"Superhero Fatigue" is a Myth

[Jackie Daytona]

A popular thing to say these days is that "people are sick of the superhero genre". Um, no. They aren't. Let's talk about that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(serial)

Superhero films have existed almost as long as film itself has. While the last 10 years has seen an explosion of these types of movies, it's a genre that has always existed.

In the 1940's it was Batman. In the 1950's it was Superman. In the 1960's it was Batman, again. In the 1970's it was 'The Hulk'. In the 1980's it was Batman, yet again!

The 1990's branched out. Seeking alternative superheroes. There were so many. Such as, 'M.A.N.T.I.S.' or 'Blade' or 'Spawn'. 'The Powerpuff Girls'. Even strange parodies like 'Meteor Man'. But also going back to orginals. Like the shows 'Lois & Clark' 'X-men: The Animated Series' or, once again, 'Batman: Animated'.

The 2000's had the Dark Knight trilogy. 'Ben 10'. 'Justice League: Unlimited'. And well, you probably know most of the others from this generation.

The idea that no one wants a superhero show is simply false. The problem is that the quality of these shows has declined.

In fact, superheroes are TIMELESS. Even in B.C. you had stories of Gods coming to earth. Hercules and Thor. Or men fighting Gods. Like in 'The Odysey'. Or various and convoluted tellings of Egyptian myth. People imbued with incredible power and doing incredible things.

Because that's appealing. Power fantasy is something that will never die. Ever.

Still don't believe me? Consider the isekai genre. I cannot even BEGIN to count the number of books and animes written in this genre. I bet some of you reading this have never even heard of it. Well, I gotta tell you: It's nuts.

A MINIMUM of 5-6 of these animes release every year. Never heard of them? You aren't alone. I had no idea. It's an endless rabbit hole. There are so many no human can possibly see them all. (Believe me, I've tried. I just keep finding new ones.)

But, uh... I'm getting ahead of myself. Isekai has this trope. That is, a male gets everything he wants. Power, money, girls... basically everything a guy could possibly want.

The reason American superhero films are declining is because of the people behind them. They don't want to do power fantasy that appeals to men. Instead, they want to do stuff that appeals to all audiences, or women specifically.

Captain Marvel, Wandavision, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, America Chavez, Ironheart, female Black Panther, female Thor, Wasp, Rey Skywalker, female Hawkeye...

Whatever happened to, y'know, 'The Avengers'? Hulk, Thor, Ironman, Captain America. What happened to the JLA? Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Batman. This is what people want. Not whatever the industry is trying to push.

Instead, they kill-off and/or side-line all these characters.

No one is waiting for the Bedrock[en.wikipedia.org] movie. No one cares. Just like no one cares about Kamala Khan or Kate Bishop.

My point is that the industry isn't serving the fans. They are serving themselves. They don't want to do male power fantasy. And that's the core of most comic characters.

Simply consider the OG grandaddy of them all: Superman. A guy with such overwhelming power that he can defeat any normal person in a fraction of a second.

But we don't get a Superman movie. Instead, we get Dr. Strange. Supposedly the most powerful mage in all the Marvel universe. That trained hard to gain his power. Capable of tearing that universe apart. That requires help from a teenage girl with one power. To defeat a woman on the same level as himself just because she is.

. . .
. . .
. . .

Nah, I'm just wrong about all this. Clearly no one wants a superhero movie. They haven't been happening for literally EVER and I'm just some idiot with a keyboard.

[Mad Hatter]

引用自 Jackie Daytona：

引用自 Mad Hatter：

Jesus christ, the absolute hubris needed to think I'd waste my time reading your ramblings on capeshit. Notice how easily I summed it all up in my posts?

Anyone unwilling to read shouldn't use online forums.

You're going to have one heck of a time stopping me, I tell ya what.

And that post is sooooooo old. I have 100+ notifications from people bumping dead threads.

[Your_White_Knight]

Next flop up to fail... Blue Beetle...

How many will that be now for DC?... all of them?

[Faster With Feeling]

引用自 Your_White_Knight：

Next flop up to fail... Blue Beetle...

How many will that be now for DC?... all of them? :winkkit:

There's a Ninja Turtles movie coming out too....

So ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ sick of these movies

[Jackie Daytona]

引用自 Mad Hatter：

引用自 Jackie Daytona：

Anyone unwilling to read shouldn't use online forums.

You're going to have one heck of a time stopping me, I tell ya what.

And that post is sooooooo old. I have 100+ notifications from people bumping dead threads.

30 days isn't "old".

I have 700+ notifications.

I don't have time to monitor and comment on every thread I enter. My life sucks, but I have one.

[Jackie Daytona]

引用自 Your_White_Knight：

Next flop up to fail... Blue Beetle...

How many will that be now for DC?... all of them? :winkkit:

Don't think so. Blue Beetle will probably be fine. It's one of those characters nobody (comic fans) really care about. Just look at MoonKnight.

MoonKnight is a great character. Which had just about every single aspect changed for his 10 episodes. (And I don't expect any more.)

He never got the "wow this is so excessively woke" response because most people have no clue as to how the original character was portrayed.

