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When do you think that superhero fatigue will set in?

  • It has already set in among the general public

    Votes: 210 17.9%
  • Within the next 5 years or so

    Votes: 173 14.8%
  • In 10 years or so

    Votes: 75 6.4%
  • In 20 years or so

    Votes: 33 2.8%
  • When Kevin Feige retires

    Votes: 198 16.9%
  • We'll all be long dead by then

    Votes: 149 12.7%
  • Never

    Votes: 333 28.4%

  • Total voters
    1,171

Alexandros

Member
Oct 26, 2017
17,815
After the end of the Infinity Saga with the crescendo of Infinity War and Endgame, many people expressed the opinion that superhero fatigue would inevitably start to set in since the big story arc was over and a number of high-profile characters/actors exited the MCU. However, the first signs from Marvel Studios' Phase 4 don't seem to indicate any such fatigue (if you disagree, feel free to express your opinion in the replies). So I think it would be interesting to talk about and make predictions on when superhero fatigue will finally set in for the average movie goer.

I think it's reasonable to say that nothing lasts forever so it's likely that superhero movies will eventually fall out of favor. When do you expect that to happen and what will be the reasons behind it in your opinion? Are there any unexpected factors that might accelerate/slow down the inevitable?
 

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
93,143
I think it is a made up thing by the internet that shows how out of touch some folks can be
 

Rosebud

Two Pieces
Member
Apr 16, 2018
43,600
I don't think there will be a "fatigue", at most some other franchise to steal the attention.

I'm tired of it for many years now lol
 

LCGeek

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,857
Its not real as recent movie sales show the interest is there. When it bombs like certain films give me a call.
 

Mekanos

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 17, 2018
44,176
Superheroes have dominated the box office for 20 years. It is inevitable at some point that they will stop being the #1 cultural touchstone, but they will remain popular for a long, long time.
 
Oct 26, 2017
35,589
Superheroes can be anything and are ten times more flexible than Westerns, so as long as they keep being creative with it, never.
 
Oct 27, 2017
12,058
Much to the chagrin of film nerds on Era, the Earth will become inhospitable before superhero fatigue sets in. Movies that they don't have to watch will still get made lol
 

Kinthey

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
22,329
Doesn't seem like people are tired but I wonder if it will reach the heights of infinity war/endgame again
 

jman1954goat

Linked the Fire
Member
May 9, 2020
12,428
Personal fatigue is a thing but as a whole I dont think society will ever get fatigued by super heroes.

There just a type of action movie and action movies will always find an audience.
 

Rassilon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,592
UK
never
mrbones.jpg
 

Parthenios

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
13,613
Genres come and go; I'm sure people who mentioned Western fatigue or Musical fatigue were laughed at too.

Continuity catches up to long running media eventually and makes it impenetrable for newer viewers. We'll always have super hero movies, but MCU domination probably has a finite shelf life (possibly a very long one).
 

Lightus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,138
I know multiple people who were into the MCU but dipped out over time due to being tired of super hero stuff in general (DC, TV shows etc). I don't think that's the case for the average person though.

Honestly with how the MCU does genre and tonal shifts depending on the movie it's not as much of an issue as people made it out to be. I think they'll continue to be popular until their quality starts going down (whenever that is). Or when The Next Big Thing comes out.
 

Finaj

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,360
I don't think so. As long as studios can keep diversifying what a "superhero" movie even is.
 

Doggg

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Nov 17, 2017
14,462
It seems with many demographics, they're kind of synonymous with blockbuster action films, so it will be very hard for them to tire of them, just as it would be for them to tire of action blockbusters in general.
 

wenis

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,113
I dont think people only consume super-hero shit to the point they get tired of it. They go and watch the big marvel movie when the come out and then live their lives never thinking about this stuff ever again and then another comes out and then they go back to never discussing or thinking about this stuff ever again until the next one.
 

jph139

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,383
I think it's probably already peaked with Endgame, but it's certainly evolved into a staple genre that I don't ever think will go away.

