FOCUS ON THE PRESENT

I’ll always give Kevin Feige props for pulling off the cinematic universe idea. It wasn't perfect, but the build-up to Endgame was historic. However, the MCU has come under fire recently for its scattered big-picture set-up, an issue that pertains to most superhero franchises. Being too focused on what's to come is what failed the Sony-verse and the DCEU. Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with setting up future films; however, when you look at Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, so much of that movie was centered on the future and not on the conflict in the title. More recently, Quantumania only existed to set up Kang (Jonathan Majors), but now, due to reasons out of the studio's control, it will lead to nothing. The thing that made the MCU’s Infinity Saga work was that they took their time and made every movie feel like its own. Sure, some existed due to a consequence of a previous Marvel outing, but even still, the Captain America movies felt like they were about Captain America (Chris Evans), even when they were setting up future conflicts. You can set up the future, for sure, but that must be the secondary goal. 

Similarly, though, a more recent issue is focusing too much on the past. I can't stand the recent trend of nostalgia farming in these movies. The multiverse has been red hot recently, and in plenty of instances, it relies heavily on pre-established IP for cheap applause. No Way Home started the trend of using past characters that we assumed we'd never see again, but that film used the characters in service of the plot, giving them actual arcs. The Flash and Deadpool & Wolverine are examples that very much didn't do that, using the past as almost a fan-service tactic. In the same way that I don't watch a Jordan Peele movie expecting the Armitage family from Get Out to show up, I shouldn't have to watch a superhero movie depending on nostalgia from 2006 to get me through. The whole thesis of this section is to simply let each movie be its own thing. I'm not saying stop with the cinematic universes because I genuinely think that was a successful experiment, just not in a way that a movie only exists to set up the future or callback to something you liked in the past.

BREAK THE FORM

One phrase you might have heard a lot in recent years is "superhero fatigue." I, personally, think it’s real. Although there are certainly other factors at play, most notably COVID and the evolution of the theater-going environment, the fact remains that No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine are the only comic-book movies to cross a billion dollars at the box office since 2020, whereas four pulled off that feat in 2019 alone. The thing is… fatigue only happens when people are bored. When we begin to notice patterns, we get tired of seeing the same stuff. As such, there shouldn’t be a set formula when writing these movies. I shouldn't be able to compare three different films from three different studios and find they come back with similar results. I'll give you an example: why do all these movies end in a firefight with a faceless army? Why can’t they end in a simple duel every once in a while? Am I saying that will automatically make it good? No. But it can at least distinguish itself from the noise. Even the smallest changes can help us feel like we're not subjected to the same thing over and over, reducing the effects of that pesky fatigue. Which brings me to my next point…

HAVE FUN WITH IT

What do I mean by this? Am I just repeating what I said above? I admit, it's a similar point, but it is different enough that I want to explore it. I want to see superhero movies become products of filmmakers, not studios. However you want to shake it, I think that is a real issue with these movies. They're mandated, not created by someone who cares. It's always “one for them,” rarely “one for me.” I'm not going to pretend that I don't know why, but it does make some of them feel pretty cold. Eternals was directed by Chloé Zhao, a woman who had just won Best Director for directing Best Picture winner Nomadland, and it feels nothing like anything else she has made. I want to see a humanistic director like Zhao get the budget and leash to do what she wants. I'm not saying every superhero movie needs to win the Palme d'Or. That's a crazy expectation. However, I was much more excited about what Luca Guadagnino and Justin Kuritzkes were going to do with the now canceled Sgt. Rock, a film focused on a character I know nothing about, then I am to see what Andy Muschietti does with Batman and Robin in The Brave and the Bold. 

So, when I say, “have fun with it,” I mean go nuts. Don't hire a director to use as a puppet. Hire an auteur and let them go a little wild. That can mean something more patient from a director like Kelly Reichardt, or, if you want to stick to the action genre, hire Chad Stahelski to make something truly kickass. I understand that it might not always land, but at least it’s a swing. Last year, Joker: Folie á Deux was undeniably something new, and it was widely rejected by audiences and critics. However, you’ve also got The Batman, which similarly took some liberties with a new vision and was heavily embraced. When I was in school, I was taught something that I’ve never forgotten: audiences don’t know what they want until they see it. Audiences didn’t know they wanted an animated Miles Morales movie that played with multiple kinds of animation, but now audiences are begging for the next Spider-Verse movie. You can play it safe all you want, but it’s going to wear out eventually. I want to see more experimentation from filmmakers, whether that be with genre or story writing, and fewer boardroom productions.

STOP STREAMLINING

I'm sure most will agree that there is an oversaturation of superhero content, but it may come as a surprise that I don't completely agree. Once television entered the equation, yes, it became a little overstimulating. In 2023 alone, we had 8 movies and 10 seasons of superhero television. That is a lot for one year, but then again, we get two to three horror movies every month and almost never hear that horror is oversaturated. So why, exactly, does this stigma only seem to apply to superheroes? Part of it has to do with the things I already discussed, but I have another working theory…

Superhero movies are almost always under the roof of two brands: Marvel and DC. Likely, many people view each Marvel or DC movie as part of a bigger franchise that becomes a chore. In other words, getting three movies and three TV shows in one franchise every year, especially with declining quality, can feel like a lot to keep up with. Since 2021, I've noticed a dangerous amount of streamlined production on superhero films and TV shows — rushing to the finish line, if you will — which is part of the reason the DCEU never took off. When two franchises are constantly streamlining and connecting movies, it can justifiably feel like we’re being bombarded with too much content that simply isn’t good enough for our time and money. Can you blame audiences for not wanting to dedicate so much to so little?

EMBRACE THE DECLINE

This one doesn't involve the actual movies, but the fans. Superhero movies are declining, plain and simple, and I think embracing that is a good thing. It encourages better results. That doesn't mean stop liking them. By all means, have fun with these movies and enjoy them as much as you feel. However, a common occurrence when a superhero movie comes out and is generally disliked is that a lot of people tend to dumb down their arguments in order to defend it. Defences like "don't take it so seriously" or others in that ballpark always come up. Why not embrace what was wrong with the movie? That acknowledgement of flaws doesn't devalue your entertainment.

Going back to horror… In the early 2010s, while there were some diamonds in the rough, there was, generally speaking, a lot of garbage. Most horror fans didn't abandon the genre, but they didn't hedge their criticisms either. Nowadays, horror movies are regularly popular with critics and audiences alike, but when one is bad, fans don't get defensive. They possibly enjoy it, acknowledge its flaws, and move on. I’ve seen some terrible horror movies with great sequels because of this. I’m not sure we’ll ever get Endgame-level hype again (seriously, do you remember the palpable electricity of Endgame’s opening weekend?). But, if we can be open as to why these movies are beginning to fail, maybe there is a chance. Yes, stan culture and toxicity online play a key part in the defensiveness, but if we can make those people a vocal minority, I think it’ll be for the best.