Calendar-Man v. Film Culture: The Bubble-Bursting Wars
Thursday, October 30, 2014 at 6:46PM With every studio hopping on the "universe building" trend that Marvel perfected for cinema -- too bad Pixar's early "all original concept / few sequels" success didn't translate to cross-studio trends -- cinema will be becoming a lot more like television. It already has, of course, with those annual editions of popular franchises playing like big budget TV miniseries with all their episodes smashed together for one bingewatch a year (think Hunger Games, Twilight, Harry Potter). With the Star Wars universe now planning annual showings and Bond & Star Trek till and that planned resurrection of the entire original iconic movie monsters, one has to wonder if Original Content will finally be put down by the 2020s. Or will the bubble burst and audiences will grow tired of continuing stories with overly familiar characters and often padded multi-part stories with no resolutions. You know, the kind they can get at home on television for free?!
This comic panel has been slightly altered to better illustrate my argument.
All entertainment trends are cyclical. This is a fact, however much people valiantly argue year after year that whatever's hot right then will live on forever. But when exactly will the bubble burst?
I was initially very excited about the growing genre of superhero movies -- like many boys I spent countless hours in childhood and adolescence dreaming of seeing my favorite characters on the page in live action environments (X-Men, The Avengers, The Teen Titans, Cloak & Dagger, Green Lantern and Daredevil figured chief amongst my fantasies in this regard). But even though I wanted this, I'm already kinda bored of seeing it actualized especially since so much of it plays more like a nightmare (see the first film versions of Green Lantern and Daredevil - or better yet, DON'T, if you've managed to escape them).
Backstage blog handwringing and the superhero glut after the jump...
I'm exhausted by the way this genre dominates conversation and demands total subservient enthusiasm. Even the movies everyone agrees to hate immediately upon release or afterwards on reflection (like Green Lantern or, recently, Man of Steel) are seemingly forgotten as soon as the corporate overlords demand a do-over or order up a sequel. Why do these do-overs never come with cash back guarantees? (Since the audience will keep forgiving it actually makes more business sense to keep making the same horrible movie over and over again -- cheaper-- since the audience will flock to each and hope the next reboot is better.)
So I've begun to wring my hands together backstage here at TFE. How to handle it? I'd really like your feedback. Do I declare a moratorium on superhero coverage despite liking some pockets of the genre a lot in an effort to stay a unique site (even the more highbrow film sites seems to cover superhero rumors incessantly and it's just getting dull dull dull). Do I fight back against the tyranny of men in capes? Or do I continue, as we do periodically, enthusing about the good ones (I still think Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of 2014's best movies) but ignoring pre-production coverage of most everything on the grounds that it's an absurdly poor substitute for actual film coverage no matter how unbalanced the ratio of postings preferencing imaginary films over real films is on both fanboy websites and real film sites these days (I won't name names but I'm of the opinion that basically 90% of the famous blogs, even those that think themselves above it and have posted editorials about not doing it, are guilty of this)
In fact, I'm kind of desperate for someone to do a longterm study of all media study on all major film websites on, say, Doctor Strange for example and see if ANY of them print as many words on the movie after it opens as they've printed before it's even started let alone finished filming. My guess is that very few websites would pass this test -- yes, even the higher brow film sites -- and that is a some kind of damning statement about the health of online film culture.
So I'm undecided about how to survive in this new world where everyone cares more about imaginary movies than real ones (this recent tweet and this old article are 1000% true). But one thing I know for sure: nothing is exciting when it's all the time. If Meryl Streep had a movie out every month instead of twice a year, even the most wild and drooling Streep-maniacs would start to understand why other moviegoers sometimes wish they could see other great actresses of a certain age in big roles.
So about those superheroes...
In the next few months of superheroic television we'll learn whether Gotham (Fox), The Flash (CW), Agents of SHIELD (ABC), and Arrow (CW) will be returning next year. I watch the middle two and even though SHIELD is improving immeasurably in its second season, neither are particularly good though they both have fun moments. I wonder why my standards are so much lower for this genre than for, say, drama or comedy? I'm part of the problem since I only watch TV dramas and comedies that I think are actually great or the ones I can't help but watch because of fascinating actresses. Still even if all the superhero series on network air are cancelled this year, history shows us that they'll keep trying new ones.
