In the vast universe of brands that don’t know how to age discreetly, we have Marvel, which is celebrating its 85th birthday with all the discretion of a Hulk rampaging through a china shop. And like any good octogenarian entity worth its salt, Marvel is not going to settle for a simple cake and candles. No, sir! Instead, it has decided to bombard us with an overdose of licensed products, social media activations and events in São Paulo, because who needs a break when you can have a party that lasts for days?
First, let’s talk about the event in São Paulo. What could be more “Marvel” than mixing superheroes with… dogs? Yup, in a collab that could only be dreamt up by some evil genius with a soft spot for pets, Marvel and Zee.Dog teamed up so pets can test out toys while their owners try to decide between grabbing a Spidey shirt or a Cap America action figure. All this, of course, in a setting that ensures you won’t leave without dropping some hard-earned cash on at least one “essential” Marvel item.
But don’t worry, if you’re more of a stay-at-home MCU binge-watcher, Marvel has you covered. They’ve partnered with giants like Amazon and Mercado Livre to create custom pages where you can get lost in a catalog of over 3,000 licensed products. Because let’s face it, you can never have too many Thor figures in slightly different poses.
Speaking of nostalgia, let’s take a quick time hop. Back in 1939, when Marvel was still called Timely Publications and the internet was as far away as Wakanda, they dropped their first comic, featuring the fiery debut of the Human Torch and Namor. Who knew, decades later, these characters would be sharing shelf space with hundreds of other creations, driving nerds (and their parents’ wallets) absolutely wild?
Flash forward to today, and not only did Marvel survive name changes and leadership shakeups, but it also reinvented itself into a full-blown cultural phenomenon with the MCU. It all started with “Iron Man,” showing the world that Robert Downey Jr. and a suit of metal could single-handedly carry an entire cinematic universe on his back. Kevin Feige, the mastermind behind the scenes, turned Marvel Studios into a dream (and money) factory that just keeps growing bigger than Tony Stark’s ego.
So get your wallets and expectations ready because, at 85, Marvel’s not slowing down. In fact, they’re gearing up for another 85 years of merch, epic events, and movies that’ll make us laugh, cry, and, of course, spend like there’s no tomorrow.
