Beyond The Capes: Meh Superhero Movies

There is a conversation that is beginning to circulate within entertainment news websites, forums, and dare I say it…the real world about whether superhero films are losing steam. I think many people are wondering if the audience is simply suffering from superhero fatigue or if there is something else going on, and frankly I think it’s the latter. I’m sure many of us can agree that most superhero movies are “fun” but if that’s all they are then eventually it would make sense if they all start to feel…well meh, right?

“With great power, comes great responsibility” is a famous and now, with so many retellings, excessively overused quote from various Spider-Man stories but it’s a sentiment that rings true, especially in the world of superhero films. Marvel Studios (Disney!) and DC Films should have enough dedication and respect for both their customers and the superhero stories themselves to make sure the films and shows they put out are well-written and well-made. Even though there were some disappointments it seemed like the first three phases on Marvel’s film slate worked out fairly well, we even had some genuinely good films (e.g., Captain America: Winter Soldier, The Avengers, The Avengers: Infinity War, Thor Ragnarök, and Captain America: Civil War) but since the arcs climax in Endgame, a staleness has begun to permeate with each viewing of every new installment of the Marvel franchise. Interestingly enough, Marvel’s fourth phase included some genuinely good films like Shang-Chi and Spider-Man: No Way Home; these films feature some great directing with interesting characters and Shang Chi highlighted some astounding, visually creative, action sequences but they still haven’t been enough to sustain any meaningful conversations and I think, frankly, it’s because the concept of demographics takes up more of the conversation on an executive level than a focus on good storytelling does.

So, if you aren’t familiar with demographics, the term refers to the breakdown of statistical data of a specific group, including everything from age and race to education and income. Obviously, this data is very important in any business because it’s important for them to know who their customers are and how to sell them products, but filmmaking is a tricky subject because it’s both a business and an art form, at least it’s supposed to be.

Many of Marvel’s films have often felt more like products than films but lately the storytelling comes across as messy. The first three phases were fairly well thought out, and the stories built towards a cohesive climax that really delivered something memorable for most of the fan base. I think the lack of direction stems from one crucial element that is now absent from Marvel films game plan, and that is Joss Whedon.

I know, I know, it’s a name that leaves a foul taste in the mouths of some due to the accusations within the last few years; apparently he may not always be the nicest person to work for BUT he is an amazing storyteller and filmmaker, which are the crucial elements that are missing at the helm of the Marvel franchise. The reason the Marvel film franchise has worked is because it’s set up more like a television series than a film series, each film in the phase is packed with character development for each of our heroes, and then each Avengers film serves as the “season finale” of each arc or “phase”; it’s actually quite brilliant and it takes one of the best showrunners of our generation to do something like that. With the massive success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its spin-off Angel, and Firefly Joss Whedon is no stranger to crafting visual worlds, with impressive writing, that withstand the test of time and he helped Marvel do the same thing with their film universe. He has an unmatched talent for creating characters the audience loves and giving these characters so much growth, while exploring interesting philosophical dilemmas that many viewers find themselves completely engrossed in the worlds he creates. This is the key, crafting good stories with something specific to say and including things that fans would like along the way rather than focusing on a targeted demographic and writing to please it. Joss Whedon planned many things out through Avengers: Age of Ultron but he created so much character growth within such a vibrant world that it allowed the next visionaries, The Russo Brothers, to finish the arc in the third and final phase, which they did well; leaving us with a highly memorable villain in Thanos. After Avengers: Endgame, The Russo Brothers, like Joss Whedon retired from the Marvel universe as the “showrunners” so to speak and it has seemingly been running full steam ahead without a captain ever since, and unfortunately it shows.

DC films on the other hand, has had similar problems since the very beginning, no overall captain steering the ship. One thing I will give DC credit for, is hiring good directors for their films, and allowing them to actually direct their films, instilling them with a unique vision. This has meant that DC films look and feel more interesting than Marvel films because you can actually see the directors at work BUT unfortunately they suffer from a lack of good writing and it’s been a massive problem since they began. Aside from DC films created outside of the main franchise, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy as an example, the DC films have always felt disconnected; they have a lot of visual style but the movies tend to be poorly received by audiences and critics alike, which is a common side effect of disappointing writing. The cohesion between stories is minimal at best and few elements seem to come together in a linear way, even though the film studio likes to pretend they have retrospectively. Interestingly enough, DC Films appears to have brought James Gunn, the Director behind the Guardians of The Galaxy films, into the mix and given him the reins of the next phase of DC Films, which may end up being the best decision they have ever made. After James Gunn took one of the most poorly received DC properties, The Suicide Squad movie, and made a well-received sequel that was somewhat refreshing, it would appear that all eyes are on him.

While DC has made moves to bring a cohesive vision to their film universe, Marvel appears to still be struggling, especially with controversies surrounding Jonathan Majors, the upcoming actor who is playing their next big villain, Kang. Though this may seem like a huge blow, I think it is the perfect opportunity for Marvel to bring in an amazing storyteller to help the next era of the franchise, someone with a great deal of talent behind the camera and an interesting point of view on paper. Wouldn't it be amazing if someone took this opportunity to re-craft the storyline and find an interesting way to take Kang and use him as an introduction to a new villain for our new line-up of heroes? Doctor Doom is currently a hot topic of discussion and perhaps it could start with a restructuring of the stories as of now and an end credits sequence after the next film showing someone decimating all of the Kang’s, a camera moves in on countless dead Kangs lying around the floor until we get to a menacing villain with his back to the camera but as the camera ends it’s zoom in just over his shoulder, he turns his face towards the camera revealing Doctor Doom. This is just an idea, but something like this could build Doom’s menacing presence very quickly and establish him as the next threat to our world; after all, anyone who can defeat the council of Kangs so easily is someone to be feared, right?

Article by Fortune Owens, The Media Vibe Blog


Barfield, C. (2018, July 24). “Avengers” director Joss Whedon admits he didn’t know what to do with Thanos. The Playlist. https://theplaylist.net/avengers-joss-whedon-thanos-20180724/

Vary, A. B. (2023, December 19). Marvel Studios drops Jonathan Majors following guilty verdict for harassment and assault. Variety. https://variety.com/2023/film/news/jonathan-majors-marvel-studios-dropped-kang-1235587971/

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Image created with AI by Fortune Owens

Image created with AI by Fortune Owens