In April of 2018, Marvel is set to release part one of its franchise finale, Avengers: Infinity War. The film, concluding a unprecedented 10+ year story arch, is set to break multiple box office records, following on the heels of Marvel’s most recent release, Black Panther. The fandom itself is loyal and driven to help their favorite aspects of the comic book source material make it to big screen. We see this in other trans-media genres as well, such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, with passionate fans leading the way for content to be expanded and experimented with. These niche audiences are building momentum for bigger production houses to look towards niche content for their hits, examples include 50 Shades of Gray and Ready Player One. With thousands of people daily engaging online about their favorite movies, bands, books, or shows, practically everyone is a “die-hard fan” of something. Simply to say, we’re seeing the shift right before our eyes of specific unique communities online significantly shifting mainstream culture, all with a few clicks.

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