Marvel promoted "Wakanda Forever" on its own
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Ryan Coogler attends Marvel Studios' "Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever." Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Marvel relied on itself to share the behind-the-scenes story of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" through a podcast and not traditional media.
Why it matters: Marvel is one of several major entertainment players who are sidestepping traditional media in order to promote their new projects.
- Drake and 21 Savage seemed to mock the traditional media process, too by posting a fake Vogue magazine spread, a video of a staged NPR Tiny Desk concert and a clip from a faked Howard Stern interview ahead of their new album. It led to a lawsuit.
- Actor Henry Cavill announced through his own Instagram page two weeks ago that he was returning as Superman full-time for DC Comics films.
- Taylor Swift promoted "Midnights" through a first-look trailer on Amazon Prime during Thursday Night Football on Oct. 20 just hours ahead of her new album release.
Details: The Marvel podcast, which dropped a week ahead of the movie's release, includes interviews with "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler, Marvel president Kevin Feige, actress Angela Bassett and more.
- It is Marvel's first podcast with Proximity Media, which is Coogler's own company.
- Hosted by National Book Award-winning author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who wrote a series of "Black Panther" comics, the podcast offers a backstage pass into the making of "Wakanda Forever" through interviews.
The big picture: Marvel has a history of promoting its films through platforms other than traditional media.
- Marvel often posts its own trailers and TV spots on social media before they're released elsewhere, a major shift from the days when movie trailers would debut with new movies.
- The studio also recently teamed with NBA to promote a new "Wakanda Forever" clip.
The intrigue: Marvel still allows online and print platforms to interview the cast and crew. But the podcast is a sign that the studio doesn't need other outlets to promote interviews for its products. It can do so on its own or deals with media companies associated with the crew, like Coogler's Proximity Media.
Between the lines: Companies like Marvel may prefer to control the narrative of their product rather than leave it in the hands of others.
- For example, a Variety reporter spoiled Harry Styles' appearance in a post-credit scene for "Eternals" days ahead of the movie's release.
- Marvel might be handling "Black Panther" with delicacy given that it pays homage to the late actor Chadwick Boseman, who passed away from colon cancer. Boseman was the star of the first "Black Panther" movie.
