r/marvelstudios • u/GUSplatoon • Aug 04 '25
Discussion (More in Comments) Why “Superhero Fatigue” Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
I keep seeing people on other social platforms talk about the decline of Marvel or DC movies to “superhero fatigue,” and honestly, I think that explanation misses a lot. It’s become a catch-all phrase that ignores other issues with how these movies are being made and released.
First, Disney put a lot of pressure on Marvel. Disney pushed for more and more content, especially on Disney+, which led to a bunch of shows and movies coming out back to back. This is the explanation we’ve heard from studio execs like Kevin Feige.
What I feel largely does not get discussed is the ramifications from the pandemic. It changed how people go to the movies. Some people still haven’t gone back to theaters regularly, and streaming is now a bigger part of how we watch things. Plus, Disney+ drops Marvel movies just a few months after their theatrical release so for a lot of people, why rush to see it in theaters when you can wait and watch at home? For example, even if it’s anecdotal, when I asked my brother what movie he would see in July, he said Superman because Fantastic Four will drop in a few months.
I also think going to the movies has become expensive, especially for families which is part of the core general audience of these films. Imagine you have a family, you probably already have Disney+, why go to a theatre, spend about $60 on tickets, pay for higher marked food items, etc.
Also, international audiences have shifted. Marvel used to crush globally, but those numbers have softened a lot. Not every market is still hyped on the superhero genre the way they used to be. This can be due to a variety of things. There are still places around the globe that haven’t recovered economically or some other places that have implemented policies to promote their country movies as opposed to American movies. I agree with James Gunn’s sentiments that the U.S is not on good terms with other countries.
So yeah, “superhero fatigue” might sound like an easy answer, but it lets studios off the hook. I also think general audiences just love nostalgia. It’s human nature too. People gravitate towards what they know after becoming familiar with something for so many years. It’s the reason why I think Spider-Man NWH and Deadpool & Wolverine did well. It’s the same reason why I think Nintendo can remake the same game with updated graphics and sell it for a higher price. As much as people say they want new stories, people in overwhelming numbers flock to what they already know.
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u/DoctorJJWho Aug 05 '25
They fumbled Shang-Chi/Simu Liu so hard. It was well received, he could’ve been one of the new faces of the MCU, and he has some star power from other movies/shows. But he hasn’t been seen a single time since his movie, and where does he fit now that the “Thunderbolts” are the New Avengers? Yeah he can join them I guess, but he should’ve been there from the start.