Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today’s question is inspired by my viewing of Guardians of the Galaxy last night, and also the recent festivities of San Diego Comic-con.
I also just read this article written by my friend Raul Marin at Film Inquiry where he talks about Marvel vs. DC and who will win in the end. Now here’s my answer I left on the post:
Even with the fervor of San Diego Comic-con of late, I’m not as excited as I once was for either Avengers or Batman vs Superman. I mean it’s cool seeing those actors on stage and stuff but I’m not as gung-ho about the movies as I did a few years back. I’m still excited for certain stand-alone films, i.e. The Winter Soldier but that’s only because the espionage aspect intrigues me. So at this point, I don’t really care which one will win in the end, tho looks like Marvel still has the upper hand.
So I guess you could say I’m getting superhero-fatigue. I know some people probably already reached that point much sooner than I did, but clearly there are still more who haven’t or these movies won’t perpetually get made. I used to get super excited over Superman, I mean I did all those countdown posts for Man of Steel, but my excitement for its sequel has dropped significantly, as you can see I barely blog about it any more. Raul stated in his post that “…three of the top ten highest-grossing films of all-time are from the superhero genre” and before we know it, all of the top 10 highest grossing would be made up by this super lucrative genre.
I just read this article posted by Screenrant that says Marvel Studios Has Mapped Out Films All The Way To 2028! And that’s just ONE studio, I’m sure DC is not far behind and SONY milking the Spider-man franchise for all its worth down to its last web, as they’re now spin-offing Spidey’s villains. Sinister Six is apparently set for 2016 with its sequel in 2018 [face palm]. I’m so bored with the Spidey franchise already, as I skipped The Amazing Spider-man and probably won’t even rent it. I think my excitement for the first Spidey reboot was highly influenced by seeing Andrew Garfield up-close at Comic-con.
It’s not just the movies, television is bursting with superhero-themed shows with no sign of slowing down. The most-buzzed about new Fall show is the Batman prequel GOTHAM, which seems to be getting positive buzz so far. I might check it out simply out of curiosity, but who knows how long I will keep tuning in, as I got tired of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D after just half a dozen episodes.
So clearly the superhero genre is flexing their Thor-sized muscles even more than before. Is the superhero bubble at its tipping point now and ready to burst at any moment? It seems far-fetched now but it’s happened to other popular genres before so I don’t think any genre is exempt from falling out of mainstream’s market. To say the superhero market is over-saturated is putting it mildly, but hey, Hollywood loves money so they’ll do whatever it takes to keep this craze going and going and going …
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So what say you folks? How do you [REALLY] feel about the superhero movies? Are they becoming ho-hum or are you still gung-ho for ’em?
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Lol, I’m feeling you on this Ruth. I almost literally face-palmed when I saw the news about a sequel to Sinister Six announced already!! Seems a bit pre-emptive, don’t ya think?? haha.
I like the superhero genre, I won’t lie. But I’ve hit saturation point a year or so ago. Hahah. I”m also not one who necessarily grew up on comics, so my passion for them runs only as deep as how cool the studios are able to sell the films to me. There are some things that I buy into more (Chris Nolan’s Batman got me, as did the X-Men films), and some things I couldn’t care less about (Captain America. . .I know, I know. 🙂 ) But come 2028, boy are we going to be all feeling our age then. hahah.
Hey Tom! Yep, I face-palmed a lot as I’m researching for the article. I could write an even longer opinion post on this topic but I want to hear what others have to say.
I do like the superhero genre too, but really this is getting ridiculous. I don’t grow up reading comic books but one of my first intro to the movies is Superman, but even so I’m not really anticipating what Synder’s doing w/ Batman vs Superman. You don’t care for Captain America? But that last film was superb IMO.
I had a lot of fun with The Winter Soldier, no doubt. But again to my point, I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read the stories and was more familiar with it all going in. Being an ouster on that one seemed to pay off the least for me, whereas I could get into Batman, Superman and Spider-Man a bit easier. Superman obviously has kicked up quite the fuss since last year, and again I think I would be more in that conversation if I. . .I don’t know, this is going to sound bad, but . . . cared more? lol
sry, that was supposed to say “outsider on that one. . .”
Interesting that some critics, visiting San Diego’s Comic Con, thought there was clear fatigue building on this subject. I’m all about a good story. The Winter Soldier and Days of Future Past held me. That said, Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn’t. I’ll take quality over quantity every time.
Hi Michael! That’s interesting that the critics felt the fatigue on the genre, tho you could hardly tell from all the euphoria at Hall H at SDCC. Yep, quality over quantity is what I prefer too. I actually skipped Spidey 2, I have no interest in it AT ALL.
Although I have no doubt that superhero movies will continue to make money, there’s a limit to the level of interest of the general movie-going populous. This limit will guide the reality of future big budget superhero movies more than recently released schedules from Marvel. What I mean is – movies featuring Spider-man, Superman, X-men and other well-known superheroes are an easy sell to general audiences. That “limit” is crossed when studios – so eager to milk the genre – dump millions into exploring heroes the average movie patron doesn’t know. I honestly don’t think “Guardians of the Galaxy” is going to do all that well – regardless of the quality of the film – primarily because the average audience member has to run off to Wikipedia to find out who the hell they are. The same thing can be said for other movies in the making – like Ant Man and the Sinister Six. Talks about sequels to unreleased originals have more to do with buzz than reality.
Hey Rob! I really do wish people would actually stop seeing these movies, but just like people continue to flock to the abominable that is Transformers, I don’t think that’s happening any time soon. I saw “Guardians of the Galaxy” last night at an advanced screening and I saw that people were still excited for it, they even clapped at the end. So I don’t know, I think it would still do well at box office. Funny you mention that average moviegoers have no clue who these characters are, as I too have never even heard of Guardians or even Green Lantern, which I still don’t care to see. Well, some of the sequels aren’t just talk, they’ve actually been formally announced by the studios. That’s the crazy thing about it as the original movie hasn’t even opened yet!
