Disney Digest 6/26/24 (Marvel Fan Engagement, Josh Resurfaces, Stitchless, and More)

Marvel Back in Business

We got some news about the Fantastic Four and Woman Man via Kevin Feige in the premiere installment of the new official Marvel podcast. This new iteration of the Marvel podcast replaces This Week in Marvel, which unceremoniously ended its run at the end of the year. Noticeably, outside of a brief history of the Fantastic Four, did not include any mention of comics. Obviously, comics is the origin of the whole Marvel brand, so it was a noticeable omission. It appears that Marvel seems to be moving away from tying their brand to the publishing unit that has been the core of the entire franchise. They even recently launched Marvel Comics HQ social media accounts which seems to separate it from the main Marvel accounts.

Marvel, going back to the days of Stan Lee, has been artful in connecting with fans. Even despite their famous frugality, when Disney acquired Marvel, their fan engagement and social strategy put Disney to shame. I hope that whatever transition is occurring through new podcasts and social handles is trying to accomplish, that they maintain their ongoing dialogue with the fans. I also hope they remember the importance of the comics to power the entire franchise. The publishing arm is a gift that allows the brand to workshop storylines and characters in a way that is much more economic than a $100 million feature of streaming series. They must continue to use this storytelling proving ground to inform future creative decisions.

It will be interesting to see if Marvel’s shift in fan engagement will also impact Disney’s other brands including Star Wars and even Disney itself. But one way that Marvel will connect with fans will be at San Diego-Comic Con where they will make a (hopefully) triumphant return to Hall H. A lot has changed since their last Hall H presentation in 2022. Their slate has been culled and Jonathan Majors is gone. Let’s hope their presentation will bring all the excitement that they have been known for.

I Found Josh

Josh D’Amaro has not been as front-and-center as he used to be. Quite frankly, I can’t blame him. He has had a lot to navigate over the past year or so. But now that DisneylandForward has been approved, a new vision for the Walt Disney Studios Park revealed, and a friendship repaired in Florida, he should be looking more towards an exciting future for the parks and spending less time playing politics.

After having been noticeably absent from the festivities surrounding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Josh shared that he is currently at Walt Disney World in an Instagram post celebrating a Disney Cast Member who is the recipient of the Purple Heart.

As Walt understood, a personable leader can inspire loyalty to the franchise. Viewers at home felt like they got to know Walt from his weekly appearances on television. Josh has that same magnetic energy. When you walk with him through the park, Disney fans stop him to get their picture. Beyond that, he ensures he says hello to every cast member he passes.

It is understandable that Disney fans are frustrated that there aren't more noticeable developments happening at the parks. With Tiana’s opening, the only attractions under construction at Walt Disney World are refreshes of the Country Bears and Test Track. But for over a year, Josh has promised that an exciting future will be revealed at the upcoming D23 event. While an engaging personality will only get you so far, and Disney fans have grown impatient. If a lot is not revealed at D23, the faith of the fan community may not be able to be restored. It will also raise the question, what the heck are they going to spend their $60 billion on?

Stitch Missing from Stitch Day

With filming of the live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch ending a few months ago, I find it odd that Disney did not take the opportunity to release some kind of image on today’s Stitch Day. While there were merchandise releases, social media posts, and even special PhotoPass lenses, there was no talk about the future of the franchise.

Perhaps they are not ready to reveal what they have, or perhaps they are waiting for a reveal at D23. But I must say, if it is the latter, please stop. I get it. You want to ensure you make a big splash at D23 and ensure no one can say that you had nothing to talk about. But if you hold everything for August, the next few weeks are going to feel like the entire company is stuck in neutral. The parks are giving off that vibe enough as it is, don’t let the film division suffer the same malaise.

 Quick Hits

6 Things to Watch For Tomorrow

Speaking of the debate, I will be taking tomorrow off to properly ignore it. See you on Friday.