As Marvel’s vice grip over the box office has begun to loosen and DC films such as The Flash and Black Adam flop, many people have begun to wonder if “superhero fatigue” has finally set in.
From 2008 through 2019, superheroes reigned supreme at both the box office and popular culture as a whole. While Hollywood luminaries such as Quinton Tarantino and Martin Scorsese griped that cinema was being ruined by the superhero fad, Marvel continued to turn out hit after hit.
Photo: Marvel
One of the men behind many of those hits was James Gunn, who led the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise through its first three films.
James Gunn Worries About “Overextending”
In a recent interview, Gunn, who is now in charge of the DC Universe, talked about the fear that studios like Marvel and DC are “overextending” themselves.
“We’re going to be very careful with the product that we put out. Making sure everything is as good as it can possibly be,” Gunn said.
Superhero Stories Have Gotten “Really Lazy”
While some have questioned whether or not the sheer volume of superhero content is the problem, Gunn thinks the bigger issue is lazy storytelling.
“People have gotten really lazy with their superhero stories,” Gunn said. “And they have gotten to the place where, ‘Oh, it’s a superhero, let’s make a movie about it.’ Then, ‘Oh, let’s make a sequel, because the first one did pretty well.’ And they aren’t thinking about, ‘Why is this story special? What makes this story stand apart from other stories? What is the story at the heart of it all? Why is this character important? What makes this story different that it fills a need for people in theaters to go see?’”
Photo: Variety
Gunn continued, “People have gotten a little lazy and there’s a lot of biff, pow, bam stuff happening in movies. And I’m watching third acts of superhero films where I really just don’t feel like there’s a rhyme or reason to what’s happening. I don’t care about the characters. And they’ve gotten too generic.”
Photo: Marvel
So, the question remains, what can Marvel and DC do to get back on track?
Different Genres Are The Answer
According to Gunn, the solution is “having very different genres” within the superhero genre as opposed to “this sort of middle-of-the-road type of genre and tone that so many superhero movies have.”
“I like very serious superhero movies, and I like very comedic superhero movies,” Gunn said. “I like ones that are a murder mystery but it’s with superheroes. I’d like to see these different types of stories, as opposed to seeing the same story told over and over again.”
Photo: Marvel
Marvel has previously had success doing just what Gunn suggests. The most critically acclaimed Marvel films in recent years have been projects like Werewolf by Night, which drastically changed the tone.
Photo: Marvel
If superheroes are going to continue, they will need to evolve. Now, it is up to Marvel and DC to change course.
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