While I do generally still enjoy these movies, I will admit that there are far too many of them. It’s come to the point where the ones that stand out as those I’m looking forward to are the ones that appear to be doing something different, such as how Guardians appears to be more of a super fun space opera than a straight up superhero flick, or how you liked the angle taken with Winter Soldier. But things like Batman vs. Superman, while they SHOULD interest me, kinda sorta ultimately don’t all that much, which is kind of a shame. I wouldn’t mind for the genre to take a break, honestly, but I know that ain’t happening anytime soon. 😛
Yep, far too many even for the most ardent superhero fans!! I mean it’s hard to get excited when you see four or five superhero movies released back to back. There’s no such thing as novelty anymore.
Superman is my favorite superhero, but it goes to show how fatigued I am when I’m no longer anticipating Batman vs. Superman! I honestly couldn’t care less if for some unforeseen reason the movie doesn’t get made. I probably would only see it on press screening anyway.
LOL, someone posted on a forum the other day the upcoming slate for Marvel, and there are like 19 films in production over the next three years. It’s RIDICULOUS.
That said, I’m all for Gotham because it’s less a superhero story and more gritty backstory.
Yep, it’s mind-boggling!! I really think the studios are doing their best to make people HATE superhero movies w/ the way they’re going now.
I sure hope Gotham is good, and you’re right, at least we won’t see the Dark Knight yet in the show, well at least not w/ a cape as he’s still a kid at this point.
I think it’s overkill as they’re already developing sequels to films that haven’t been made yet as it will eventually become too much. The good thing is that it might motivate filmmakers to do something new and create something new to the point it will provide audience an alternative to these films.
I know! Guardians hasn’t even opened yet anywhere and the sequel’s been announced for 2017! I guess you’re right, they’re getting quality filmmakers for these films as they have money to burn, but even the stuff that’s happening w/ Ant Man worries me. It seems that Marvel has such tight control over their movies that certain filmmakers might have issues w/ em, sounds like Edgar Wright left over creative differences.
I agree with Michael, I’ll take quality over quantity any day. If the studios provide us with high quality products like Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, The Winter Soldier, Days of Future Past then I’m all for it. But unfortunately they’d likely provide us with crap like the new Spidey flicks, Man of Steel, Green Lantern and such. So yeah I’m getting sick of all these new and uninteresting superhero flicks. But like you said, the color of green is all they care about so as long as people keep paying to see these kind of movies, they’re not going to stop making them. Just wish they put more thoughts into the story and give us high quality products.
Thankfully there are still good, even great superhero films out there. But with the ridiculous amount of movies they’re churning out in such a small time frame, quality is gonna suffer. It doesn’t matter how good the director is, time is of the essence. I mean, Nolan took about 3 years per Batman film, four for the last one, and it shows that he cares about the subject matter instead of just doing it for the money.
Yeah but now it looks like Warner Bros. really wants to catch up with Marvel and trying to churn out as many of DC characters as possible. I’m with you too about Batman v. Superman, the project just sounds so uninteresting to me, especially after they cast Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Hopefully the actual film will be good but I will never accept Eisenberg as Luthor, just live I’ve never accept Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Yep, it’s the motivation of what they’re doing that bugs me most. I mean they’re just playing catch up for monetary sake it seems. Yep, not keen on Eisenberg casting, but I actually like Keaton as Batman 😀
I actually liked Keaton as Batman too. I mean Kilmer? Really? Clooney I like but not in the role of Batman. Eisenberg seems fine to me. Sure he’s no Hackman but I don’t see why not. I’d like to see what he could do with the part.
Hey Dave, I didn’t like Hackman as Luthor either, he’s too cartoonish for me. In fact I don’t think there’s been a very good Lex Luthor on the big screen yet. Spacey was okay but again he’s kind too cartoonish in Superman Returns too. My favorite version of Lex Luthor was in Smallville where I thought Michael Rosenbum did a great job of capturing, to me anyway, what Luthor should be. Eisenberg could be a good villain in Bat v. Supe but I’ll never accept him as Lex.
Oh I agree that Kilmer or Clooney were not a good fit for Batman. I like Keaton as an actor but he’s not Batman to me, every time I watch Batman and Batman Returns, I just think he looks silly in the Bat suit since he’s so short and I’m a short guy! LOL, I should be supporting my fellow vertically challenged brother but I just can’t, ha ha.
I was wondering what you thought of Smallville’s Luthor. I haven’t really seen it to comment either way. Well for now I’ll give Eisenberg the benefit of the doubt. Who would you like to see cast as Lex Luthor?
This is an interesting article on the casting of Eisenberg. Check it out:
http://screenrant.com/lex-luthor-jesse-eisenberg-batman-superman-discussion/
Keaton short??? He’s 5′ 10” (like me!). Bale and Kilmer are both only 6′. Granted Bale looked more imposing because of his muscular build but Keaton’s no shrimp. Now if you’re talking Cruise, Whalberg or Keifer… then I’d say you got an argument. LOL.
Ted, just curious, any interest in Iñárritu’s/Keaton’s Birdman?
I’m convinced that it is all part of a plot by the most master-minded supervillain ever. Keep the heroes busy on set while the villain and his corporate henchmen quietly snatch all the money out of our pockets!
I guess there was a time when Hollywood was making a cowboy movie every other week, but that has (mostly) disappeared with time. The superheroes will come to the same fate, but it’s going take a while.
