From Stars to Stock Photos
What happens to the movie star in a world where intellectual property is the real celebrity?
The way franchises like Marvel and Star Wars are cast and managed reflects a broader industry shift—one where IP takes precedence over individual performers or creative voices. The traditional movie star is increasingly sidelined in favour of brand alignment, synergy, and replaceability.
This episode explores how franchise logic is reshaping fame, storytelling, and creative labour in Hollywood, and what we lose when charisma gives way to consistency.
Sources & References
Hollywood Star System & IP Evolution
Author unknown. ‘Disney to Acquire Marvel Entertainment.’ The Walt Disney Company, 2009.
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-to-acquire-marvel-entertainment/Bessner, Daniel. "The Life and Death of Hollywood." Harper's Magazine, 2024.
https://harpers.org/archive/2024/05/the-life-and-death-of-hollywood-daniel-bessner/ ‘Box Office Mojo. "Top Stars by Box Office Performance.”
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross/Harrison, Spencer, et al. ‘Marvel’s Blockbuster Machine.’ Harvard Business Review, 2019.
https://hbr.org/2019/07/marvels-blockbuster-machineRu, Yicheng. ‘The Force of Negotiation: A Comprehensive Study of the Disney-Lucasfilm Acquisition.’ Negotiation Journal, 2024.
Schulman, Michael. ‘How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Swallowed Hollywood.’ The New Yorker, 2023.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/06/12/how-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-swallowed-hollywood
AI Technology & Digital Performance
Lee, Stacey. ‘Darth Vader’s voice: Navigating the legal frontier of AI in Hollywood.’ Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, 2024.
https://carey.jhu.edu/articles/navigating-legal-frontier-ai-hollywood
2023 Labour Strikes
Author unknown. ‘Generative AI in Movies and TV: How the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA Contracts Address Generative AI.’ Perkins Coie - Age of Disruption, 2024.
https://perkinscoie.com/insights/blog/generative-ai-movies-and-tv-how-2023-sag-aftra-and-wga-contracts-address-generativeAuthor unknown. ‘SAG-AFTRA A.I. Bargaining and Policy Work Timeline.’ SAG-AFTRA, 2025.
https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/member-resources/artificial-intelligence/sag-aftra-ai-bargaining-and
Music Credits
Lester Woodward (Blue Fox Music):
‘Stargazer’ (theme music)
Cory Alstad:
Brandon Hopkins:
Aaron Paul Lowe:
Gray North:
Sound Effects
