Superhero Fatigue! Is Steven Spielberg Right About The Genre?

We were around when the Western died and there will be a time when the superhero movie goes the way of the Western. It doesn't mean there won't be another occasion where the Western comes back and the superhero movie someday returns. There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen mega budget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that's going to change the paradigm." - Steven Spielberg

It's no secret that the biggest money maker in film and television is superhero and comic book properties. Marvel and DC have dominated the box office in the past 8 years and shows no signs of stopping. The Walking Dead although not a superhero show is indeed a comic book property that is the highest rated show on television. Marvel and DChave plan new shows and at least 2 to 3 films to come out till 2020. Okay let's say 3 films per year from both and add Fox X-Men into then mix. Not to mention Valiant and Image Comics will soon throw their hat into the movie world. One thing I learn is that you can have too much of a good thing. Example what happens if you eat your fill? You feel stuff and don't desire to eat anymore. That's where I see the superhero properties going. The market is about to be flooded with heroes, universes being created with no sign of a break. If history has told us anything about entertainment is that the audience needs to miss you and you have to reinvent to stay relevant.

The superhero properties are taking no real breaks it's one after the other and eventually the casual audience will get tired or bored. It's not helping the story knowing that actors has signed multiple picture deals. SPOILER ALERT: Superman's death had 0 impact on me during Batman v Superman. The reason for that is because I know he's coming back for next year's Justice League. How can we as an audience feel invested in a story when almost every film feels like a setup film for another? How can we feel invested when their really isn't much stakes knowing the actor will return for the next film? I know that view may seem cynical but it's how I'm feeling at the moment with superhero films. Both Marvel and DC need to inject something fresh. Marvel needs to established some serious villains besides Thanos and Loki. While Marvel movies are great popcorn fun, there villains are a bunch of one offs that don't enhance the story and are just basically there. Examples Thor 1 and 2, Ironman 2 and 3 and Antman. Can you name one memorable villain besides Loki, Red Skull or Thanos so far? The same can go with DC films. DC has an identity crisis. It doesn't know whether it wants to be a philosophical art piece using superheroes or a comic book movie. Batman V Superman 1st and 2nd act questions how man will react with a God like figure among them. What if there was more of them? Then the 3rd act that goes out the door because you forgot this is a comic book film and here comes a huge a cgi fight fest. The audience didn't connect with the film because the film itself didn't know what it wanted to be.

The fall of superhero movies is coming and that's because there is too many hands in the cookie jar with no balance. Remember when a superhero movie use to come out every 3 to 4 years? I do and I miss those days. Instead of taking time to connect with one character, you have to connect with all of them. I believe Spielberg is right with his prediction. It's only a matter time before the audience feels stuff and want something new on their plate without a cape. Every genre has its fall and return. It's only a matter time before the powers of our favorite heroes runs out. When that day happens Hollywood would look towards an untapped property for their audience and that property is anime. However that is a discussion for another day.