As superhero fatigue continues to be the pressing topic in Hollywood, an actor from Matt Reeves’ DC blockbuster The Batman has expressed his take on the issue – a claim that can be proven true with several superhero movies releasing in 2024 Ever since filmmaker Martin Scorsese equated superhero movies with “theme parks”, other auteurs like Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg continued the superhero fatigue discourse with their critiques on the genre’s present-day oversaturation. These reflective views gained further currency in the past few years with both DC and Marvel’s cinematic universes yielding critically polarizing and commercially disappointing results.
The year 2023 was a major low point for both superhero franchises. DC failed to recoup much of the budget for The Flash, a superhero crossover that received flak for its shoddy CGI despite getting Michael Keaton to return as Batman. The DC Extended Universe movies ended its run with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which was widely considered to have provided a lackluster conclusion to the timeline. Over in the MCU timeline, critics and audiences weren’t particularly friendly to the third Ant-Man and the Wasp movie and The Marvels, suggesting to audiences that both franchise would benefit from different approaches.
Every Upcoming DC Movie In 2024 And Beyond
Here’s every new DC movie confirmed as in development by WB for 2024 and onwards, including release dates and where they belong in the franchise.
Why Is Paul Dano Right About The Current State Of Superhero Movies
The Batman Actor Feels Comic Book Movies Are Going Beyond Superheroes
Paul Dano, who is known for his intense portrayals of morally ambiguous characters, offered an emotionally twisted take on The Riddler in The Batman. Talking to The Independent, Dano attributed The Batman’s success to it being “a real film”. Even with superhero fatigue in sight, the actor is optimistic enough for the genre to evolve in ways to bring out more of such “real” narratives and redefine the conventional tropes. Referring to the fatigue as “a welcome moment”, the Spaceman star hopes that “somebody either breathes new life into [comic book movies] or something else blossoms which is not superheroes.”
DC’s $125M Flop Confirms The Old DCEU Will Haunt James Gunn For Years
The latest box office flop for DC is solidified by its return, and its failure could signal early problems for James Gunn’s new DC Universe franchise.
Dano’s ideas stand true in the face of Marvel and DC disasters getting more frequent every year. In the case of Marvel, 2024 started on a less promising note, with the Sony Spider-Man Universe entry Madame Web debuting to record-setting negative reviews and exorbitantly low ticket sales. DCEU’s track record was also not that notable in 2023, with even more acclaimed titles like Blue Beetle failing to make a mark in the cinemas. It’s perhaps time for both superhero giants to reconsider their creative output and focus on some fresher narratives for a change, more along the lines of Logan and Joker.
2024’s Biggest Marvel And DC Releases Are Anti-Superhero Stories
Deadpool And Wolverine And Joker Folie à Deux Offer A Lot More Promise Compared To Recent Marvel And DC Efforts
Paul Dano’s expectations of fresh narratives coming out of superhero fatigue can be realized this year, with both Marvel and DC limiting their output to a few thematically diverse releases. Deadpool and Wolverine is a bold step forward for MCU, as it marks the proper franchise debut of the titular mutants along with the rest of the X-Men. Dano’s hopes of some non-superhero “blossoming” can be realized here, as Deadpool has always been an antihero who provides a different, more adult and sharply comedic take on Marvel’s lore. And with Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine, meta-jokes are to be expected.
Despite Madame Web’s negative reviews, Sony eyes the potential for Kraven the Hunter and Venom 3. Deviating away from conventional heroes, the former offers a gritty origin story for one of Spider-Man’s best villains, while the latter concludes the symbiote-controlled villain-turned-antihero trilogy. And with Joker: Folie à Deux as DC’s only theatrical release, it’s clear that the antagonists are ruling comic book cinema this year.
The musical sequel to Joker will be an experimental segue from last year’s formulaic Flash and Aquaman adventures, with both it and The Batman sequel projected to reignite DC’s big-screen success. If these upcoming releases stick the landing, Dano’s hopeful views on superhero fatigue might just come true.
Key Release Dates
Joker: Folie a Deux
Release Date:2024-10-04
Superman (2025)
Release Date:2025-07-11
The Batman – Part II
Release Date:2025-10-03
