The situation for Superhero movies

June 12, 2025

Thunderbolts* flopped despite "great reviews" - what happens next? – Variety

Days after "Thunderbolts*" hit the big screen, Disney CEO Bob Iger was feeling celebratory. He publicly touted the comic book adventure as the "first and best" example of Marvel’s new movie strategy, referring to the film’s positive reception from audiences and critics. And what a relief, following a bumpy few years and a string of poorly reviewed misfires in the franchise. Six weeks later, "Thunderbolts*" has cratered at the box office...."

Answer: Thunderbolts* is not a good film. It is a likeable film, and it has good things in it, but it is not well made. Not counting Florence Pugh, the cast didn't get enough space to be more than what Scarlett Johansson said (paraphrase) "in a Marvel film characters are plot devices."

Marvel’s calculus has changed," says Shawn Robbins, Fandango’s movie analytics director. "We’re in a new era where not every Marvel movie is going to hit $1 billion."

It has been years since that "billion dollar club" membership was an assured thing for Marvel. Deadpool and Wolverine looks like a blip with Marvel's billion-dollar days back in the teen years if you recognize that the three billion dollar films of the 20's are Sony, 20th Century Fox and Ryan Reynolds* film properties. "Endgame" is a film title that is starting to take on a different meaning:

2012 The Avengers $1.519 billion
2013 Iron Man 3 $1.215 billion
2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron $1.403 billion
2018 Black Panther $1.347 billion
2018 Avengers: Infinity War $2.048 billion
2019 Captain Marvel $1.131 billion
2019 Avengers: Endgame $2.798 billion
2019 Spider-Man: Far From Home $1.132 billion
2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home $1.921 billion
2024 Deadpool & Wolverine $1.338 billion

The Variety article says:

...If the studio wants to replenish the well with new vigilantes, it needs to spend less on origin stories. But belt tightening is getting harder as the cost of everything — from actors’ pay to visual effects to catering — has drastically risen. And turning these movies into can’t-miss events requires huge promotional dollars for globe-trotting press tours and premieres..."

The article isn't addressing the massive fall-off in quality, but is blaming marketing money (and catering?) Anecdotally speaking, the amount of derision towards the superhero films, post-pandemic, by young people, is palpable. I've heard from too many young non-fan sources, that is, casual superhero film ticket buyers, that (in general) among young people the superhero film ... like superhero comics.... are simply "uncool."

How'd we get here? In recent history, Nolan's Batman movies and Marvel's Iron Man (and Chris Evans' Captain America and then on to the mega-satisfaction people had with the Avengers+ films) made the expectation of quality and likeable casting safe and predictable for the casual "normie" ticket-buyer. But, those days are gone, and Marvel (and DC) have got a lot of stink they've got to clear away to get back into the good graces of ticket buyers who will reflexively think of superhero film brands as reliable entertainment worth the ticket price and attention (it is quite the reverse, now).

The big test is this July. Superman and Fantastic Four could both hit it out of the park, or one might make it and the other one flop, or.... they both bomb, despite the cheering of media and super-fans trying to get them over the hurdles. If that happens, that is, they both tank and word-of-mouth is so-so or even lousy, we might be in a historical footnote situation where Superman (1978) began the big money superhero era and Superman (2025) flops at theaters and closes it out.

* I say "Ryan Reynolds film property" because without Reynolds controlling it, it would just be another Disney-Marvel film.

Batman: Year One (Batman (1940-2011) - Amazon

Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves – a Film with antecedents – Harry Potter plus Guardians of the Galaxy plus Lord of the Rings, etc.

Fast review: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves – a Film with antecedents – Harry Potter plus Guardians of the Galaxy plus Lord of the Rings, etc.

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Batman& Robin Vintage Tee – Amazon

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