Hi David! Ahah, so this is all Lex Luthor’s fault then, or maybe The Joker? 😉
Yeah I think it’ll take a while before the superhero bubble burst like other genres like westerns, cold-war thrillers, etc. because w/ the age of social media and the presence of comic-con, the buzz machine will keep working tirelessly to generate excitement, whether it’s genuine or not is another story.
I’m much more interested in all of the projects which have new/unusual takes on the genre like Winter Solider did than say Batman vs Superman… that does nothing for me at all. I guess I am getting a little fatigued by them, but I don’t really mind them all coming out as long as some still feel original and fun.
Amen James, that’s the reason I LOVE The Winter Soldier as it wasn’t afraid to take risk, what with destroying SHIELD reputation & all that. It feels like an espionage thriller instead of a straight-on superhero movie.
Exactly! 😀
I dont watch any superhero movies really and whilst Im happy to stay well away, I do wish they didnt make so much money as they stop more unique films getting a chance. Just the way it is I guess, sadly for me 😦
Hi Tyson, it’s a bummer that there are original ideas that don’t get made out there even though it’d probably cost a fraction of even the CATERING budget of these superhero movies!! I think I’m gonna make a point on this blog to post more about smaller films. I mean I still do like a lot of big budget movies, don’t get me wrong, and not every big-budget movies are bad, but I feel like a lot of the small movies get overlooked as they just don’t stand a chance in terms of promotion.
To be honest I’m kind of bored of them. I’ll watch Guardians as it seems to be doing something different but rest leave me cold. I actually wrote about this specific subject last year!
Yep, me too Mikey! Guardians is more of a comedic movie but w/ superheroes. Honestly it’s such a goofy movie and rather pointless but it was quite entertaining surprisingly.
Sorry, I’m bloody tired of them. You’ve seen one you’ve seen the last fifty.
Ahah, well tell us how you REALLY feel Cindy! 😉
Hi, Ruth:
If the character is popular and has a standing fan base. And if the writers have respect for the character(s) back story and Mythos. Then yes, The project can be worthwhile. Though, I thought Willem Defoe made a Godawful Green Goblin. ‘Daredevil’ should never have been made. ‘The Fantastic Four’ wrecked its back story and choice of actor for Dr. Doom. The ‘X-Men’ franchise has been hit and miss at best. The the ‘Wolverine’ spin offs, an embarrassment.
While Frank Miller’s take on the 1940s-50s classic ‘The Spirit’ had all the bad girls and femmes fatale spot on and dead to rights. PC demanded the removal of The Spirit’s sidekick, Ebony White. And Samuel L. Jackson was just miscast and wrong for arch nemesis, “The Octopus”. A villain whose face was never seen in the comics.
‘The Avengers’ have been well executed. Especially Joss Whedon’s effort. Though may run into rough seas in introducing lesser and smaller (Ant Man?) characters to the mix. While DC’s heavy hitters ‘Batman’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Superman’ still reign supreme in Warner Brothers animation. And just a bit lower in live action.
Curious to see how ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ fare their opening weekends.
Hi Kevin! Yep, story + character is still key to making ANY good movie. Nothing can take its place, no matter how good the CGI & production design is. Ha..ha.. Daredevil should never have been made? I actually think the story itself has a lot of potential, but yeah it is probably the toughest to adapt. But then again I thought Thor is practically unfilmmable but Branagh managed to do a stellar job!
I still haven’t seen The Spirit believe it or not, I might give it a shot at some point. And yeah, the animated series of Batman and Superman are indeed very good, but Nolan’s trilogy sets the bar high for live-action superhero films, on par (and some might argue even surpasses) w/ the first X-Men which was still an excellent superhero film IMO.
I’m kind of with you on this, Ruth. Marvel has had a great run, but already planning movies for the next 14 years is ridiculous! It really is overkill, especially with the Spider-Man series. I did like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, though I’d happily see the series end now, as I prefer the Sam Raimi films.
Hi Josh! Yeah, the Raimi versions is far superior, esp. the second one w/ Alfred Molina. Hmmm, you actually like Amazing Spider-man 2 eh? I honestly don’t know if I want to see it.
It’s not that the superhero market is over-saturated, it’s just that superhero movies get more than their fair share of the press so it makes them *feel* much more prevalent than they actually are. This year there’s really only six superhero movies, and only two times where they’re overlapping much with X-Men/Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy/Ninja Turtles. There are just as many if not more big budget sci-fi/action movies that aren’t about superheroes like Godzilla, Edge of Tomorrow, Transformers (not a superhero movie), Planet of the Apes, Robocop, Expendables 3, Hercules just to name a few. The argument is that the movies that I listed are all quite different from each other while superhero movies are all the same. But they’re not all the same. Ninja Turtles will probably have more in common with Transformers than with X-Men. Guardians of the Galaxy seems like a pretty far cry from Spider-Man 2, Captain America is probably nothing like Big Hero 6. But they’re all put under the same “superhero movie” label (and yes, I imagine it’s probably a little odd coming from someone who specifically labels movies as “superhero movies” or not)
You’ve got Ant Man that’s going to try and be like and Edgar Wright comedy (admittedly without Edgar Wright now), Doctor Strange that’s going for horror, and even though you list the Sinister Six as essentially being “yet another superhero movie”, but I can’t think of a single other movie besides Megamind that’s specifically about a supervillain, if that’s not doing something outside of the generic superhero mold, I don’t know what is.
