Is it time to lose the capes?

     As the summer movie season is almost here, I have had some time to do some reflection and I am starting to think that the superhero genre might be running out of steam. The reason I say this is that I have noticed a repetition in the formula for the standard superhero film. The formula has become so standardized, it has become cliché and a trope for satires on film and the film industry. The reason why superhero films worked in the first place is the reason why successful films are able to succeed, they can effectively suspend the disbelief of the viewer and temporarily allow them to a world of escapism and entertainment which they would be willing to pay to revisit.

    Let's start at the beginning. No, I'm not talking Iron Man. I mean Superman (1978). That is the film that has allowed every other modern superhero film to exist. The film was recently re-released back the theaters. The film still works. The reason the film works is not because it had mind blowing special effects, although they were advanced for the time it was released. The movie works because at its' core, it is a love story and one that still resonates with people.  The interview scene between Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder has dialogue that most screenwriters couldn't even fathom how to replicate. The big question that I keep asking myself, what happened? Why has that level of writing faded and given way to formulaic plots that do not capture the imaginations of the viewers?

    The modern MCU officially started with Iron Man, although Blade (1998) doesn't get the credit it should for saving Marvel and Howard The Duck is on the disavowed list that only those of us of a certain age remember it as a partial fever dream/HBO staple. Iron Man was great because it was a significant upgrade to the level of filmmaking  in the superhero genre and the protagonist. Tony Stark is the antithesis to Clark Kent, very flawed and self-serving. The film does have a commonality with Superman. They both took risks on leading men who not many people had faith could carry a franchise. Christopher Reeve was a thin Julliard graduate and did not fill out the suit......at first. Robert Downey Jr had all the talent in the world, but his personal demons had stalled his career and threatened to end it. Luckily Jon Favreau and Richard Donner were clairvoyant enough to see their potential and the rest is history. 

    Let's skip forward about 15 years. Marvel and DC seem to be engaged in a mock Cold War for the hearts and minds for cinephiles and nerds like myself. Although, it really isn't much of a battle based on the box office returns. Marvel has been dominating. The reason for said domination is that they created a cohesive cinematic universe that works. The tone for most of their films was light and the humor was present and so was a plethora of CGI laden action set pieces. And audiences have eaten it up like meatloaf, for the most part. 

    DC has been attempting to play catch up, and rather unsuccessfully. Batman has been the one staple that DC has been able to hang their hats on. They have attempted to find the next Christopher Reeve but have unfortunately failed for a number of reasons, not enough time to mention. They have recently undergone a leadership change and James Gunn now has creative control. We will see where this leads. Supposedly The Flash and Blue Beetle are good movies and have done well with test audiences. 

    This leads back to my title question. Has the superhero genre become too formulaic? Is it time to take a "time out" on making the excess amount of superhero films? Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantimania and Shazam 2 have both underperformed in regards to box office and in the case of Shazam 2, it has been an all time failure. I saw both films and thought both films were fine. They did not amaze me by any stretch but I thought they both were entertaining enough for the time I saw them and I wasn't regretful that I saw them. The major complaint that both films have generated from audiences were "boring" and "derivative". Marvel's phase 4 was not a box office failure but it definitely did not carry the adornment of the masses which was a signal that maybe superhero fatigue might be more real than I anticipated.

    The fatigue in the genre is not linked to a fatigue in the theater experience. Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar 2,   and Super Mario Bros. have proven that audiences will show up to see a product on the big screen IF that product is captivating and inspiring the imaginations of the audience. Do superhero films do that still? Audiences have seen all types of aliens, interdimensional conflicts, all out wars with god like antagonists. What else is left to captivate audiences? What new territory is left to explore? Moreover are younger viewers actually reading the source material like Gen X and millennials have? Based on my experience with young people, which my profession is based on, I would say that many are not reading comic books anymore. If the next generation is not reading source material, and there seems to be a general fatigue in the genre itself, maybe it is necessary to take a reset.

    Contrary to popular belief, a big budget does not equate to a well received movie. Good screenwriting is becoming a lost art and I hope that maybe IF a reset does occur that maybe new and fresh stories could be created that younger and older audiences could read and become enamored with and then perhaps they could be adapted. I have had a conversation with my friends that Marvel is running out of moves. After the Secret Wars films finally are released, what else is really left? That project is very ambitious and will require masterful storytelling but I do not know where else the company can go. DC has much more opportunity for expansion. Hopefully Mr. Gunn can craft something worthy. But I hope both studios focus on quality over quantity. 

    The best film I have ever seen was The Shawshank Redemption. It did not have a huge budget and unfortunately it was a box office bomb. In retrospect, it was competing against Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, and Jurassic Park. But I digress. It's box office failure does not negate its merit as a piece of cinematic excellence. Good stories and competent acting can still work. The best stories are sometimes the most simple. Truth is stranger than fiction and the human experience is one that I hope film makers take the time to explore. It is what connects all of us and transcends all our differences and idiosyncrasies. I hope the film studios consider maybe dialing back the number of new releases to refine their products so that the populous can enjoy going to the movies and not find themselves in a predictable cycle of viewing.