Superhero fatigue is a myth; declining quality, not genre burnout, explains box office struggles
By
Brian VanHooker
Summary
The article argues that "superhero fatigue" is a myth used to blame audiences for declining box office returns, when the real problem is that Marvel (and other studios) have been releasing poorly made superhero movies with weak scripts, underdeveloped villains, and questionable creative choices. Using Supergirl's poor box office opening as a case study, the author contends that audiences still show up for well-crafted superhero films (like Deadpool & Wolverine or Spider-Man: No Way Home), proving the issue is quality, not genre fatigue. The piece critiques Marvel's post-Endgame output specifically, pointing to rushed production, lack of coherent vision, and diminishing storytelling standards.
Source
Key quotes
· 4 pulledExcept, there is no such thing as superhero fatigue. The whole idea of superhero fatigue is just an audience-blaming scapegoat for studios making bad movies.
When audiences are given a genuinely good superhero movie — well-written, well-directed, with stakes that feel real — they show up in droves.
The problem isn't that people are tired of superheroes. The problem is that they're tired of bad movies that happen to have superheroes in them.
Marvel's post-Endgame strategy has been defined by quantity over quality, and the numbers are finally catching up to them.
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