Hi Nathan! I was kind of expecting you to defend the genre 😉 Now, I think the press/buzz of superhero movies are perhaps more prevalent that other genres, and part of it is because the studios just have more money to actually generate the buzz w/ their marketing budget and whatnot. I still think even six superhero movies in a year is A LOT! Yes other big-budget movies that are not superhero related are there like those you mentioned, so I’m not including them. I’m also not just talking about movies from this year alone but in general, it’s hard to refute that the amount of superhero movies are only getting more and more abundant, with no end in sight! I mean we’re talking about Marvel planning stuff 14 years in the future is just overkill! Someone mentioned on twitter that the studios seem hellbent in making fans HATE superhero movies. I think hate is a strong word that’s why I use the word fatigue as that is how I feel as a fan of the genre.
Ok so now movies about super villain (which I still think is just an off-shoot of the superhero genre) is still rare but I wouldn’t be surprised that w/ the studios running out of ideas, we’ll be seeing movies about Zod, Luthor, The Joker, etc. before long.
And Marvel planning that far into the future is exactly what I mean when it comes to press coverage. You don’t think other studios have outlines for movies that they want to make that far into the future? I wouldn’t be surprised if they did have plans reaching out 10 years or more, they just don’t make an announcement about them as they are quite likely to change between now and then. I do think we’re coming close to a saturation point, but we’re not near an over-saturation. If we were, there would be more superhero movies that failed. So far out of the 4 superhero movies that have been released, they are all huge successes and Guardians is on track to be a similar success. Maybe ASM2 didn’t make their expectations, but it still made a huge wad of cash by any standards. If we get to the point where there’s 10 or 12 releases and 6 of them fail, then yes, it’s over-saturation. As it stands now, there were actually more fantasy movies released this summer than superhero movies with Legends of Oz, Maleficent, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Hercules, and the Giver (haven’t heard of the last one, but Box Office Mojo has it listed as “fantasy” and a wide release) but I don’t hear anyone complaining that there’s too many fantasy movies.
And while it’s easy to say that those fantasy movies are all very different from each other, with a fairy tale fantasy, a greek fantasy, a viking fantasy, the same kind of distinctions are in this year’s superhero movies, a classic comic book tale, a sci-fi action drama, a sci-fi comedy, and a spy thriller.
Hi Nathan, sorry I missed your second reply somehow.
It’s true other studios probably outline their stuff a decade ahead too but they don’t broadcast it like Marvel does. The hype machine thing is partly the media’s fault but surely Marvel does not discourage it as it brings them tons of moolah.
Interesting that you grouped all the movies as *fantasy*, I guess I don’t see it that way, I see How to Train Your Dragon 2 as being totally different from Hercules and The Giver, but that’s just me. In any case, I guess I should’ve worded my post as comic-book movies instead of superhero, so yeah, there are many sub-genres under that too, which means there are actually more movies released that fit that category.
I like the question because it’s so relevant right now. I’ve very torn on it, but part of me really is tired of the superhero genre because it’s everywhere. Part of me is so happy that a lot of great comics are getting made into movies (or TV shows), because there are some really neat characters that I wasn’t very familiar with, and I think there are definitely some great stories worth telling on screen. But I think the constant serving up of superhero movies – all in the summer, one after the other, and set to go for so many years . . . not to mention how many superhero shows are coming out . . . it does feel like it’s not as exciting anymore. I think an interesting comparison would be a really awesome alternative artist that goes pop. It’s cool when something niche, and it’s always exciting when an amazing artist finally gets the exposure you hope it will. But then when that artist’s song is played over and over again, you end up getting tired of it. That’s kind of how I see the superhero genre for movies moving towards, anyway.
Also, unlike Matt, while I dig Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, I’m not really interested in the reboot. I wish they’d stop making movies so Sony loses the rights to the character, and Spider-Man can join up with the Avengers!
Great idea for a post, Ruth.
Hi there Kris! It is everywhere, not just movies but TV as well. I do think there are still so many great characters awaiting to be adapted to screen but they just concentrate on those that’s been adapted over and over. It’s really tough to get excited for ‘em, and this coming from a fan of the genre, esp Superman. I’m bummed that I can’t muster any excitement for Batman vs Superman.
Oh I like Andrew Garfield too, tho I think he’s much hunkier than he’s supposed to in the role. I think he’s done after the 3rd Spidey movie isn’t he? Well I sure hope so. I like him in the non-superhero role like Never Let Me Go, etc. He’s a talented actor. I doubt Sony would ever give up the rights to Spidey, it’s way too lucrative to give up.
That’s a really good point. Although The Flash is coming to the CW, thanks to his introduction in Arrow. I think it’s cool that it’s a character not a whole of people are familiar with is getting his own show. I think I’m more looking forward to the show Gotham than Batman vs. Superman. I get how DC wants to follow in Marvel’s footsteps and make an inclusive superhero film, but similar to you, I am kind of over it. I don’t even know if I will see that movie in theaters.
Yes, I think Garfield is way too good-looking to be Peter Parker too! I hope he is done with the character soon. I liked him a lot in Never Let Me Go and The Social Network. And I even caught him in an episode of Doctor Who, which I thought he was great in as well. I hope people get bored of Spider-Man soon enough so they can get on to making other movies, but I’m afraid you’re right . . . they’ll never let go of the rights if they can help it.
Though I wish the studios would come up with fresh, original ideas every time, I understand that they’ll keep making superhero films because they make alot of money, plain and simple. At the moment I can’t say I have superhero fatigue, as I’ve loved the genre’s latest offerings.
Yep, Hollywood LOVES the Benjamins surely. Wish I could be in your camp Fernando.
However. It could happen soon. I can see myself getting tired of that type of movie.
I don’t mind living in an age where this “problem” is even a problem! LOL!!!
Honestly, the only thing that bugs me is the constant announcements of far-flung future release dates…. can’t the studios hold back a little bit of the mystery? Or do we really need to know to plan to buy cinema tickets in fifteen years time?
