Why Other Movie Studios Struggle to Make Good Superhero Films

Hi Tommy, thanks for the A2A.

Understanding the Success of Marvel and Their Competitors

Firstly, it's important to acknowledge the successes of both Sony and Warner Bros. Despite their occasional flops, both studios have produced iconic and critically acclaimed superhero films. Sony's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man 2, alongside Warner Bros.' The Dark Knight Trilogy and Batman Returns, highlight their ability to produce high-quality, back-to-back films. Thus, accusing these studios of ineptitude is unfounded.

Secondly, the process of creating a good film, let alone a successful film series, is inherently challenging. Both Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Fox's X-Men franchise have experienced both successes and failures. However, their numerous successes overshadow their occasional flops, such as Eternals and Dark Phoenix. This demonstrates that success and failure are part of the filmmaking process, and it is unfair to judge a studio based on a few failures alone.

The Complexity of the MCU's Strategy

Lastly, the MCU's shared universe strategy is particularly difficult to execute consistently, with only a few notable successes such as Star Wars, The Conjuring Monsterverse, and Star Trek. This underscores the skill and dedication of Marvel Studios rather than highlighting the failures of their competitors.

Marvel's Unique Approach

Much of Marvel's success can be attributed to the fact that they have a long-time fan in charge, such as Kevin Feige. This continuity in leadership ensures a cohesive and consistent vision. In comparison, Warner Bros. and Sony primarily rely on studio heads who may not fully understand the nuances of the characters they are handling, leading to subpar results.

Understanding the Core of Superhero Films

There are a couple of critical factors to understand about superhero films. Firstly, these movies are inherently silly. Superhero comics are notorious for their silly plots, such as a small man with steak knives punching a gigantic science toddler. Marvel has embraced this fact, acknowledging the basic silliness of their product and using it to their advantage. They don't attempt to hide the absurdity, nor do they feel ashamed of it.

Superhero films often act as a framework for telling serious stories. For instance, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is not about interdimensional conquest; it's about the consequences of child abuse. The plot serves as a structure, but the content delves into deeper human emotions and themes. Marvel excels at this approach, whereas other studios have found it challenging to integrate their themes effectively into their material.

Other Studios' Challenges

Other movie studios often struggle because their films strive for po-faced seriousness, believing that taking themselves too seriously will make the audience take the story seriously as well. However, the public has proven willing to embrace the silly and flashy trappings of superhero films, as long as the story is engaging and the characters are relatable. For instance, The Suicide Squad is much better than its predecessor because it embraces the core elements more effectively than its predecessor.

The Future of Superhero Films

The good news is that Hollywood is slowly realizing the value of embracing the core elements of superhero films. As audiences continue to support these franchises, we can expect more studios to follow Marvel's lead, prioritizing storytelling over spectacle. The risk-averse nature of the industry and the erroneous assumption that superhero films should be ashamed of their silliness are slowly changing.

However, the success of superhero films is not solely due to their content but also the understanding by directors and producers. As long as studios continue to recognize and embrace the inherent comedy and drama of the genre, we can expect to see more excellent superhero films in the future.