Marvel movies are gonna be like Disney animated movies - they'll ebb and flow in quality and mindshare, but they'll always be around.
 

Seesaw15

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,819
The majority of people who watch superhero media watch a few movies a year/maybe a D+ series or two. They are not arguing on the internet 24/7 about organic web shooters or the Snyder Cut. They have lives where they worry about other stuff and this is just entertainment for them. The people who are experiencing "burnout" are the ones who make superhero stuff their entire lives.
 
OP
OP
Alexandros

Alexandros

Member
Oct 26, 2017
17,815
Doesn't seem like people are tired but I wonder if it will reach the heights of infinity war/endgame again

If theaters are still a thing by then, I expect a possible Avengers film featuring all the new characters, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the return of RDJ, Chris Evans and ScarJo to demolish the box office.
 

Jeffolation

Member
Oct 30, 2017
7,117
I think about when the amerian western used to be huge at the box office for decades until their downturn in the 60's. They still exist but it's nothing compared to what it once was. The same will happen with superhero movies. It won't be overnight, it'll take a while for interest to really wane.
 

Mass_Pincup

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
7,129
The commitment is so low that I don't really see that happening.

The MCU's strength right now is that it doesn't have to start from scratch. Having to see yet another origin stories 15 years on each time they introduce a new character for exemple would've been terrible for them. As long as it's ongoing and that it doesn't rehash again and again the same tropes in the same ways, they should be fine.
 

Yourfawthaaa

Member
Nov 2, 2017
6,637
Bronx, NY
When The movies start to suck, I guess.

With x-men and F4 in the wings, it's not setting in anytime soon. The potential stories marvel can pull from are vast.
 

Lord Bandi

Member
Apr 30, 2020
1,117
As long as the stories are good, they will exist. It was the natural evolution to action movies and there literally dozen of decades of stories to tell across a wealth of characters
 

Big Tent Expat

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,400
I think decline is going to take way longer than something like westerns, which always had the same settings. Superhero movies can pretty much be anything, any time, any place.
 

molnizzle

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,695
I remember reading about superhero fatigue back in the 2008 reviews of The Dark Knight and Iron Man.

Any day now, surely...
 

Deleted member 8593

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
27,176
When the world turns into an utopia and we don't need light escapism to cope with the horror of existence.

And you know when that'll be.
 

Masterz1337

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,802
The bleaker the real world gets, the more people will want to dive into feel good fantasy films and have inspirational heroes that they wish they could have in real life to fix their issues.

Seeing a Captain America, a Black Panther, Black Widow, Shang-Chi and unfortunately Punisher on the screen are all things certain people in our world wish they could have for real, and the cape flicks will always be their escape to them.
 

The Unsent

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,438
I guess they are here to stay, they're basically action or fantasy-action films with a distinct theme. James Bond would be called Gadget Man if he was introduced today, Harry Potter would be called a superhero if he was based on a comic.
 
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Hero_of_the_Day

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
17,347
I think decline is going to take way longer than something like westerns, which always had the same settings. Superhero movies can pretty much be anything, any time, any place.

This. I think it will come. But, it won't just wipe shit out. We'll always have Batman movies, and Spider-Man reboots. But, I think at some point Marvel won't be able to just take any character and turn out something massively successful. That power will fade at some point. And shit, probably wrap back around to another MCU some years later. The other option is that the MCU turns into the comics where in 20, 30, 50+ years this is all still canon. And I can't fathom that.
 

MrHedin

Member
Dec 7, 2018
6,817
As long as the quality is there I think there will always be an audience. Over time people may get tired of those movies individually but you are going to have new fans coming in as well. The market might not always support the number of movies we get now but I bet there will always be a baseline support that studios can rely on.
 

Deleted member 4461

User Requested Account Deletion
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,010
When Feige retires. Part of the reason superhero films are still so hot is the Marvel brand is just so strong. When you have a bunch of different people making stuff of varying quality - like with war films some time ago - then you're going to see more "fatigue."

In fact, people conflate superhero fatigue with Marvel fatigue. The former has a chance of happening; latter depends on Feige & whoever replaces him.