Because this geek has nothing better to do with his time than to risk being excoriated by his peers? Not really. This is a game. The rules are below. Let’s play.

The throne is open, and waiting to be assumed.

What is the single greatest multi-media franchise ever? Of course it’s an impossible question and entirely subjective. Really, how can anyone with a lick of sense even attempt to take this on?

In a tournament format, yet?

Well … I’m not. We are.

There are several factors one could reasonably consider when engaging such a tournament. My choices — which I have determined in my sole and exclusive judgement — will be the following, in this order:

1) Cultural Influence: Which of these franchises has shook up the world the most? Which brand has most caused cultures to change?

2) Financial Success: Boxoffice numbers may represent a popularity contest when it comes to films, but not all of the franchises listed above have had a film component. “Game of Thrones” was an HBO television event; ratings would have to be figured into this equation. Once considered, current financials related to the exploitation of said brand’s IP (intellectual property) must then be added to the final number. Gross and net profits would determine the rest.

(Don’t worry. When I run the rounds beginning 11–17–19 I’ll share these numbers from my best research.)

3) Critical Reception: A two-parter: What has been the overall critical reception of each choice, and to what degree have the selections’ reviews determined your willingness to take a look?

4) Longevity: How long has the franchise lasted? How many generations have been impacted? Is the product as popular today as it once was? In fairness, the James Bond films should be slotted above as well, and yet, though the films (and books) have remained hugely popular for years, their numbers just do not attain the heights of the franchises selected for this competition.

5) Your Personal Favorite: Self-explanatory.

Again, I will post current numbers, facts and figures in each round to ensure you enter them into your thoughts and make an educated decision.

You will vote for categories 1, 3, and 5, which are not as easily measured as Financial Success and Longevity. You will base your winner from a combination of your thoughts on those three, plus my statistics for the other two.

On first glance, the finalists may seem obvious: Characters from both Marvel and DC Comics, which have been around for many decades and have spawned innumerable spin-offs in most every media, may to some end the contest right there.

But then who would be the ultimate winner? Which company would checkmate the other and assume the throne?

But also ask yourself this: Which company has had the larger cultural impact? Are there any other franchises above that exceeded the impact of Marvel and DC? I am only presenting the questions, not making any sort of decision which, actually, is not mine to make.

Again, YOU will be making that decision along with me. Truth is, which explains the reasoning behind my selections, all of the creations in this contest have had measurable cultural repercussions.

The game will last until 11:59 PM on December 6, when voting will close. No, I will not personally see to it that “Star Wars” wins as it’s my personal favorite. The results of each of the first three rounds will be posted with percentages.

DATES

Round One: “Star Wars” vs. “Star Trek” — 11/17/19–11/20/19

Round Two: “Game of Thrones” vs. “Harry Potter” vs. “The Lord of the Rings” — 11/20/19–11/24/19

Round Three: Marvel vs. DC (inclusive of the MCU and the DCU, of course) — 11/24/19–11/28/19

Semi-Finals (a three-way contest between the winners of Rounds One-Three; one will be eliminated): 11/28/19–12/02/19

Finals: 12/02/19–12/06/19

Announcement of Winner: 12/07/19

WHY DO THIS AT ALL, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Great question; glad you asked. I’m sick and tired of toxic fandom. I want you to debate all aspects of these films in your decision-making … and there will be one winner. Of course, this game is not being presented as the final word on anything. I want it to be fun. And challenging.

And I want us all to accept one another’s decisions and hug it out after.

Which leads me to this. Posts for this contest will be seen on and tallied from the following seven forums: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, news.ycombinator.com, Quora, and Reddit.

So I have some work to do. Bring it on, and stay tuned for Round One on Saturday, 11/17/19.

Enjoy.

If you have found this story of value, feel free to recommend, share and follow me here on Medium (and I will follow you back), where I publish new articles daily on a variety of topics.