SDCC Fans Blame Streaming for Marvel, DC and Star Wars Box Office Slump After 6-Year Return
Updated
Updated · Variety · Jul 30
SDCC Fans Blame Streaming for Marvel, DC and Star Wars Box Office Slump After 6-Year Return
1 articles · Updated · Variety · Jul 30
Summary
Comic-Con superfans said Marvel, DC and Star Wars have lost theatrical momentum, pointing to franchise drift, oversaturation and weak audience trust even as the brands still dominate fan culture.
Disney+ and streaming drew the sharpest criticism: fans said too much at-home content diluted event status for Star Wars and fractured the shared pop-culture moments that once powered billion-dollar runs.
DC fans split on James Gunn’s reboot, praising 2025’s successful “Superman” but arguing June’s “Supergirl” flop showed the risks of studio tinkering and focus-group-driven decisions.
Marvel inspired the most optimism, with fans framing 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday” as a make-or-break test, though some warned the studio is leaning too heavily on familiar stars and IP.
The mixed reaction at Hall H — from cheers for Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider to skepticism over unmade projects like “Blade” — underscored a broader gap between hype at Comic-Con and confidence in theaters.