Have Film Studios Oversaturated the Superhero Movie Industry?

As an avid consumer of the superhero industry both printed and in film, I am becoming exhausted.📷

The full realization of the Chris Nolan trilogy of Batman films in 2012 was somewhat of a culmination for myself. I was 25, and finally ready to accept my full immersion into the comics-loving way of life. Nevertheless, when analyzing the sheer amount of superhero films planned and cultivated prior to, and since the conclusion of the Nolan trilogy, it is easy to feel as though the superhero or comic book film is becoming overdone.

Eight films from the superhero genre reside within top 25 highest-grossing movies of all time domestically. Although comic book movies always make a large amount of money, this is true in our modern generation more than ever. It is easy to feel depressed looking at the absolutely obscene slate of future comic book movies already mapped out by Fox, Marvel, and Warner Brothers. For anyone not involved in the making of one of these powerhouse comic book movies, it is becoming more and more difficult to make art house pictures or war films based around real stories that happened to real heroes. With so much brainpower, effort, and capital being invested into spandex-clad heroes, what will be left for other storytellers and filmmakers looking to cultivate something truly unique behind the camera?

As a comic book fan, I want to see Josh Brolin grace the screen as the all-powerful Thanos, “bathing the starways” in the blood of the titular Avengers heroes in the upcoming Infinity War Part 1. I want another look at Chadwick Boseman as the Wakandan king in the imminent political standalone Black Panther film (although those excited about reports of his breaking the comic book color barrier would be wise to remember Wesley Snipes’ efforts in the Blade films, as well as the more recent Mike Colter performance in Marvel’s Luke Cage). The question is, do we really need 25 more of these movies systemically delivered every four months?

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Fox Studios and Marvel have already begun attempting to modify the tried and true comic book formula. Josh Boone’s New Mutants from 20th Century Fox looks incredibly promising as a horror film based on the Marvel Comics property of the same name. The same sort of innovation can be seen in the production of 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a Jason Bourne-esque spy thriller set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the companies producing these films already deviating from the successful method of comic book moviemaking, is this a preventative measure already seeing the writing on the wall? Is oversaturation of the genre killing a golden goose neglecting and stifling other worthy and creative projects? These are valid reservations for any fan of film, or pop culture in general. However, there are few who appreciate the flourishing page to screen adaptation of the graphic novel medium more than lifelong comic book appreciators.

2017 began with the release of The Lego Batman Movie and ended with another disappointing Warner Bros. entry, Justice League. In a year that is arguably when the superhero sub-genre took a step forward evolving into enhanced cinema, this is bad news for quality films bolstered by positive critical consensus that have underperformed like Logan Lucky, or Blade Runner 2049. Granted, the Soderbergh project was not likely to break a plethora of records at the box office (a seemingly regular feat for today’s comic book film), and the original Ridley Scott epic performed poorly in theaters upon its release before developing into the esteemed cult favorite it is today. However, audiences are presumably able to get their fill for the coming-of-age comedy, heist or spy thriller via modern superhero films featuring beloved characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the X-Men, and much less likely to sample the genuine article. The good news for creative sources abstaining from the graphic novel-driven trend as well as the movie-going public is that this run can be attributed at least somewhat to the fact that they have been relatively good movies.

Like most entries into any facet of the entertainment business, the people that consume film, television, etc. fuel the industry, and can grow tired of things quickly. The fact that Marvel’s success is approaching a ten year sustained period of success is in and of itself a success in its own right. At some point, the comic book oriented film will go the way of the action blockbuster, Saturday morning cartoons, and the western. With every new approaching generation, these movie watchers want something new, different, and innovative. Comic books and graphic novels may transcend across multiple generations, but the overexposure to our adored heroes could serve to effectively destroy the medium.

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In our modern lives, everywhere we turn there are superheroes, so much so that an interest that was once perceived as a reserved counterculture for middle-aged men living in their mother’s basement has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry. While I personally love seeing little kids wearing Captain America, Black Panther, or Wonder Woman garb during my trips to the local supermarket, this also serves as a reminder to my own childhood, waking up early on Saturday morning excited about the next adventure of Peter Parker or the X-Men on Fox Kids’ cartoon block. The wonder of Saturday morning cartoons is unfortunately no more, leaving me to think about what my daughter will be watching when she grows old enough to begin her own Saturday morning ritual. The pestering and persistent thought remains in the back of my mind, soon our graphic novels will be gone as well. Nothing lasts forever, so embrace it while it’s here. In the end, all we are left with are the myth and memories that live on forever.