Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Florida is all about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to new data released by a leading casino sweepstakes comparison site.
According to CasinosSweeps, Guardians of the Galaxy is the most beloved superhero movie in the state — and nation.
Americans search for terms associated with the action-comedy romp an average of 914,437 times per month, making it by far the most searched-for superhero movie in all 50 states, placing the Marvel blockbuster firmly in the top spot.
“This data offers a fascinating insight into which superhero movies are the most popular across the country, with the unmatched popularity of Guardians of the Galaxy showing no signs of slowing down, likely heightened by the success of the new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” a CasinosSweeps spokesperson said.
The MCU holds another five spots in the top-10 list. The other entries: Avengers: Endgame at No. 2, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse at No. 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming at No. 5, Thor: Ragnarok at No. 6, and Avengers: Infinity War at No. 10.
Meanwhile, the undisputed best superhero movie ever made — The Dark Knight — ranks No. 4. According to CasinoSweeps, the Christopher Nolan masterpiece receives an average of 447,357 monthly combined searches nationwide.
The criminally low ranking comes despite the Batman franchise winning more Academy Awards (five, if you count Suicide Squad and Joker) than the entire MCU combined. Clearly, there is no accounting for taste.
Batman fans can take solace, however, in knowing Gotham’s protector holds three spots in the rankings — The Dark Knight Rises ranked No. 7 and Batman Begins came in at No. 9.
“The findings are also a testament to the unwavering popularity of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, often praised for revitalizing the Batman franchise and elevating the superhero genre as a whole,” a spokesperson said.
Big Hero 6 was the only non-Marvel, non-D. C. film to place. It ranked No. 8 with an average of 281,220 searches per month.
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Here’s your second dose of Florida’s cinematic leanings: When the weekend rolls around, Sunshine State residents are more likely to see Barbie in theaters than they are Oppenheimer.
For those keeping track, that’s another L for Nolan, whose works have apparently become death, the destroyer of public opinion. Maybe next time he should invite the Duo Lingo owl to the red-carpet premiere.
The preference for Barbie was revealed in a new study published by marketing firm Digital Third Coast, which based its results on a Google search terms analysis.
According to the data, Barbie is the preferred flick in 27 states — including the three most populous. By comparison, 23 states are more excited to see Nolan’s latest film.
Digital Third Coast offered some speculation on why the iconic Mattel doll is expected to fare better than a biopic on the theoretical physicist often called the “father of the atomic bomb.”
“There’s an obvious difference in plot and themes. Barbie is about a Barbie doll that leaves the Barbie DreamHouse and ventures out into the ‘real world’ with Ken. While Oppenheimer is about ‘The Manhattan Project,’ which was the development of the atomic bomb,” Maria Szatkowski writes.
Further, one can be in and out of the theater in less than two hours if they see Barbie. Oppenheimer’s runtime, meanwhile, approaches the three-hour mark.
Evening Reads
—”Donald Trump ‘state of the race’ memo savages Ron DeSantis” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—”DeSantis resets 2024 bid with six months until voting starts” via Nancy Cook of Bloomberg
—“Trump rivals are drawing millions from his 2020 donors” via Jack Gillum of The Wall Street Journal
—”Joe Lieberman weighs the Trump risk” via Russell Berman of The Atlantic
—“The creative fundraising tactics some Republicans are using to make the debate stage” via Geoffrey Skelley of FiveThirtyEight
—”Are the Republican presidential contenders serious about winning over Latino voters?” via Christian Paz of Vox
—“Democrat Phil Ehr jumps into Senate contest against Rick Scott” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics
—“Why Republicans are so mad at the FBI” via Molly Olmstead of Slate
—”Turmoil in Florida’s new State Guard, as some recruits quit” via Frances Robles of The New York Times
—”For Florida’s Hurricane Ian survivors, extreme heat is a ‘second disaster’” via Brianna Sacks of The Washington Post
—”Fuzzy invasion of domestic rabbits has a Florida suburb hopping into a hunt for new owners” via Terry Spencer of The Associated Press
Quote of the Day
“There were some people that were snickering at me saying, ‘Well, that prayer must not have gone very far.’ And yet, within 48 hours, that storm took a 90-degree turn to the north and it did not hit the state of Florida. We were free and clear.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, claiming his prayer at the Western Wall spared Florida from Hurricane Dorian.
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Breakthrough Insights
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