I suspect 'Blue Beetle' will be the same. It will fly under the radar. No one will care.

[White Knight]

It's not a myth. Many of my friends have said as much over the years.

It's quite commonplace. Given the over-saturation of greedy corporations, this shouldn't be surprising to anyone.

Die-hard fans like me are always eager for more, but it shouldn't surprise you that some folks are totally turned off by the onslaught of super-hero stories.

You surely won't like hearing about this, but I've even met people who have no interest in comic books, or super heroes in any way. I know... mind blowing, right?

[Jackie Daytona]

引用自 White Knight：

It's not a myth. Many of my friends have said as much over the years.

It's quite commonplace. Given the over-saturation of greedy corporations, this shouldn't be surprising to anyone.

Die-hard fans like me are always eager for more, but it shouldn't surprise you that some folks are totally turned off by the onslaught of super-hero stories.

You surely won't like hearing about this, but I've even met people who have no interest in comic books, or super heroes in any way. I know... mind blowing, right?

I understand your perspective. However, your opinion is not shared by most.

As I previously described, stories of super-human feats have gone on for 100s of years. People will never be (and can never be) tired of such things.

The only problem with modern super-hero films is the people controlling them. They aren't doing the best or most interesting stories. Instead, they have other concerns. Which don't involve quality.

[White Knight]

引用自 Jackie Daytona：

I understand your perspective. However, your opinion is not shared by most.

As I previously described, stories of super-human feats have gone on for 100s of years. People will never be (and can never be) tired of such things.

The only problem with modern super-hero films is the people controlling them. They aren't doing the best or most interesting stories. Instead, they have other concerns. Which don't involve quality.

I think you're missing the point. Boy meets girl, they decide to "Watch Netflix and Chill"...

Boy says, let's watch the new Marvel movie, and girl says "Suddenly I have a headache and want to go home".

Your "myth" is very real... the sooner you figure this out, the better.

More is not always better.

[AD]

引用自 tmwfte：

I see part of the problem is that they need to deviate again from the formulaic "action comedy" format that most of the recent Marvel and DC movies have taken.

Take elements from spy thrillers, murder mysteries, and hard sci-fi again rather than making Whedon/Johns Wankfest XIV.

Yeah, this is my issue with them as well. Watched Guardians of the Galaxy 3 the other day and... it was enjoyable to me, but I didnt feel the "action comedy" meshed with the theme of the movie. Same with the last Thor movie. They had an idea, it could have worked, but all the stakes or emotional weight of the movie just evaporates because they must be "action comedy" and not be too serious. Instead they take something that could work, could be great even, and then squeeze it into a suit of "action comedy" so it doesnt work as well as it should and instead becomes a bit too generic and formulaic. They can still be enjoyable, but I dont think I will remember much of them except that I felt they were missed opportunities for something better.

[CinnamonApples]

there are lots more superhero movies now so people have had enough of it

[FollowsJesus]

That is alot of words to say "hello, I am an incel"

[Jackie Daytona]

引用自 White Knight：

引用自 Jackie Daytona：

I understand your perspective. However, your opinion is not shared by most.

As I previously described, stories of super-human feats have gone on for 100s of years. People will never be (and can never be) tired of such things.

The only problem with modern super-hero films is the people controlling them. They aren't doing the best or most interesting stories. Instead, they have other concerns. Which don't involve quality.

I think you're missing the point. Boy meets girl, they decide to "Watch Netflix and Chill"...

Boy says, let's watch the new Marvel movie, and girl says "Suddenly I have a headache and want to go home".

Your "myth" is very real... the sooner you figure this out, the better.

More is not always better.

My argument is against those that would say, "Ugh. There's too many superhero movies. I'm sick of them!"

The 1950's and 1960's saw an absurd number of westerns. Everything was cowboys, "indians", and Mexicans. People got sick of it. But the genre never died.

Series and movies continued to come out. Despite the lessened interest. To this very day it's still a genre seeing entries.

The number of superhero movies isn't what is hurting the genre. It's the quality. Much like westerns, it wasn't the number. It was the quality. Westerns went from being full of gunplay and horse-stunts to just being dramas.

People didn't suddenly hate westerns because there were too many. They hated them because they changed. It wasn't about the bold hero. It was about the woman he loved, but couldn't quite be with. (Or maybe he could but chose not to. Whatever.)

DC's entire problem is that it's all too spaced-out. They want a "shared universe" of characters. But they don't want to commit to that. Instead, they release a movie every 2 years, and each doesn't really matter to the others. In other words, the 'Wonder Woman' movie should take into account that Superman exists. (And vice versa.)

The people shaping comic book movies don't read superhero comics. They don't understand, and they don't care. That's the real problem.

[Pierce Dalton]

引用自 Jackie Daytona：

A popular thing to say these days is that "people are sick of the superhero genre". Um, no. They aren't. Let's talk about that.

Um, yes. I am.

I don't even like super hero movies, I find comics and cartoons better.

[Pocahawtness]

Well, it's all just personal opinion, isn't it? I was bored of superheros when the very first film was released. They seem to be a largely American thing, so the interest levels abroad have always been less than in the USA.