Marvel and DC Multiverse: A Journey into Transmedia Storytelling and Media Franchises

Abstract

After 25 billion of dollars at the global box office and a huge impact on popular culture, Marvel Cinematic Universe, owned by the Walt Disney Company, has now reached a phase where it has 6 movies released in theatres, tv shows and a two years plan about future films. Meanwhile, the second most popular superhero’s franchise, DC Extended Universe, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, produced 11 movies, earned 5,8 billion of dollars worldwide and is currently developing 6 more movies to be released over the next two years. MCU is now dealing with the descendant phase of the ‘Product Life Cycle Management’; while the DCEU is facing several pitfalls and setbacks due to the unclear business vision. This reflects for both in the decision of bringing novelty to the storytelling process and enactment: ‘Multiverse’ is introduced. The main goal of this paper is to investigate the idea of multiverse from its origins to the different fields of studies and media in which it was later adjusted to. This will be conducive to better analyse its role and its working logic in the MCU and DCEU, answering research questions such as: Can the Multiverse logics be framed into the wider context of franchises and transmedia storytelling rules? Are Multiverse logics going to create a new paradigm of rules or are those already existing enough? This research addresses such issues and tries to provide a set of possible answers, with different outcomes for the two major film studios.