As Comic Book Movies Scale Back Releases, Marvel and DC Look to This Summer to Decide the Future of Superhero Cinema

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The ease with which one can declare that the age of superhero movies has waned is quite apparent now. This month, Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” was released to some of the most favorable reviews the Marvel Cinematic Universe has received in years; however, it has only managed to gross $174 million domestically so far, significantly less than 2022’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” earned during its opening weekend ($187 million). Last week, Marvel Studios decided to postpone the releases of “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” from May 2026 and 2027 to December of those respective years. Additionally, they have removed three other upcoming Marvel projects from their release schedule entirely. The delay in the Avengers films will provide directors Joe and Anthony Russo with more time to prepare two of the most expensive movies ever made. This decision seems strategic, as it addresses the obvious drop in audience interest by adjusting the supply accordingly.

It’s clear that box office statistics show a change in audience preferences, favoring films such as “Sinners,” “Lilo & Stitch,” and “A Minecraft Movie” over the typical superhero flicks featuring costumed heroes saving the world. However, it’s important to note that the decline of superheroes’ box office dominance doesn’t mean they are no longer relevant. In fact, some recent superhero movies like “Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024) and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (both in 2023) are still massive hits on a global scale. Moreover, production companies like Disney and Warner Bros. continue to heavily invest in the success of comic book adaptations on a billion-dollar scale.

In July, both DC Studios and Marvel Studios are planning to make bold creative moves aiming to reintroduce and renew their respective film universes. James Gunn, a co-CEO at DC Studios, is set to write and direct “Superman,” a movie where Superman will share the spotlight with multiple other superheroes – a concept from comic books that has never truly been explored on screen for audiences who might not be familiar with characters like Metamorpho or Mister Terrific.

In “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” directed by Matt Shakman, who previously worked on “WandaVision,” Marvel is choosing a different strategy. Instead of building upon existing stories, they’re reintroducing their original family, the Fantastic Four, in a unique blend of the 1960s and futuristic New York City. This alternate reality is separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so no prior knowledge is necessary to enjoy the film.

Both movies carry more weight than just their box office potential. The flop of David Corenswet’s Superman could be disastrous for Warner Bros.’ long-term vision for its broader DC Universe. Similarly, if Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach struggle in their debut roles for “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars,” it would significantly compromise the narrative bases for those stories.

As a dedicated cinephile, I must admit that the anticipation is palpable; if these upcoming superhero films fail to captivate or if viewers are simply satiated with this genre, then it’s not unimaginable for the superhero genre to gradually recede into the background of pop culture, much like romantic comedies and Westerns have in the past. It’s important to note that no genre vanishes entirely in Hollywood; remember Kevin Costner’s “Dances With Wolves” and Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven,” which revived the Western genre in the early ’90s and even won the prestigious Oscar for Best Picture. However, superhero movies are exceptional in this regard because their production and marketing costs are so astronomical that they necessitate a similarly massive audience to turn up and watch them.

Disney has significantly reduced Marvel’s movie releases over the next two years, which reduces their risk and provides more time for creative development. Unlike before, Gunn and his DC counterpart Peter Safran are focusing on quality rather than quantity. They are being cautious about releasing multiple projects or greenlighting anything until the script is fully polished. With the talented creators behind these movies and the iconic characters they feature (such as Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and Black Panther), it’s likely that audiences will still flock to these films for their entertaining storylines, even though there will be fewer of them in the future.

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2025-05-29 01:16