Big IP Franchises in Crisis, Part II: Spidey, Potter, F&F & More
Richard and Sean give their buy, sell, hold. Plus: 5 finds from the IP vault
This is part two of Richard and Sean’s special look at the future of the Big IP Era’s biggest tentpoles. In part one, they assessed Marvel, DC, Star Wars, James Bond, Jurassic World, John Wick, Mission: Impossible as well as six other franchises on the next tier.
Welcome back to our 2025 IP Franchise Intelligence Report, where as we’ve seen, a universe can be a money-printing machine for its owner — but not forever. Today we’ve got eight more universes at the crossroads, from every studio as well as the mini-majors Legendary and Lionsgate.
Recall that we’re considering our great franchises like a stock analyst:
BUY: Which would we want to jump in on now because the growth potential is strong or the price is right?
SELL: Because there’s not a lot more upside beyond where it is, or maybe we see a big downturn ahead.
HOLD: Because the fundamentals of the franchise are solid enough to make this a safety pick but the elements that would bring a new era of growth aren’t quite there yet.
So let’s take a look which IP worlds should hum merrily along for now, which ones need a good long rest — and which operate in perilous wait-and-see limbo.
In today’s selection, we see most of all how important execution is for these series. You can build a financial goliath, but if that first film doesn’t connect with audiences, if the marketing never makes the sale, you’ve got nothing but a sea of red ink. Likewise, the longer you extend a series, the less it can absorb a stumble. When you start approaching double-digit installment numbers, you can’t afford to disappoint your audiences or they may not make it back.
Here then, without further ado, Part II of our great franchise review.