Steven Spielberg, a veteran of franchise filmmaking, once remarked in an interview that the comic-book movie would eventually go the way of the Western; that it would cease to be either relevant or even entertaining, and therefore be abandoned by filmmakers and studios alike. His comments beg two pertinent questions for understanding the role of comic-book blockbusters in the American film industry: how have these movies achieved such widespread recognition,and how long will they continue to attract audiences to the cinema?
Our current expectation for the quality -- both financially and critically -- of superhero franchises reflects their recent popularity. Hollywood has had a long history with comic-book movies but a relatively short time finding success with them. As of now, we are currently in a golden age of comic-book movies. They have become the go-to blockbusters for studios to produce, and have only grown in stature as pop-culture products over the past years.
If a year must be pinpointed as the start of such a renaissance, it is 2008. That summer, two superhero movies were released that heralded the diverse and venerable appeal of comic-book films and the franchises they beget. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight displayed the maturity superheroes conveyed when placed in the hands of a skilled auteur filmmaker, in addition to being a sequel superior to its predecessor both critically and commercially. Secondly, Iron Man -- directed by Jon Favreau and starring a resurgent Robert Downey, Jr. -- became a smash-hit and brimmed with fun, kinetic energy. It launched a series of films that have since ballooned into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), still the most successful superhero franchise in relentless production. The reception of these two films accelerated Hollywood's love affair with the superhero as the latest hot-ticket item, and the status of comic-book films has hardly faltered in the eight years since.
In particular, Marvel Studios -- owned by the Walt Disney Co.
It's this model that Warner Bros.
Theoretically, this business model can continue as long as these characters remain the intellectual property of the studio in question. As such, the competition over ownership of characters (and by extension their stories) is crucial. If a studio has the rights to additional characters, the more material they have to produce and market with other characters from the same property. For instance, the negotiations between Marvel and Sony over the usage of Spider-Man in MCU films (as he is a Marvel character owned by Sony) is one of the more notable examples of the complex negotiations occurring over artistic property. Studios seek to accrue intellectual ownership to safeguard financial investment.
The advent of virtual reality could change the entire industry. Movie-stars who had previously played onscreen superheroes would be reduced to a fraction of their star-power if viewers themselves assumed the roles of Superman, Batman, or Iron Man. Films would become less stories unfolding before our eyes and more like stories we choose to tell ourselves. It will endow the viewer extraordinary power in choice, and will force studios to adapt by developing and marketing different experiences rather than selling a single vision. The possibilities though remain exactly that: possibilities. Virtual reality is still too fetal to make any lasting impact, so no accurate predictions can be made.
Just this past year, four massive comic-book movies were released almost back-to-back by major studios: Deadpool, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, and X-Men: Apocalypse. Many critics suspected that 'superhero fatigue' had finally come home to roost, proving Spielberg's prophecy true. And he may very well be right, eventually; but if the box-office is any judge, then certainly not now. For the foreseeable future, prepare to see the value of superheroes rise higher and only higher.