Ahah yeah I suppose there are worse problem to have. Yeah, I think if there’s a bit of a mystery maybe we won’t get so overwhelmed by the deluge of these movies, but then again living in the social media age, it’s really impossible to keep the buzz down for everything.
I feel exactly the same way Ruth! Good post, and interesting to read your opinions. I think I’d had enough myself by the time I watched Iron Man 3 and Man Of Steel around the same time last year. There are far, far too many superhero films now, and after watching the second Thor film last year I decided I’d take a year off from viewing any. So I haven’t seen the Captain America, Spider-Man or X-Men films this year, despite the fact two of those got fairly decent reviews.
I guess the flipside is if you really love superhero films and comics it’s like a golden age at the moment; they’re so popular at least lots of people are going to the cinema and hopefully some of the profits the studios are making are trickling down to fund some original, interesting movies that wouldn’t otherwise get made (although I suspect most of it is going to shareholders or just being ploughed back in to make more superhero films!)
I guess it’s set now for DC to do the same kind of thing as Marvel by introducing Wonder Woman and, in the near future, the whole of the Justice League, so there will be loads more spin-offs on the way. I still like the genre a lot but I’ve got to say it’s nice to have a break from it. (That said I think I will break my self-imposed ban and go and see Guardians Of The Galaxy when it comes out in the UK!.)
Hi Stu! I agree the second Thor movie is disappointing, it’s like a slapstick comedy! Oh I miss Branagh’s direction, I LOVE the first Thor. Ok now, at the risk of sounding contradictory, the Captain America sequel is actually very good, so give it a rent at the very least.
Yeah, ardent fans of superhero movies are having a field day, but I wonder if at some point even THEY would get tired of ’em. I’d like to think I’m an ardent fan too but I seriously can’t muster up any excitement for a lot of the movies, esp. Justice League. He..he.. well at least ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is pretty comical.
Honestly their survival depends if they learn from the past. If they start to reallly make unique and genre superhero films then they can survive. But if they keep going with the same formula then no they’ll die off like Westerns.
Yeah I think people [hopefully] would stop buying tickets for awful movies, but clearly w/ the success of Transformers it’s not the case 😦
I think that is slowly coming true. Slowly 😀
Hey, Ruth. Great commentary, as always.
In general, I am sick of superhero reboots. I don’t want to see the same characters I have seen before. Therein is why I’m bored with the Garfield Spider Man movies and why Superman versus Batman disinterests me. If it’s a character I haven’t seen, or a new story featuring the same character, then I’ll be willing to see it (hence my anticipation for Guardians of the Galaxy).
Hi Josh! I could go on about this topic but I’m curious to hear what others say. Yeah, it seems that a lot of these franchises waaaaay overstay their welcome. Even Avengers I probably will get bored w/ them after this sequel. Guardians of the Galaxy is funny but I honestly don’t care to see 3-4 movies of that either, none of the characters are not THAT interesting to spin into several movies!
Agreed that many have the franchises have stayed too long. But I think it’s even worse when one is restarted with different actors doing a similar origin story.
Yep, it’s just ridiculous isn’t it, especially doing it so soon. It’s one think if they improve on it, but that’s rarely the case.
I like that they are adapting a lot of these comics to film, personally. But rebooting the same characters is what gets old. Does Affleck really need to be Batman when Christian Bale JUST got done playing him in 2012?
Yep exactly, Brittani. I really can’t imagine Affleck topping Bale’s performance in any way shape or form.
Great question Ruth. I’m not burnt out on them myself. But the fact that so many are coming out forces the studios (I’d like to think) to make them to be not so campy. I just watched Guardians of the Galaxy and really enjoyed it for the reason that for a lot of it I didn’t even feel like I was watching a superhero movie. It is nice to see all these characters from the page to the screen. But it’s def ok to space em out too. But as long as they keep making ones with good story arcs and characters I wanna see…I’ll keep watching. I mean, I’m not flocking to an Aquaman movie anytime soon! Haha
Yeah, goo point T. They are feeling the need to up their game a bit.
Ha..ha… well I’m glad you’re not burned out yet T. Well I hope that quantity also equals quality but that rarely happens. Guardians of Galaxy is funny yes, but I don’t know if I’d call it a good movie. It’s like a slapstick action comedy, in fact it reminds me of Galaxy Quest! Ahah yeah, pray there won’t be an Aquaman movie anytime soon, sheesh!
I’m indifferent to all the superhero movies. If they’re good I’ll check them out. I’ll will be going to see Guardians and I really enjoyed The Dark Knight, The Avengers, Iron Man, Kick Ass and X-Men: Days of Future Past. I could really take or leave the rest. They make boatloads of cash and do well overseas so they wont be going away anytime soon. That’s why I’ve been watching more TV this year because honestly that’s where the interesting stuff has been going on.
Hi Dave! Indifferent is a good way to cope, ahah. Glad you’re a fan of DOFP also, that’s my fave of the year so far. Yeah the quality of TV shows certainly has much improved lately so can’t say I blame you!
I still haven’t got tired of it, but I have become more sceptic lately. A few years ago, the idea of a Batman vs Superman movie would have gotten me ecstatic. But I’m not anymore. Partly because I’m not a fan of Zack Snyder and partly because I believe DC is trying to play catch up with Marvel and rushing things. With the exception of Batman, I always found DC superheroes pale in comparison with Marvel anyway.
But I’ll always be a fan of superheroes. My most anticipated movie for this year was X-Men and next year it’ll be Avengers 2!
