James Gunn Shares His Thoughts on Superhero Fatigue
Whenever a superhero project underperforms with either audiences or critics, evaluations of such responses are often quick to cite "superhero fatigue," noting that viewers are just exhausted from seeing repetitive narratives. With multiple superhero projects under his belt, one might think James Gunn would ignore such an analysis, the DC Studios head recently addressed that he does believe such a fatigue exists, yet it's less about superheroes as a whole and that there is a negative reaction to repeated underwhelming adventures regardless of whether they fall within the superhero realm. With Gunn developing several projects at DC, it should alleviate some apprehensions from fans that even Gunn knows how the genre has faced setbacks.
"I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue," Gunn shared with Rolling Stone. "I think it doesn't have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character. We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they're these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring."
He continued, "But I get fatigued by most spectacle films, by the grind of not having an emotionally grounded story. It doesn't have anything to do with whether they're superhero movies or not. If you don't have a story at the base of it, just watching things bash each other, no matter how clever those bashing moments are, no matter how clever the designs and the VFX are, it just gets fatiguing, and I think that's very, very real."
Already in 2023, both Marvel Studios and DC have offered audiences experiences that have been met with mixed responses that could be considered victims of superhero fatigue. Back in February, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania got off to a strong start at the box office, despite only earning 47% positive reviews according to Rotten Tomatoes. With its theatrical run coming to an end, however, it will become the lowest earner in the Ant-Man trilogy. Shazam! Fury of the Gods has similarly suffered poor reviews and underwhelming financial returns, with many factors contributing to its slow start at the box office.
Whatever the future might hold for DC Studios, Gunn being able to acknowledge the setbacks that the superhero genre has suffered is at least one step forward in his development of the studio's slate.
What do you think of the filmmaker's remarks? Let us know in the comments!
