It should be no secret that the comic book industry has had a long love affair with the film industry. Well before Disney acquired the beloved comic book publisher Marvel Comics in 2009, Hollywood has always attempted to bring our favorite superheroes to the big screen. In the late 1970s it was Superman, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, and by the early 2000s both Batman and Spider-Man also made the jump to the big screen thanks in part to advances in CGI (computer generated imagery). By the time Disney took control of Marvel, plans were already underway to construct a cinematic universe of blockbuster movies all based on Marvel comic book characters. With the release of Iron Man in 2008, Marvel Studios scored their first massive success by choosing to cast Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. At the time, many considered Robert Downey Jr. to be a controversial choice, but the actor was widely viewed to have played the role very well. Critics questioned if he wasnt actually the real Iron Man in disguise and not just someone playing the character. By all measures, this was an excellent start to the first phase of what is now known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since the success of that first film, Marvel Studios, now a division of Disney as of 2009, has created 33 movies and counting devoted to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this number isnt even counting all the limited made-for-television series centered around the Marvel characters that have appeared on networks and platforms like Netflix, ABC (which is owned by Disney), or even Disneys own streaming service, aptly named, Disney Plus. There was a time when Disney could not lose. The Avengers movies, again starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, proved to be extremely successful, and the most recent and supposedly final Avengers movie, titled End Game, grossed almost $30 billion at the worldwide box office. It seemed as though casual fans, comic book enthusiasts, and even regular movie goers just could not get enough of seeing these popular characters on the big screen. But Avengers: End Game came out in 2019, and something seemed to happen to the perception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe between then and now. To give credit where credit is due, Disney has made a lot of money from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even more than their closest competitor, DC Comics, who also owns some of the hottest comic book characters ever conceived. While Marvel owns Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Hulk, among others, DC retains control over Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman, and a host of lesser-known characters. DC has had some success in bringing their most beloved comic book characters to the big screen as well, but not to the tune of Marvel. Moviegoers seem to be interested only in DC Comics biggest and most popular characters, whereas Marvel was able to convince their fans to actually care about third-tier, almost forgotten comic book characters, such as Ant-Man, Blade, Moon Knight, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Doctor Strange. This has paid dividends for the company and their shareholders, even amidst backlash that they are milking a lot of these characters to the point where audiences would soon tire of most comic book movies altogether. Unfortunately, Disney ignored these warnings, and today all is not well at everyones favorite house of mouse. Without even dwelling on the over-saturation of the Star Wars franchise that Disney took ownership of in 2012, the company has a history of milking every last drop out of their most popular properties. While this is expected, especially for a publicly traded company that is tethered to Wall Street, Disney refuses to change course, even at the peril of their most popular franchises. Case in point, the company made a disastrous financial decision to bring an aging Harrison Ford back to play one of his most iconic roles in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The movie missed every benchmark set before it and failed to captivate audiences. Harrison Ford has gone on record even stating that they should have just let the franchise die after the critically panned previous film in the series which debuted in 2008, titled The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Today, Disney finds itself at the crosshairs of true vintage enthusiasts of both the original Star Wars franchise and lovers of Marvel Comics. Speak to any of these hardcore fans, and it is clear to see that something is amiss at Disney. None of the current crop of limited television series or movies are enthralling these true believers. The nostalgia just isnt there. Disney is even thinking of bringing back Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man even though he died in Avengers: End Game in an effort to reignite interest in the movies. Meanwhile, just by looking at the box office receipts for most of the newest Marvel movies you can see that things arent like they used to be. Even on comic book collecting forums, the consensus seems to be that Disney has lost their way. This is even affecting demand for certain back issue vintage comic books at present time. Comic book movie fatigue appears to be a real thing and is starting to translate into a loss of money going toward vintage comic books. Fans are now wondering if this trend be reversed or do all good things end this way? Make no mistake, billion dollar companies like Disney almost always end up killing their proverbial golden gooses for profit. Sadly, when we are talking about some of the most beloved franchises ever to grace pop culture, the market for the collectibles these items represent can also be affected. I am by no means suggesting that enduring collectibles like comic books and action figures are going away anytime soon, but it does go to show how markets in the antiques and collectibles trade continuously change and involve. It also shows there is a link between how these properties are viewed and the demand for their vintage counterparts in physical form. And in the end isnt that the real lesson here? Make no mistake, true believers, you still have decades or more to go before some of these beloved treasures fail to ignite interest at auction after auction. But until that time comes, here is hoping Disney eventually gets this right. The future Star Wars and Marvel Comics collectors are counting on it. Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.