One Marvel Franchise Named Hollywood’s Most Valuable According to Experts (and Avengers Is Snubbed)

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In 2026, Marvel Studios has two major films planned, but the one with the most potential to shape the future of the franchise might surprise you. Both Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theaters next year. Doomsday promises to be the largest crossover event in Marvel Cinematic Universe history, while Brand New Day will be a significant reboot for the Spider-Man film series after a very successful three-film run.

A recent industry report suggests that experts believe Spider-Man is more likely to drive the future success of the Marvel brand than the Avengers or other leading characters.

Bloomberg recently published a report, “Who Hollywood Thinks Will Buy Warner Bros.,” gathering opinions from people working in the entertainment industry about the potential sale of Warner Bros. The report asked a thought-provoking question: if you owned a studio, which popular franchise would you acquire? Surprisingly, “Spider-Man” was the most popular answer, topping both “Harry Potter” and “Avatar.”

Right after that question, a poll asked which movie franchise is currently the most valuable. Spider-Man won for the second time, surpassing Harry Potter, James Bond, Super Mario Bros., Batman, Game of Thrones, Avatar, and the Minions.

Why Is Spider-Man Marvel’s Most Valuable IP?

It’s true that Marvel’s popularity numbers have been inflated over the past two decades, largely due to the huge success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU turned characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor into global stars. However, Spider-Man’s popularity suffered a bit, getting overshadowed by disappointing endings to both the Sam Raimi film series and the subsequent The Amazing Spider-Man reboot.

The creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) marked a huge change for Marvel. Before the success of films like X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and others in the 2000s, Spider-Man was Marvel’s biggest money-maker. In fact, Marvel likely earned more from Spider-Man merchandise and licensing than from all the Avengers combined. Spider-Man is a character nearly every child recognizes, and more than half of those children become fans, whether through watching movies, wearing clothes, buying toys, or visiting theme parks.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been incredibly successful for Marvel as a brand. But after Avengers: Endgame, something less noticeable happened: sales of Avengers-related merchandise declined. With popular heroes like Iron Man and Captain America retiring, and the tragic loss of Black Panther, there were significant gaps in the brand’s appeal. New characters like the new Captain America and Ironheart haven’t yet captured the same level of popularity.

Spider-Man is a remarkably successful brand, extending far beyond Marvel’s typical audience. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films have grossed almost $4 billion worldwide, and Spider-Man animated shows have been popular on television since the 1990s. The Marvel’s Spider-Man video game series has also been a consistent hit, winning multiple awards, and a recent reboot of the Ultimate Spider-Man comic series has boosted sales significantly. Considering all this, plus the ongoing revenue from merchandise and licensing, Spider-Man’s overall success far surpasses that of the Avengers.

Spider-Man is more popular than ever with new movies, games, and animated shows constantly being made. As each decade passes, he solidifies his place as Marvel’s most iconic hero.

Look out for Avengers: Doomsday in theaters on December 18, 2026, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026.

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2025-12-23 00:10