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdoch (aka DAREDEVIL) in the forthcoming Marvel/Netflix series
The next field of dominance for meta-humans/mutants/whatever you'd like to call them: possibly Netflix with Daredevil testing those waters in 2015.
Here is a list of what Hollywood has told us to expect. Despite all masturbatory online enthusiasm about every single project that's ever been announced in this genre (weird considering how many films have been outright bad -- particularly the non Marvel/Disney films), some of these films will never be made. Fact: development hell, complicated contracts, and executive musical chairs are showbiz traditions that are not cyclical. They endure.)
2015
Unknown, 2015 Daredevil (Netflix)
January 2015, 2015 Agent Carter (ABC)
May 1st, 2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron (Marvel/Disney)
July 17th, 2015 Ant-Man (Marvel/Disney)
June 19th, 2015 Fantastic Four (Fox)
X-Men Apocalypse
2016
Feb 12th, 2016 Deadpool (Fox)
March 25th, 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (DC/Warner Bros)
May 6th, 2016 Captain America: Civil War (Marvel/Disney)
May 27th, 2016 X-Men Apocalypse (Fox)
Nov 4th, 2016 Doctor Strange (Marvel/Disney)
Nov 11th, 2016 The Sinister Six (Sony)
2017
This may be the year when we see how many men & women in capes & tights the culture can sustain. If we still have as much superhero television playing and we also get one big budget superhero film practically every month it seems like bubble-bursting time, or at least a dimished box office ceiling which will also diminish studio obsession. Naturally this is also when the female heroes start flying in and then they'll get blamed for it even though the glut (and possibly the lack of quality) is what will pop the bubble, not the super-vaginas.
It's also worth noting that this will be the second year in a row where there's a big superhero movie opening with a title that announces the end of the world: Apocalypse & Ragnarok. Read into that what you will.
Unknown, 2017 Wonder Woman (DC/Warner Bros)
Unknown, 2017 Justice League Part One (DC/Warner Bros)
Unknown, 2017 Female Led Spider-Man Related Film (Sony)
Unknown, 2017 Venom Carnage (Sony)
March 3rd, 2017 Untitled Wolverine Picture (Fox)
May 5th, 2017 Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (Marvel/Disney)
July 14th, 2017 Fantastic Four 2 (Fox)
July 28th, 2017 Thor: Ragnarok (Marvel/Disney)
Nov 3rd, 2017 Black Panther (Marvel/Disney)
2018
If things go well for the 2015 & 2016 crops 2018-2020 schedules will almost certainly explode into double digit releases per year
Unknown, 2018 The Flash (DC/Warner Bros)
Unknown, 2018 Aquaman (DC/Warner Bros)
May 4th, 2018 Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Marvel/Disney)
May TBA, 2018 The Amazing Spider-Man 3 (Sony)
July 6th, 2018 Captain Marvel (Marvel/Disney)
Nov 2nd, 2018 Inhumans (Marvel/Disney)
2019
Unknown, 2019 Shazam (DC/Warner Bros)
Unknown, 2018 Justice League Part 2 (DC/Warner Bros)
May 3rd, 2019 Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 (Marvel/Disney)
2020
Unknown, 2020 Cyborg (DC/Warner Bros)
Unknown, 2020 Green Lantern (DC/Warner Bros)
Also in Development OR Quietly Cancelled OR in Development Hell OR Just Heavily Rumored
Channing Tatum as Gambit for film (Fox)
X-Men TV series (Fox)
The Defenders (Netflix)
Jessica Jones (Netflix)
Luke Cage & Iron Fist (Marvel)
Painkiller Jane (Indie)
The Sandman (DC/Warner Bros)
Deathstroke (DC/Warner Bros)
Suicide Squad (DC/Warner Bros)
Hancock 2 (Sony/Columbia)
Reader Comments (24)
That list is so long and so depressing. Like you, Nathaniel, I grew up reading and collecting comic books - I even collected Marvel trading cards! - and loved the initial batch of superhero movies in the late 90's/early 00's. But now it has gotten to the point of being overkill with it's asinine sameness; it seems like no matter what hero is on screen, the common tropes of good and evil are always there, and the plot always follows the same beats. The worst part, by far, is that these movies are always the only ones people actually go see and talk about. I recommend films to my friends and acquaintances all the time, but if it's not something with a superhero or a sequel or something familiar or something with a huge marketing push that makes it unavoidable, no one is interested.
