William Goldman’s famous maxim “nobody knows anything” is obsolete. After a century of experimentation, Hollywood has figured out what works: superhero stories set in fantastical worlds, with returning characters, cross-movie storylines, and visual pyrotechnics.
These titles generate revenue from the global box office but also from spin-offs, merchandise, video games and theme parks. From 2017 to 2019, nearly every member of the top 10-highest grossing hits was part of a blockbuster franchise (the sole exception was Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody).
