It’s hard to imagine now, but just a few years ago, superhero movies — especially those released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — were seemingly guaranteed to top the box office. However, in the aftermath of the pandemic, various strikes that set back productions, and a string of films met with lukewarm receptions from audiences, Hollywood has found that even superheroes are not guaranteed box office winners. Now, The Batman 2 writer Mattson Tomlin has taken to X to share his opinions on superhero fatigue, making a point that many superhero fans may not want to hear, but a harsh truth that many studios may need to recognize.
A fan asked Tomlin his thoughts on superhero fatigue, whether he felt it was real, or if superhero movies needed to be better. He replied honestly, saying, “The truth is not every character needs a movie. But really… The film business in general has been fighting video games for 30 years and TikTok/youtube/the internet is a whole next level battle. A film needs to justify its existence, superhero or not.” You can see Tomlin’s response to the fan on X below.
The Batman 2 Writer Speaks the Truth About Superhero Fatigue
In the past few years, we’ve seen Sony attempt to craft a Spider-Man movieverse on the big screen with films like Venom, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter. While Venom was a moderate success for the studio, with the first film doing surprisingly well at the box office, every other Spider-Man offshoot failed to impress both critics and audiences, resulting in low box office returns and poor reviews. It’s easy to argue that none of those characters needed a movie, especially as Tom Holland’s Peter Parker exists within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, Sony was hopeful it could use Spider-Man characters without Spider-Man to try to reel in audiences. Thankfully, though, the studio appears to have learned its lesson and is instead focusing on its critically acclaimed animated Spider-Verse films.
That isn’t to say Marvel Studios and DC haven’t made the same mistakes. After the pandemic slowed down Marvel Studios’ production for a while, the studio tried to make up for lost time by releasing more content, focusing on quantity rather than quality, leaidng ot a handful of box office stumbles, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently confirmed the studio is reversing course, focusing on quality rather than quantity moving forward. Fans can already see results, with Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four: The First Steps earning some of Marvel’s most positive reviews from critics and fans in years.
The same can be said for Warner Bros. Pictures’ handling of its movies based on DC characters before the launch of the new DC Studios. Now the new studio’s heads, Peter Safran and James Gunn, are trying to recapture audiences after the DC Extended Universe’s mixed reception. Both Marvel and DC seem to realize that not every character needs a movie, and that there needs to be a reason for the film (or television series) to exist.
The Batman 2 has recently been delayed. For now, superhero fans can enjoy both Superman from DC Studios and The Fantastic Four: First Steps from Marvel Studios, two superhero films worthy of your time. Both are playing in theaters.
