Superhero movies are hits again--but can DC and Marvel avoid the same mistakes?
Despite the wishes of some Dataloungers, as this writer points out, it's clear that BOTH "Superman" and "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" are box office successes, after so many recent misfires in the genre and the proclamation of its death. This analyst for The Guardian points out some good reasons for why these two are succeeding where other superhero movies in recent years have not done so well:
*They don't waste time with re-hashing origin stories. No one needs or really wants a large part of the movie wasted by seeing Krypton blow up again or Reed and Ben and the Storms get hit by cosmic rays.
*They have an entry-point for kids so the films are fun for them, and so they've got some lighthearted elements, and draw most of their plot elements and tone from the Silver Age of Comics (roughly 1955-1970), when comics were far less grim than they were in the 90s and 00s.
*They're both more-or-less stand-alone features. Unlike Thunderbolts or Captain America: Brave New World, you don't need to have watched multiple other movies or other TV series to know what's going on.
*They're not all trying to be as grandiose or cross-over-heavy as Avengers: Endgame, which cannot be easily replicated
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | August 1, 2025 5:13 PM
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This genre is fun when it's done right. I haven't seen FF but Superman was definitely a reset for DC.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | July 31, 2025 10:30 PM
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This seems like a smart analysis to me.
It also seems like they need to stop making movies about very minor characters (like Madame Web, the Blue Beetle, Thunderbolts, etc.) since those are all disasters and stick with the big ones.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | August 1, 2025 1:22 AM
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…except this article is wrong (as much as The Guardian is about US culture)
Superman will do less than $600 million worldwide
Man of Steel did $670mm, without inflation
With inflation, that’s around $900 million depending on the calculation. 1/3 of the audience didn’t show up.
Fantastic Four is shaping up to be an even bigger box office disappointment.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | August 1, 2025 10:26 AM
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Superman will probably make it to $600 million, which will be just enough for it to be considered a "success."
Fantastic Four might hit $500 million.
The real test of the genre will be next year with the new Spider-Man and Avengers films. Both pretty much have to hit a billion at the box office, or they'll be branded flops and/or disappointments.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | August 1, 2025 3:48 PM
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Supergirl is out next year, too, which will show if Superman was a fluke or if Gunn's DCU has real staying power.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | August 1, 2025 3:51 PM
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None of the previous Fantastic Four movies were in the annals of great comic book movies.
They’re not that interesting.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | August 1, 2025 4:03 PM
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Superman will not reach $600 million, it comes out on digital in two weeks. Jurassic World comes out next week. 34 days each.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | August 1, 2025 4:30 PM
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In the post-pandemic era, $800M might be the new $1 billion. We've seen a noticeable drop in films crossing the billion-dollar threshold this decade. In 2019 alone, nine movies hit that mark, while from 2020 to 2025, only ten have reached it in total.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | August 1, 2025 4:46 PM
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[quote]With inflation, that’s around $900 million depending on the calculation.
Fantastic Four and Superman are successes based on what’s actually possible [italic]right now,[/italic] in that genre. So not in 2013, not in 1970, but right now with this particular movie going public.
The world has changed. Same with movies. Context matters.
And as for “a third of the audience didn’t show up”? That assumes the exact same audience exists, behaves the same, and has the same reasons to show up which it doesn’t, and hasn’t for years. Publications and studios are very much aware of this.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | August 1, 2025 5:13 PM
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Dear r8
Stop gaslighting
SNWH did 1.9 billion WITHOUT China.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | August 1, 2025 5:13 PM
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