Hey Asrap! Yep, I wish I could stay ecstatic about Batman vs Superman too, I mean I LOVE those two characters. I always say I’m more of a DC girl than a Marvel girl, but it’s really tough to get excited for whatever Synder is cooking up his sleeve. But I’m also only mildly excited for Age of Ultron, there’s just way too many characters there fighting for attention, I doubt it’ll be as good as the first. I’m more excited for X-Men 3 and Captain America 3!
Good stuff Ruth. Well as usual I’ll go against the majority. I love them! Well, let me rephrase, I love the good ones and so far their have been a lot of them. Marvel Studios has stunned me with their ability to make entertaining films within their interconnected cinematic universe. The latest X-Men movie (not within the MCU) was also excellent. You singled out one of the superhero exceptions. Sony’s Spider-Man reboot is pretty bad. The last film was an utter mess which makes The Sinister Six all the more unappealing.
As for oversaturation, I think there is merit to that. On the other hand there are only two or three superhero movies a year out of the hundreds of films made. I think it may be the press, the hype, and the spotlights that people get tired of. For me, something like the raunchy comedies oversaturate the movie space. Every month we are getting one or more of these things.
I think my connection with these characters dating back to the comic books plays a part in my view as well. I can see people without that growing tired of them. But as long as the quality is there I will still be entertained. I’m excited for the Avengers and Batman vs. Superman (which was also the title of a highly successful and long running comic book series). I honestly believe this next wave of films will be very telling. When Marvel starts diving into characters like Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, and Guardians we will see what kind of legs these things have. That’s when I think the genre may start to fizzle.
Ahah, sounds good Keith! Well I’m glad there are still people excited for these movies. I really wish I could say the same. Yes I do love X-Men DOFP & Winter Soldier but they seem to be the exception. I have zero interest in seeing the Amazing Spider-man 2, and even the very idea of Sinister Six makes me cringe.
Yeah, the hype is just as tiresome as the actual number of superhero movies. There are so many at present and the prospect even more so. Boy I sure hope Batman vs Superman would be good, I really do. I LOVE those two characters, but heh I just can’t trust Snyder. I really can’t be bothered w/ Ant-Man or Dr Strange, for one I don’t even know who the heck they are!
I have a feeling that widespread fatigue will probably kick in after Avengers 2. It will feel like Marvel will be winding down at that point and really going into tertiary characters. And without Edgar Wright on Antman, that will probably just be a standard superhero flick with a character very few people care about, making the general public say “um, maybe this is getting to be too much…”
I think the rift between Edgar Wright and Marvel is very telling how controlling Marvel, or should I say Kevin Feige, in how they want their movies done. I’m already far far less excited for Avengers 2 than I did for the first one.
Yep, I hear ya.
I was never that into them in the first place and I’m definitely getting bored.
Ahah well that’s understandable then if you weren’t even keen on them in the first place, Abbi.
I love comic books, but it’s getting a bit much isn’t it? And with DC’s Justice League movies on the way it isn’t gonna change anytime soon.
I think DC’s Justice League is just too premature, and for that reason alone I can’t imagine it’d be decent let alone good!
Hey Ruth! It’s amazing how the release of Guardians of the Galaxy has sparked a lot of talk about where the superhero genre stands. My favorite franchise continues to be and will always be the Batman franchise. Christopher Nolan really raised the bar with his trilogy, and that’s why Marvel took the aggressive approach of dishing out one franchise after another.
While it has been great for them financially speaking, I wouldn’t call all of their films great. I haven’t enjoyed their Thor or Spider-Man reboot films. Definitely not interested in their Fantastic 4 reboot plans either. The X-Men reboot with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender has been great to watch though. However, the sooner I stop seeing Hugh Jackman play Wolverine the better.
I guess it just depends on what side of the superhero genre you’re talking about. I wasn’t a fan of the Avengers, and the Avengers 2 is really a turn-off for me. I’m a lot more intrigued about what DC Comics has to offer than what Marvel has coming because DC’s approach to making their films is so different.
Hi Raul! Yeah Nolan’s Batman trilogy certainly sets the bar high for the genre but that’s because Nolan is wise not to overstay his welcome. I respect that he’s now moved on from the genre. Tho I know DC keeps him as a *consultant,* I really don’t know how much influence he actually has on these movies.
Oh dear, I forgot about the Fantastic 4, geez even the original movies were bad. I do love the X-Men sequels, but yes I feel the exact same way about Jackman as WOlverine.
I’m not nearly as excited as Avengers 2 but I quite enjoyed the first one. I guess I really like Loki and he won’t be in the sequel. I guess I’m more curious about DC than excited at this point.
If we view it as a genre (or sub-genre), is it really more over-saturated than “Frat boy targeted comedies” or “Car chase action movies” (Fast & Furious, Need For Speed, etc.)? If we view it as a franchise (which we can do at least in the case of the Marvel ones), is it really more over-saturated than Harry Potter?
There’s a lot, sure. But viewing it as being disproportionate doesn’t seem correct, especially when, by and large, the films are getting positive responses. Will the bubble burst? Absolutely. It always does. Westerns have crashed multiple times (and, frankly, are sorely missed.) But just because things wave and crest doesn’t mean the crests are inherently bad.
Hi Morgan! I’m referring to superhero movies in general, not just from one studio. There have been a lot of them already but it seems to be even more abundant these days. Btw, HP was stretched over the course of a decade, and so was the F&F franchise.
Well this is MY opinion that I’m getting superhero fatigue, there is no a right or wrong to an opinion. Again I’m not spiteful against the genre, but one is entitled to be tired of something as a moviegoer, that’s what this post is about. Yes so far a lot of these movies are getting positive responses but I don’t know if that’s always gonna be the case.
Oh, I know you were referring to the genre as a whole. I singled out Marvel since, if there’s a glut, they’re the culprits. But I think that things are, as a whole, reasonably spaced out.
