As the impact of the trailer continues to grow, the stock price doubling is entirely possible!
One can only imagine how former chairman Perelman, who sold his shares too early, must be feeling now. Given his petty nature, he probably passed out in the restroom two or three days ago out of sheer frustration...
"Very well. How are the online sales of Marvel merchandise through Amazon?" Mavi asked Jack casually. Merchandise was his second major strategy.
Items like Iron Man T-shirts, Black Widow pillows, Spider-Man hoodies, Thor's hammer, and Captain America's shield were all being sold on Amazon. The profits from these derivative products would be long-lasting.
After all, box office returns from film investments are only temporary. Once a movie is out of theaters, all that remains is licensing revenue. But merchandise? That's an entirely different story. Not only can they be sold domestically in the U.S., but they can also achieve impressive sales globally.
"Chairman Mavi, according to Amazon's report, we sold 29,680 units of Marvel merchandise in one week, generating total revenue of $986,700. Additionally, the sales of our latest comics have also seen a significant increase…"
The success of the trailer boosted sales of Marvel merchandise and comics, which in turn pushed Marvel's stock price even higher.
Mavi was quite satisfied with the numbers reported by Director Jack. When filming The Avengers trailer, Marvel Studios also signed actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth as in-house talents.
A portion of the profits from online merchandise sales was allocated to these actors based on agreed-upon royalties (since their faces appeared on the T-shirts, which involved image rights). Simply put, as long as they stuck with Mavi, they wouldn't lose out on making money.
"Oh, by the way, Chairman Mavi, we just received news this morning! Disney has expressed interest in collaborating with us. They want to turn our Marvel heroes into movies—characters like Iron Man, the Hulk, and Spider-Man. They said funding wouldn't be an issue..."
Director Jack had been riding a wave of achievement all week. First, the trailer became a massive hit. Then, stock prices soared, merchandise sold like crazy, and now, even a Fortune 500 company like Disney was extending an olive branch. Compared to his previous work, this felt truly rewarding!
"Disney? Well, I suppose this was inevitable…" Mavi thought to himself.
According to his memories from his previous life, Disney had acquired Marvel in 2009 for $4.2 billion, securing the rights to over 5,000 comic book characters. For example, Baymax from Big Hero 6 was a product of Disney's Marvel acquisition.
But why didn't Disney acquire Marvel earlier? That was because, in 2008, Marvel had a moment of realization. They mortgaged many of their comic book characters to raise funds and produce Iron Man 1, which turned out to be a massive box office success. That's when Disney finally saw Marvel's true value and wasted no time throwing money at them to seal the deal.
Now, facing an industry giant worth hundreds of times more than himself, Mavi truly felt how tough life could be. To put it in internet slang: "Life has finally come after this little kitten."
"There's no rush to respond to Disney just yet. Let me think it over," Mavi said.
While he was undeniably wealthy, his company had yet to fully grow and establish itself. He didn't want to enter negotiations with a powerhouse like Disney just yet.
If they collaborated too soon, Disney would surely take the lion's share of the profits, leaving Marvel with only crumbs. Since they weren't on equal footing, Marvel wouldn't have much leverage in negotiations.
"Understood, Chairman." The entire company followed Mavi's decision without question, a testament to their trust in his leadership.
Meanwhile, former Marvel executives who had resigned prematurely, as well as Perelman, who had sold his shares, were now in complete despair, watching Marvel take over the internet and entertainment industry. The bitterness in their hearts was undeniable. Regret was inevitable. But what was done was done—there was no turning back.
While Mavi delayed his response to Disney's collaboration proposal, Disney sent him an official invitation:
"Dear Mr. Mavi,
We are honored to invite you to Disney's 30th Anniversary Celebration in Orlando on July 23, 2000..."
Looking at the email in his inbox, Mavi realized this was essentially a trap. Not quite a "Hongmen Banquet" (a reference to a historical feast with an ulterior motive), but close enough. Disney clearly wanted to meet him in person and try to buy him out with money…
"Should I go or not?" Mavi was in a dilemma.
If he didn't go, it would seem disrespectful, making him appear arrogant. But if he went, Disney's real intention was to discuss a deal.
"Are you free on the 22nd and 23rd this month? I need to go to Florida for a party." Mavi sent a text to Jennifer, inviting her to join him at Disney.
"Florida? I think I should be free. Let me check my schedule." Jennifer quickly replied and immediately called her father.
"Hey, Dad, I can't go to Orlando with you on the 23rd anymore. I have other plans."
"Uh-huh! Alright, then!"
After hanging up, Jennifer texted Mavi again: "The 22nd and 23rd are fine. See you then."
Originally, Jennifer had promised her father that she would attend Disney's 30th-anniversary celebration with him. But after receiving a single text from Mavi, she immediately changed her plans.
Her father was left speechless—his daughter had been completely stolen away...
"Alright, I'll come pick you up," Mavi replied, unaware of the coincidence.
Jennifer, on the other hand, hadn't told her father about Mavi yet.
First, Mavi was Russian, and his family was in the arms business. Second, her father was the chairman of the Marriott Group, with a net worth exceeding $1 billion. He had always hoped Jennifer would marry someone from a similarly powerful family—essentially a business alliance.
However, he also respected Jennifer's choices, as long as she didn't date someone completely inappropriate.
"Mm-hmm! See you then!"
Although Jennifer and Mavi hadn't met many times, every encounter had been incredibly enjoyable. Whenever she was with Mavi, all her worries seemed to disappear. Even texting with him made her smile uncontrollably.
On the morning of July 22, at 10 a.m., Mavi arrived at Washington Airport, where he met Jennifer, who had dressed up especially for the occasion.
Today, she had opted for a cute look—pink shorts paired with a white T-shirt, perfectly accentuating her stunning figure.
(End of Chapter)