Top 10 Pop Culture Franchises
A list of the world's most iconic pop culture franchises and the companies or (in extremely rare cases) individuals that own them.
Once backed by the talent of Jack Kirby and the business savvy of Stan Lee, this company and all its characters were purchased by The Walt Disney Co. in 2009, leading to the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A struggling single mother created what became the most beloved book series in history.
While not an officially recognized franchise, the Disney Princesses are one of the things that put the Walt Disney Co. on the map and remain one of the company's most recognizable and lucrative brands.
When Shigeru Miyamoto created this Italian plumber in overalls, he created one of the most iconic and beloved figures in gaming history. Mario would go on to save the gaming industry during the 90s industry crash.
Created by film director George Lucas, his company LucasFilm and Star Wars were purchased by The Walt Disney Co. in 2012. Disney's Sequel Trilogy was completed at the end of 2019.
Pokemon is the highest-grossing media franchise of all time. It is owned by The Pokemon Co., which is a joint investment between three businesses holding the copyright on Pokémon. Those companies are Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, with Nintendo holding majority share at 32%.
DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies. DC Comics is the proud holder of some of the most iconic superheroes in media, including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The company is owned by WarnerMedia, which is in turn owned by AT&T, Inc.
The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise and a Japanese take on Western fantasy. The franchise is owned wholly by Nintendo.
The Lord of the Rings is a book series written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The rights to the property belong to The Saul Zaentz Company under the trading name "Middle-earth Enterprises."
Avatar is a television franchise created and developed by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante. The rights to the property are owned by Nickelodeon, which is owned by ViacomCBS.