I can understand getting fatigued with a genre. I sometimes do, even when the genre in question only comes up once or twice a year. But I try not to let it bother me; if I don’t want to watch a genre, I just don’t go see that movie.
Hey Ruth! I wasn’t super into superhero movies until a couple of years ago, my friends at college basically got me into them. I can say that it is definitely not as fun to watch these movies by myself. If I don’t get to see other people’s enthusiasm at the same time, I can basically take or leave these movies. I’m definitely getting tired of them.
It’s not that the movies are bad, it’s just that every single one that comes along is treated as a gigantic overblown event, the end all be all of movie going experiences. Everyone sees them and everyone reviews them, so it gets to feeling like an obligation than anything I actually look forward too. I don’t think it’s the fault of the movies themselves, which are mostly decent pieces of entertainment. But that’s generally what they are, entertainment. They don’t necessarily merit all the attention lavished on them, even if they are fun movies and marvel, dc etc manage to keep them fresh (for the most part). I like superhero movies in general, but they are no where near my favorites to analyze or review. So as others mentioned, it’s mostly the constant promotion and hype surrounding them that annoys me, rather than the actual movies. Sure, I was excited for Days of Future Past, like a year ago. By the time the movie came, I was barely anticipating it at all. It’s not just superhero movies, it’s most blockbusters, but superhero movies bear the brunt because they all fit into a neat category and are marketed as such. I prefer to have my attention focused elsewhere for the most part, but superheros are all Hollywood wants to sell us.
Hi Melissa! You’re right these movies are more fun to watch as a group or at least with another person. My hubby and I love ’em too, which is always fun to watch together. But even so, I’m REALLY getting tired of them, not all obviously but I’m to the point of skipping a few like Amazing Spider-man 2 and even w/ Guardians of the Galaxy, I almost didn’t want to see it if it weren’t for the press screening.
There are only two superhero movies I can honestly say that I’m anticipating: X-Men 3 and Captain America 3, the rest I can take or leave it.
I never get bored of the same thing in cinema because I barely have time to watch movies, so even if 90% of stuff out there was one thing being reused, it would still take me years to watch the other 10 %.
What is extremely annoying, though, is that they keep doing the same stories over and over again and I have yet to see a proper representation of so many of those characters. And those early reboots are just insane. It’s way too early for new Spiderman and now it’s Batman too.
But those universes are filled with so many great characters that when they get it right we really do get wonderful performances. Also there are still people who are blissfully unaware of these films – my best friend only saw Iron Man 2 because he loves RDJ and many people I know stay away from the superhero films because they find them silly.
I hear ya Sati, too many movies too little time! That’s my pet peeve w/ these greedy studios, esp SONY w/ the Spidey franchise. It’s laughable! I refuse to watch the latest sequel, really I have no interest for it at all.
Yeah, there are still some great comic book characters still ripe for adaptation and w/ the success of Guardians of the Galaxy we will see more secondary/tertiary characters getting screen treatments. Certain actors do make me more interested in seeing something… hey I’m still hoping Toby would get a Marvel movie, believe it or not he’s actually expressed interest in starring in them!
Great article, Ruth. I love that lots of superhero flicks are being made. I was a comic book geek as a kid so this is like my childhood springing to life. Comic books themselves are an interesting aspect of this whole thing. Kids generally don’t read them anymore. They’re too expensive, for one, and kids are reading less and less of the printed format everyday. Therefore, studios are not only using movies to adapt their stories, but to push them forward, as well.
I have to agree with Bubbawheat that the amount of news we see on this movies is the biggest issue. Marvel having stuff planned out for 14 years is no big deal, it’s a business plan. The fact that every time there’s a development in that plan is what’s creating superhero fatigue more than the movies themselves. There really is no reason we should have a billion retweets and in-depth analysis every day because Marvel or DC announced three words in the script have been changed. A lot of the mystery is drained when there are new set pics of everything, all the time. Of course, such is the reality of living in the age of social media. I try to avoid much of it as possible, but I still manage to hear and see too much about some movies in advance. For instance, I can’t turn on my computer without seeing something new about the Superman/Batman movie. With most of what I’ve learned about it making it sound dreadful, I’m not really looking forward to it.
That brings up the most important point, I think. Whether or not we reach the point where superhero flicks will no longer be a viable entity depends on maintaining quality. When people stop rushing out to see nearly every such movie made (and I don’t) then studios will pull back the reins and only green light the ones that really look to be promising. As it stands now, studios can throw $100 million or so at the screen and are pretty sure they’re going to gross at least twice and probably three times that at the box office. If that continues, then they’ll keep pushing them out there as fast as possible. Think about it, As much hate as Daredevil gets these days (I actually like it more than most), it grossed $179 million on a $78 million budget. Just this year, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had a $200 million budget and so far has raked in over $700 million, and I haven’t heard anyone say it was actually “amazing.” If you’re getting those kinds of returns, why wouldn’t you keep making them.
To sum it all up, the market will dictate how many superhero flicks will be made. I just wish they’d stop talking so much and so publicly about every little step in their process.
Hi Wendell! Thanks for joining the discussion man. That’s cool that you read comics as a kid, then these films would resonate more w/ you. Yeah I think the media hype machine might’ve contributed to the fatigue but there really are way more movies of this genre than ever before. No wonder comic-cons are getting busier than ever these days. The lack of mystery also saps the energy out of moviegoing experience, I literally have to put extra effort to avoid the incessant clips/trailers/news, etc about movies, and comic-book movies tend to generate the biggest buzz. Yep, not looking forward to the Batman vs Superman movie either. I’d love to be pleasantly surprised by that but I kind of doubt it at this point.
