Back in the fall of 2019, right after Avengers: Endgame grossed $2.8 billion worldwide, I had this exchange with Alan Horn, who was running Disney’s film unit:
Me: Alan, I remember when American Idol was No. 1 for many years in a row and its audience was 30 million viewers a night. The president of NBC at the time, I believe it was Jeff Zucker, said, “Someday it will not be cool to watch American Idol.” Do you think about when that day comes for the Marvel movies?
Horn: The answer is no. If the film has a compelling storyline, if it has heart and humor, two things that I insist on, and it’s terrifically well executed, I think there is an audience. But who knows?