Stop writing about this stuff; I'm sure the majority of the readers on your site would agree.
Please make TFE a superhero free oasis. I'm starting to feel opressed by the constant superhero news cycle everywhere else.
Ultimately, I feel that you have to respond to these things by keeping in mind what the vision for this site is. I don't think you'll lose any people or traffic if you choose not to comment on this stuff (and I say this as someone who's a huge Star Wars fan, a big X-Men fan and invested in Marvel and DC). Therefore, I say focus on what you're passionate about and let other people cover that stuff (If I want SW/X-Men/Marvel/DC news, TFE isn't my first stop. Always interested to hear your opinions but I can get that stuff from elsewhere).
I'm Team Only Write About It If You Love It when it comes to superheroes. Even bad notes are just feeding the system.
I don't follow the action movies any more for much the same reasons MDA mentions. But......I don't think you should change your coverage of all things film. As much as I am disappointed to find the latest posting is a subject I don't care to follow, I just ignore it, knowing the next one won't be a repeat.
Plus...Devil you know and all that. Best to keep an eye on them action critters lest they change the format and we miss something.
Another vote for Team Only Write About It If You Love It-- the gems are going to be important to identify, since we'll be so swamped in superhero news everywhere else, and I like having a source I trust designate whether it's worth my time. But as far as the hype-hype-hype.. I like when TFE stays mostly out of it, except for the news roundup link posts.
I really couldn't agree more with the rest of the commenters. I don't think it's necessary to write about Superhero movies. I'd never even notice if you didn't mention them at all. I definitely like the sound of a superhero-free oasis. I almost never see them, unless it's socially. Because.. I mean, they're all essentially for children / teenagers. Granted, there's bound to be a few exceptions. And if the posts you do that mention superheroes get more traffic, then I do honestly understand. But there's just not much overlay of Superhero movies with the rest of what this site's about.. i.e. Oscars, Foreign Films, Indie Movies, craft discussions, thematic thinkpieces, and.. Actressexuality.
Very exhausting, that list, but thanks for another look at Charlie Cox.
I truly could not care less about all this stuff and don't read any of it. I will make an exception for you only, Nathaniel.
Please, I'm begging you, DON'T succumb to the peer pressure and cover every tiny bit of superhero news (or, rather, non-news as the case usually seems to be)! I agree with the other people here who say only cover what you find interesting/good/otherwise worthy of your/our time. I'll gladly read just about anything you write because I love your voice, but your unique interests are what keeps us coming back to this site. Don't sacrifice those!
Please, I'm begging you, DON'T succumb to the peer pressure and cover every tiny bit of superhero news (or, rather, non-news as the case usually seems to be)! I agree with the other people here who say only cover what you find interesting/good/otherwise worthy of your/our time. I'll gladly read just about anything you write because I love your voice, but your unique interests are what keeps us coming back to this site. Don't sacrifice those!
I think the occasional / minimal superhero flick coverage that TFE has typically employed in the past is just right. I enjoyed the CA:Winter Soldier coverage earlier this year, but restraining from the fanboy frenzy and the lack of general internet jackassery is what I've always loved about your site.
As a site about cinema, I think you're almost obligated to cover these biggest movies of the year, no?
However, as one of the top film blogs around, I leave it to you to decide what is newsworthy. You exercise better judgment than 99% of people out there.
Personally, I could care less for these movies. Looking at my records, I've seen precisely two of them in the past five years. But I like to know what's going on with them and, God forbid one of them is actually worth the time or money to see, I trust you to tell me.