Well, looking at yet another major hit for Marvel, it seems that people still flock to see superhero movies. I didn’t realize Daredevil made close to $200 mil which was a ton back in the day. I haven’t seen Amazing Spider-man 2 but looks like that was a hit as well, ugh! I suppose we have ourselves (moviegoers) to blame that these movies continue to get made, as even the abominable Transformers movies are so darn successful!
Interesting article, Ruth, with some good points raised. I think superhero fatigue is certainly starting to infect many, especially with all the TV stuff kicking into gear…but I’m enjoying the majority of them still. I LOVED THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, found it really a powerful, trhilling action drama; thought THOR: THE DARK WORLD was just OK, and really dug CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER for its excellent action and 70s-style conspiracy story. So I guess I tend to view the superhero genre as here to stay, and just like any genre, or subgenre, there will be good ones and not so good ones.
On a side note: somewhat maddeningly, you bring up having seen GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY already, yet give no indication what you actually thought of it! Are you waiting till the weekend to chime in on it? Or does your silence actually speak volumes about your thoughts on the film? (I’m curious because, frankly, this is far and away my most anticipated movie of the summer. What can I say? I love space opera, and we get so little of it.)
Hi there Jeff! I love Nolan’s Batman trilogy too, it sets the bar high for the genre and I think of them as excellent films, not just excellent superhero films. I LOVE The Winter Soldier for the espionage aspect, I think it’s brave that Marvel made the SHIELD to be the main villain, it’s risky but it paid off!
Oh I just finished my review of Guardians of the Galaxy. I didn’t want to give anything away yet before I post my review, but I was pleasantly surprised by it 🙂
Well I think you know me by now, these movies don’t get me uber excited. I get interested in them sort of ,but not that hyped up. I liked Batman and that whole franchise, but now it feels like you and Raul mentioned, we are getting bombarded every month with a new film. Let us get excited dammit! With these I like to read reviews and then decide if I really want to see it. I would much rather watch an artsy or romantic movie. 🙂 Give me Jane Eyre over Superman anyday. But and here is my only But… I do like those Thor-size muscles. 😉
Hi there Queen Mel! Sorry I always take a break from blogging on Saturdays 😀 Ha..ha.. yeah, if only they’d allow time for us to get excited for the next one. Now every other month it seems we have a new superhero movie! I used to love period dramas & superhero movies equally, esp Superman who’s my childhood fave, but now I think I’d rather watch Jane Eyre too! Ahah, Thor’s muscle is so ridiculous it’s a hoot! Hemsworth doesn’t do anything for me, he’s just waaaay too big for my liking… ha!
No prob! I don’t usually either. Yes and so many more to come it never ends. I was just listening to npr the other day and they were saying the rom-com movie has died out as well and been replaced with big budget action movies. I’d like to see the rom-com make a comeback too. I know he is ridiculously big, but I can’t fault him I think he is pretty hot! Woo hoo!! He is very much not a Lady Ruth type boy. The Tobettes thank you for staying loyal. 🙂
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Superhero flicks have never really been my thing — aside from Nolan’s TDK trilogy — so it’s hard for me to get excited about any of the new ones. I think the problem of oversaturation kicks in when we start getting reboots 10-15 years after the original film was released (i.e. Spider-Man). I guess as long as people are enjoying them, I don’t have a problem with them. They’re just not something I am usually going to go out of my way to check out.
Hi Eric! The Nolan’s Batman trilogy probably appeal to a lot of non-superhero fans as it’s dark and more profound, it has more to say than simply being fun entertainment. Seems that it’s the exception to the rule though, unfortunately.
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Like I said on Twitter, I am excited about seeing Guardians of the Galaxy, but a big part of that is because it’s fairly removed from a lot of the Marvel comic book film adaptations we’ve seen so far. It’s got a different look and feel to it.
The massive influx of comic book related things onto the small screen annoys me somewhat. I get it, it’s great seeing a medium that was once seen as a very nerdy, geeky and insular thing being mainstream. All for that. But dunno, feel like it’s pushing out real creativity in TV. There are still some gems to be found on TV – enjoying Manhattan, The Strain (Which I know is based on a graphic novel!), second season of Masters of Sex. But I’m just scared if the comic book genre continues its surge on TV and the big screen, not only are our screens going to be totally dominated by them, but all the actors will be too busy doing them than other things!
*shrug* don’t know. Not sure I’m going to tune into some of the comic book fair on the small screen. They usually end up disappointing. As for comic book films, they have to be pretty exceptional now to get me excited. I’m just being a curmudgeon.
Hi Jaina! I’m curious what you think about GOTG. I enjoyed it but honestly I’m surprised how some people made it out to be the greatest comic book movie or whatever. I don’t know if I’d remember it as well as other Marvel flicks, I mean I still think the first Thor is more memorable to me. I do love the soundtrack tho, but that alone doesn’t make a movie.
Yeah, it seems that the superhero genre’s reach is pretty wide. TV is sort of an *extension* if you will of Marvel/DC’s push to smother us w/ their products. I know I start to sound so negative about these things and trust me, I probably wouldn’t mind it so much 1-2 yrs ago but now its domination is starting to bug me.
No I don’t think you’re being a curmudgeon at all. In fact, I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s weary of this!
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Huahahahaha that’s a really interesting question.
I enjoyed reading everyone’s comment…good to know many are getting bored (or somewhat like that) with it…at least it makes me feel I am not totally alone after all 😉
Hey Nov! Well it seems that even tho people say they’re bored w/ the genre, clearly they’re not THAT bored as Guardians of the Galaxy wouldn’t have been a hit.
I don’t mind at all, the same as I don’t mind all the action movies coming out…