Surfing the internet like a glorified digital beach-bum I've found more uprising against "the superhero movie craze" than I'd like to see. I know I did a post relating to this topic a little while ago (Popcorn & Batarangs) but maybe breaking down the superhero success rate would be another way at convincing people there is no worry for our world-saving stars. This is The Panel Biter's Top 5 Reasons Comic Book Movies Will Survive.
5. A New Genre
No ever complains about all the comedies, all the horrors, or all the romance films that come out, and in this day and age all those genres of films have tropes that become expected by the movie audience. Because comic book properties are so vast you're unlikely to see two superhero movies that are exactly the same, where as most horror films are shot on a shaky camera or found footage. Not only can comic book films be considered a genre, but its a genre that blends into other genres of film. "Guardians of The Galaxy" is a space flick, "Jonah Hex"-despite being a crap movie-was a Western, "Captain America: The First Avenger" was a period piece. Characters like The Spectre could be used for horror, Ant-Man and Wasp could be used for a romantic comedy, the point being is that comic book films have become a modern film type, and a type that can overlap into any other genre.
4. So Many Characters
The idea that every superhero is the same is one of the stupidest thing anyone can get away with saying. If Iron Man isn't entertaining to you, maybe try another character. Or better yet, think about this: Say you enjoy "Iron Man" but ignore the other Marvel films until "The Avengers". Then "oh wow, that Captain America guy is pretty cool" so you go back and watch his movie and then you enjoy his second movie, then you take a liking to The Falcon in the second film and hear he's in "Ant-Man", so you watch "Ant-Man" and now you like that character too. Comic book movies are a gateway further into the large spectrum of unique characters, if a film's dialog is entertaining by having two conflicting characters battle in their ideology, comic book films hold the torch for the most contrasting characters. Even if you get bored of Batman, there is always another hero over the horizon.
3. It's Not All Superheroes
300, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Men in Black, V for Vendetta, Django, all of these franchises and more were originally comic books. Think about that. Some of your favorite movies could have been comic books. Some of the greatest films ever made could have been comic books. If the unsureness of that doesn't get to you, take to account how many films are being rebooted. Remember just how many films that have or will come out are actually original properties, now just think about how important those films are when compared to film series. No matter how funny "Bridesmaids" was, it will never be remembered like "The Dark Knight". Regardless of that, if superheroes are "too childish" for your mature and sophisticated taste, watch "300: Rise of an Empire" or "Sin City", because those are comic book movies too. Hell, the upcoming "Suicide Squad" probably won't be considered a superhero movie. I had a coworker who didn't know Suicide Squad was even a comic, he just thought The Joker and Harley Quinn were being put into other movies now. Dumb.
2. The Fan Force
What could be louder than one angry old film reviewer? How about THE CRIES OF A MILLION FANS!? You know why superhero movies will never die? Huh? Huh? Because twenty-something to forty-something year olds still get paychecks, because kids still like heroes and grown adults still love heroes. Because for every "Joe and Jill Popcorn" there is a group of young adults dressing up like The Teen Titans. Supply and demand isn't based off numbers, it's based off people and the fact of the matter is no matter how tired a studio gets or how many people jump off the superhero bandwagon-after getting on because they thought Nolan's Dark Knight movies made them into Batman fans-there will still be-always be-half a planet of comic book fans screaming for another Batman reboot. There will always be a community of fans with differing opinions and memories of how these characters effected their lives and cherished friends and family who bonded over these stories with them. You may think comic book movies will die out or get stale, but they won't as long as these people exist. Telling a community of fans that comic book movies will die is like telling a Latino family that their God isn't real. You're either getting cut or converted.
1. We're Still Talking About Them
Do I have to explain this? People worry that comic book movies are in trouble. Good. You should worry, you should post articles about "the end of the superhero movie", you know why? Because you're proving that they aren't. Think of how many viewers a movie will get if word of mouth is passed on. Think about how film studios have either changed or improved their superhero movies based on critical response. Believe it or not, comic book movie critics are the reason comic book movies continue. More people will defend something they love if they know others will fight with them, and comic book movies are a factor to that. "Hey, this guy online said superhero movies suck", "What? Has he not seen Iron Man? Superhero movies are awesome", "I know right!? Let's get him". The cruel truth is that by doing what they're doing right now, those who tire of superhero movies and make a point to express that distaste online are only enforcing more superheroes movies to be made out of discussion and attention. You think Miley Cyrus would have gotten plunged back into media popularity if everyone didn't freak out about her uncooked chicken performance at the VMA's? No! She didn't just revamp herself by changing her wardrobe and drinking bleach, she got back into popularity by expecting people to respond, positively or negatively it didn't matter because it simply got people talking. Same rule applies to comic book films. As long as someone has something to say about them, they will continue to be made.
Thanks for reading!
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