Part 10/10:

Ultimately, the future of franchises like Star Wars and Marvel depends on audiences rediscovering their power to influence and redefine what success looks like. The ongoing decline serves as a stark warning: if Hollywood continues to prioritize political messaging and franchise déjà vu over genuine storytelling, it risks erasing the very legacies it once cherished. As one poignant social media post summarized: If studios can't attract their core audiences—particularly boys and men—those audiences are no longer theirs to control. The era of cinematic universes built on reverence and original storytelling might be ending, replaced by a cautionary tale of hubris and neglect.