{"id":1956665,"date":"2025-08-12T20:39:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T20:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1956665"},"modified":"2025-08-12T20:39:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T20:39:18","slug":"supermans-success-reveals-a-sobering-truth-about-superhero-movies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/supermans-success-reveals-a-sobering-truth-about-superhero-movies\/","title":{"rendered":"Superman\u2019s Success Reveals A Sobering Truth About Superhero Movies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Summer often has competing superhero movies, and this past season was no exception. James Gunn kicked off the DCU with <em>Superman<\/em>, and a few weeks later, the MCU released <em>The Fantastic Four: First Steps<\/em>, the fourth attempt (if we count Roger Corman\u2019s unreleased film) at bringing Marvel\u2019s First Family to the big screen. Surprisingly, <em>Superman<\/em> soared while <em>Fantastic Four<\/em> flopped, which reveals a sobering truth about these movies: in a post-superhero fatigue world, only movies built around insanely popular characters are likely to succeed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Marvel Cinematic Universe famously launched with what comics fans at the time considered B-list heroes like Iron Man and Captain America. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/marvel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Marvel;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Marvel<\/a> was forced to do this because other studios held the film rights for the most popular heroes: Spider-Man and the X-Men. To Marvel\u2019s credit, they built a cinematic universe and a growing financial empire off oddball heroes, eventually turning even obscure weirdos like the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/guardians-of-the-galaxy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Guardians of the Galaxy;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Guardians of the Galaxy<\/a> into household names.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Marvel\u2019s Thunderbolts<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Greedy executives effectively killed this golden goose, flooding both movie theaters and the Disney+ app with so much Marvel content that keeping up with everything felt like a boring chore. After flops like <em>Eternals<\/em>, <em>Ant-Man<\/em> <em>and the<\/em> <em>Wasp: Quantumania<\/em>, and <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/ent\/captain-marvel-2.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Marvels;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">The Marvels<\/a><\/em>, it was clear Disney had lost its Midas gauntlet. That was underscored yet again by the box office failure of <em>The <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/thunderbolts\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Thunderbolts;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Thunderbolts<\/a><\/em>, a well-written and critically praised film that still failed to put enough butts in theaters to justify its costs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Among <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/ent\/the-best-marvel-memes-from-every-phase-of-the-franchise.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:MCU;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">MCU<\/a> diehards, this led to a narrative that <em>The Thunderbolts<\/em> only failed because it was the tale of a bunch of C-list outcast heroes and villains. There is some truth to that (more on this soon), but those same diehards convinced themselves that the much more recognizable <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/fantastic-four\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Fantastic Four;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Fantastic Four<\/a><\/em> would be a hit, especially with the super popular Pedro Pascal as a lead. Now that <em>First Steps<\/em> bombed and <em>Superman<\/em> succeeded, though, those diehards need to face the reality that only the biggest superheroes can lead a tentpole film to box office success.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Zendaya as MJ and Tom Holland as Spider-Man\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ILqVfyALfzg7xCtN2VBAfg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/c3f7f79fc74e71e3f54092655b662159\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Zendaya as MJ and Tom Holland as Spider-Man<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The kinds of heroes I\u2019m talking about are relatively obvious: Superman, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/batman\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Batman;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Batman<\/a>, Spider-Man, and so on. These are the kinds of characters who have generations of fans who will come out to see the latest movie, which is how James Gunn\u2019s <em>Superman<\/em> recently became the most successful solo film featuring the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/man-of-steel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Man of Steel;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Man of Steel<\/a>. Wisely, Gunn decided to use this film to soft-launch a variety of quirkier characters (including the brainy Mr. Terrific and the hard-nosed Guy Gardner) that couldn\u2019t headline their own solo films.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While the failure of <em>The Fantastic Four<\/em> seemingly surprised Disney executives, Marvel Studios seems to have noticed the writing on the wall, which is why the next Spider-Man film will feature both Hulk and The <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/Punisher\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Punisher;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Punisher<\/a>. In the modern era of superhero fatigue, neither of these characters could headline their own successful solo movies (plus, Universal Pictures still has the distribution rights for solo Hulk films). By putting these less appealing characters in a movie with their most popular hero, Marvel can effectively mine their deep bench of characters while making the new Spider-Man seem novel and fresh.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Nathan Fillian as Guy Gardner in &lt;em&gt;Superman&lt;\/em&gt; (2025)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/CdHEMnIb7UXQjTdIR0739w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/giant_freakin_robot_articles_628\/f616857c24e56f9545fbbe0052f5930d\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Nathan Fillian as Guy Gardner in <em>Superman<\/em> (2025)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For better or for worse, this is now the future of superhero cinema: solo movies will only be built around the most popular (and marketable) characters, and more of these \u201csolo\u201d movies are going to be ensemble pieces featuring roles from other heroes. It\u2019s an approach that might save Marvel, assuming that their insanely big-budget films <em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.giantfreakinrobot.com\/topic\/avengers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Avengers;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Avengers<\/a>: Doomsday<\/em> and <em>Avengers: Secret Wars<\/em> don\u2019t flop. Otherwise, James Gunn\u2019s DCU might emulate its flagship hero, taking the mantle of the best cinematic universe \u201cup, up, and away\u201d from its biggest competitor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summer often has competing superhero movies, and this past season was no exception. James Gunn kicked off the DCU with Superman, and a few weeks later, the MCU released The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the fourth attempt (if we count Roger Corman\u2019s unreleased film) at bringing Marvel\u2019s First Family to the big screen. Surprisingly, Superman [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1956666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[41332,305487,313582,31353,333489,306878],"class_list":["post-1956665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-james-gunn","tag-mcu","tag-popular-characters","tag-superman","tag-thunderbolts","tag-unreleased-film"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Supermans-Success-Reveals-A-Sobering-Truth-About-Superhero-Movies.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1956665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1956666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1956665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1956665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1956665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}