(Just realized that my 99% comment came off differently than I had intended. There is no site I frequent that more reasonable than TFE.)
I think it's a bit melodramatic to BOYCOTT ALL SUPERHERO MOVIES! Some of these might turn out to be really good. Who knows? If you see one that you really like then write about.
I think you've actually maintained a happy medium extremely well - you don't ignore it, but you keep it in its proper context, and it never overwhelms or takes the place of other conversations. So, if we're voting, I'd vote for you to keep doing that.
One of the many reasons why I love this site is that there's not much talk about the superhero stuff, which I personally couldn't care less about. I don't think you need to change anything.
I do love me some superhero films and I'm a Marvel fanboy at the moment (loved Winter Soldier and Guardians this year and so happy for the uptick in SHIELD quality). With that said, I think you've already struck a nice balance for you and your site.
Completely ignoring them is like completely ignoring politics when the election rolls around every few years, which is to say, we all want to do it but probably not realistic in terms of keeping up with culture/conversation/etc.
I say keep writing about things you're passionate about or want to comment on and let the others handle all the other excruciating minutiae.
I'm with the others: comment on the ones that actually strike your fancy for whatever reason and ignore the rest of the chatter, provided you're comfortable making that decision for both creative and business reasons.
That said, it would be so cool if the superhero genre was something that got us all excited for the reasons many of us are excited in this site. Imagine if Warner hired Pedro Almodovar to write and direct Wonder Woman and it had Michelle Pfeiffer as Hippolyta, Jake Gyllenhaal as Steve Trevor, Tilda Swinton as Cheetah and Viola Davis as Hera, and Gal Gadot summons Streepian/Mooreian/Kidmanian levels of actressing in the role -- now that would be exciting. Alas...
"Or do I continue, as we do periodically, enthusing about the good ones (I still think Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of 2014's best movies) but ignoring pre-production coverage of most everything on the grounds that it's an absurdly poor substitute for actual film coverage..."
This would be my choice. It's your blog - if some of these movies are worth your attention, then cover them. Ignore the others.
"Naturally this is also when the female heroes start flying in and then they'll get blamed for it even though the glut (and possibly the lack of quality) is what will pop the bubble, not the super-vaginas."
This is so insightful and prophetic that it's depressing.
These movies are stupid. Even when they have decent scripts or offer some unexpected twist on the genre (like "Guardians"), they're formulaic. The plots always have enormous holes in them. They glorify violence, retribution and good-vs.-evil righteousness. They're not made to further the artform or illuminate the human condition or help make anything better in the world. They're highly refined junk food. Call me a snob or close-minded or pretentious. I'd consider it a compliment.
I'm not saying they aren't pleasurable in spots, or that audiences don't have a need in our stressful, exploitative first world culture for mind-numbing escapism.
I'm just saying, there's no reason to make your passionate, intelligent, witty blog into one more mouthpiece for some multibillion-dollar studio's promotion machine.
I think you have had a good level of coverage so far.
I don't think you should try a moratorium on superheroes. With so many movies coming, some of them should be good movies or have interesting talking points or maybe awards potential.
I don't have a history of reading comic books so all the blogs written elsewhere about casting character-I-have-not-heard-of are unlikely to interest me. I have enjoyed most of the Marvel movies more than I would have expected but until trailers were released I had no interest.
Nathaniel, I am late commenting on this because my eyes glazed over when I saw the comic book illustration. I am so tired of hearing about superhero films for the reasons you mention above that I skipped over an article that was thoughtful about the saturation coverage. Talk about irony.
I am in complete agreement that you should just cover what interests you, if you tell me one of these beasts is worth seeing I will listen, otherwise I don't wish to hear about it.
Also it is strange that in the 90's genre TV gave us Buffy, Xena, and Star Trek Voyager, which all had interesting parts for females, and interesting stories. But the blockbusters above are tedious and repetitive in the extreme. Strange isn't it?
ladyedith - i figured that might happen :)
it is strange that no matter how many successful shows / movies star women, Hollywood is still reluctant as if each is a fluke.