I have 6:30 PM tickets to see Superman tonight, and it’s all I’m thinking about as I trudge through this work day.
It seems as though many movie-goers are experiencing “superhero fatigue,” as comic book movies have been dominating pop culture for the better part of two decades, especially since the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and massive successes like the Avengers films.
Me? Not one bit. I can’t wait to watch superpowered individuals clad in tights, flying around and fighting each other on a big screen while sitting in the dark and chomping on salty, buttery, fatty popcorn for a few hours. And I don’t think that will change any time soon, regardless of my age or status.
I’m especially thrilled this time around for some more variety. I was not the biggest fan of DC Comics’ recent slate of films with Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, and Gal Gadot. I still found joy in them, as I do with most comic book movies, but director James Gunn’s history with this genre (mainly the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy) and early reviews say that this is a movie to be pumped about, and it’s truly looking like a comic come to life.
After Superman, Marvel looks to capture the box office again with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is a movie I’m equally excited about, if not even more hyped for. And one thing I can say that these movies have in common is that they both sport a very colorful palette and comic book-y aesthetic, which is a fresh change of pace from the MCU’s attempts at “realism” and the DCEU’s overly dark vibe.
First Steps takes place in an alternate reality, a retro-future version of New York City’s 1960s where the Fantastic Four are already an established team of heroes, a comic-accurate Galactus is on the way with the Silver Surfer heralding his arrival, and Sue Storm is pregnant with Franklin Richards, so this is a different take that we’ve seen before.
We know that Marvel’s First Family will somehow be making their way to the greater MCU and its existing heroes, thanks to that Thunderbolts post-credit sequence, so this movie will explain that and also set up this very promising cast as the latest list of talented actors to join Marvel Studios’ stable. I’m so excited to see it all come to life again, even if it’s totally unable to recapture those Infinity War or Endgame feelings that so many movie-goers seem to be chasing.
Look, I guess I just enjoy the movie theater escape experience, and that’s been tied to superheroes for 20-plus years for me. Even a bad superhero movie is still enjoyable to me. The worst of the MCU and DCEU still have some value in entertainment, because let’s be honest, most of the stuff happening outside of the silver screen at any given time in this current day and age sucks and is overwhelmingly depressing.
But in the dark, with popcorn and soda in hand and overpaid actors in ridiculous outfits on the big screen in front of me, I can feel like a kid with no worries for a few hours. And that’s irreplaceable to me, regardless of the cinematic quality or critical reception they garner.
If you’re like me and still find joy in these films, I’ll see you at the theater. If you’re burnt out on them or have outgrown them, that’s fine too, but so far, I don’t think that could ever be me. And I’m not sorry about that.
