As with other brand decisions by AP, they have taken a bit of a bold, polarizing step which can be seen idiotic or brilliant.
I think personally there is great potential here - the whole Marvel brand has equity across many diverse generations and backgrounds. And sometimes, we naturally associate popular brands with some of the exclusive, first world items we collect. As others have mentioned, Rolex has for better or for worse, capitalized on this association. And, given that the overwhelming target here are male - there is always something cool about tying something heroic with something we collect. I can see the connection - and I’m daydreaming about the possibilities (eg the Black Panther? The Iron Man?). So long as there is no giant cartoonish graphic on the display back, I think this has the potential to be exciting and bring broader awareness to AP.
Ok, I could be a total sucker - as I’m an owner of a CODE and have stuck with AP over so many years. But I can’t overlook the fact that if we look at even the latest 2020 market figures, where AP gained share (unlike Patek unlike Vacheron unlike many brands except for Rolex and Richard Mille), the strategy is working for Bennahmias and team. Maybe not yet for our consumption but broadly it seems to be successful.
Looking forward to seeing the new pieces - I can see that a “mini-hulk” may have already arrived
Peter