Over the last decade and a half, one genre has dominated the blockbuster releases on a level not seen since Himmler’s propaganda days. That genre is superhero films. Since Hugh Jackman’s claw things sliced their way through theatres back in 2000, there has been a never-ending torrent of these aesthetically pleasing, inane-as-fuck movies. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not all bad films as the Batman trilogy proved so very well but the vast majority are just plopped out of a studio and thrown on the screen, with only a colour scheme and slightly different shaped abs to distinguish between them.
At this point, you may have gathered I don’t like superhero films. The reason for this is simple: I find them boring. Sure, the effects are amazing and there are the odd few snippets of wit here and there but I cannot escape the mindless, copy-paste plots or the fact that every single last pixel and boob has been manipulated to perfection. Not every film has to contain the intricacy of Inception or the harrowing events of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but they should make some effort to make the plot semi-original or the very least, interesting. The Batman trilogy achieved this perfectly by adopting a darker tone and a semi-complex plot which not only complemented the characters perfectly but also made the films utterly enthralling.
Like Christmas in October, superhero films are fucking everywhere. I thought I was being paranoid or just becoming ever more cynical but no, they are being produced like X-Factor singles. The first ever superhero film released was Superman and the Mole Men, way back in 1951. Between 1951 and 2000 there have been 62 films based on comic books, averaging about one or two a year. Between 2000 and 2014, there have been a staggering 78 superhero films, a third of which were either sequels, prequels or a reboot of a reboot. But it doesn’t stop there, over the next five years there are another 31 films planned for release, half (that’s right: HALF) of which are sequels, prequels or reboots. Currently, there are at least five big-budget superhero films released every year and given that this single genre is persistently saturating the film industry’s output, there is a shocking lack of diversity in both the plotline and execution of the story.
Now despite my snobbish, hipster tone I am fully aware why these films are so popular; it’s because they’re escapism. Everyone I have spoken to people about these movies, they have all told me the same thing; that they find comfort in knowing that the good guys will win and the hero will get the girl in the end, mainly because there is a crushing lack of these pleasantries in reality. Escapism is a personal thing though and superhero films just don’t do that for me. As I’m watching the predictable adventures of Tony Marvel and his Wonder Trousers, or whatever the fuck he’s called, my mind isn’t engaged or distracted at all, primarily because I know what’s going to happen because I saw it all in the fucking trailer. As a consequence my mind wanders and starts mulling over the issues I have to deal with in reality. Superhero films are not escapism; they are merely a screensaver with explosion sound effects.
Now, I enjoy Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, Terminator and a whole host of other films that follow the exact same premise of good’s triumph over evil. However, I would argue that these films have far more interesting, expansive and novel ways of telling their story. Sure, when you’re watching the trials and tribulations of Frodo, Luke and Marty you know in your heart of hearts that they will be fine at the end of the day, but the journey they made along the way to get there is the most important part. While the protagonists of superhero films also go through a journey and grow as characters it is exactly the same journey shared across every film with only a name and the style of haircut at the time to determine who is who.
But it’s not all about providing pretty escapism for the masses really, is it? No, it’s all about the moolah. Since 2000, every single superhero film released has turned a profit, a truly substantial profit in some cases. In the last ten years, there has been at least one superhero film in the year’s top ten highest grossing films, and that number has increased to 3-4 in the last three. It seems no matter how many they put out people will always go see them.
Using the benchmark year of 2000 again, Marvel has released 35 films since then and made a total profit of $17.5 Billion adjusted for inflation. That means each film has brought in an average of $500 million where each film costs, on average, $150 million. And these are only box office numbers, not taking into account merchandise, licensing or DVD sales and all that guff.
‘So you don’t like them, don’t watch them then, you tit!’ I hear you shout, and that is an excellent point. Despite their superhuman grip on the movie industry there are still other films I can go and see instead, not as many there used to be I might add but there is still plenty of non-superhero shit out there. Besides, I tend to watch TV shows more than films nowadays.
Oh, oh no wait. Due to the incredible success Captain Pants and Co, the superhero craze has bled into the medium of television. In the last few years we have seen the likes of The Flash, Arrow, Constantine, Gotham and Agents of S.H.I.T smear the screen with their bullshit antics and pouty faces, and there is no doubt that there are many, oh so many more to come.
‘Okay, so don’t watch those either you insufferable prick!’ I also hear you shout. That’s the thing though; unlike a film studio TV networks have a much tighter budget and can only make so many shows per year. Given the financial pros of anything superhero related they would be foolish to pass up any opportunity to cash in on that high-production bandwagon. While you could argue this would in fact bring more money into the network, ergo they could make even more shows; it’s a depressingly naive thought. Why would they try something new when they have a cash cow to milk? Nope, they would simply funnel the money back into the initial superhero show for better effects, louder bangs and bigger boobs.
‘Perhaps I am being overly cynical’ I thought, but a quick search for shows due to air later in 2015 will return a list including Marvel’s Agent Carter and Heroes Reborn. But wait, it gets worse, Netflix is currently spawning five new Marvel shows including Daredevil, A.K.A. Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and The Defenders, all which will no doubt eat into their budget for quality shows such as Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, and Arrested Development, as well as reducing the funds available to buy in more quality shows.
So despite their lack of originality, their reinforcement of gender stereotypes, their perfectly polished pixels and overly aggressive market strategies, superhero films are here to stay. Having conquered the cinema world, they now have TV in their mighty, X-ray vision sight. In a bottom-line, bleak and heartless financial sense, I get it. These gaudy, overbearing, vision toilets bring in an obscene amount of cash and people will always go and spend what little cash they have to witness the latest exploits of The Fantastic Hulk Man, or whatever. But ask let me ask you, does the world REALLY need another three Avengers films, a third Thor film, a third Captain America film, a third edition of the Spiderman reboot, another reboot of the Fantastic Four with two films lined up, another reboot of the Green Lantern, a DC equivalent to The Avengers with at least two films scheduled, a Batman/Superman crossover AS WELL AS an eighth and ninth X-Men film?
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