recent episode (likely part one of a two-parter) discuss superhero economics. Or at least the part that deals with the intellectual property valuation of superhero ownership. 

We’re extra delighted that our old pal Alex Segura, co-president of Archie Comics is the featured interview.

And yes, the hosts do get it in their head to try to buy Doorman, an especially — and purposely — lame character, from Marvel. 

Listen… and subscribe.