Film opinion: The superhero fatigue debate is missing the real problem

For years, Hollywood has pointed fingers at ‘superhero fatigue’ to explain waning interest in once-blockbuster franchises.

But the problem isn’t the oversaturation of the genre; it’s the lack of creative risk. 

Film News Blitz’s Heidi Hardman-Welsh explains why heroes aren’t bringing in the big numbers like they used to. 

Same capes, same stakes

Superhero films have dominated the box office for a long time, reshaping pop culture and defining the modern blockbuster. But lately, the genre seems to be losing its grip.

Audiences did not suddenly wake up tired of capes; the real issue is that the genre hasn’t tried to move forward.

There is a sameness, the stakes feel hollow, and the characters aren’t as compelling as they used to be.

Studios are treating universe-building as the goal, not the outcome, and plots are becoming vehicles to set up even more crossovers or spin-offs.

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Superhero films, especially within the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and the former DCEU (DC Extended Universe), tend to follow a strict formula.

Typically, these films include an origin story, a training montage, a climactic CGI battle in the third act, and often end with a teaser for a sequel.

Audiences aren’t exhausted by superheroes—they’re exhausted by predictability. 

However, with such expansive universes within these franchises, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out and create something truly memorable.

Franchise overload and disconnect grows

There has been a noticeable dip in quality, marked by rushed production cycles, weak characters, underdeveloped scripts, and increasingly sloppy CGI.

Films like Madame Web (2024) and Morbius (2022) have been widely panned as some of the worst Marvel-related releases in recent years, earning dismal Rotten Tomatoes scores of 11% and 15%, respectively.

But Captain America: Brave New World (2025) is an even more recent example of a superhero film that didn’t go down well with fans.

In this film, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) embraces his role as the new Captain America and uncovers a political conspiracy involving stolen Adamantium, mind control, and a dangerous transformation by President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) into the Red Hulk.

Unfortunately, many viewers found the story unfocused and unfinished, weighed down by too many subplots and a bland villain.

Combined with an overreliance on CGI and a lack of emotional depth, the film fell short of the storytelling that defined earlier entries in the Captain America series.

What went wrong?

Once upon a time, superhero films were cultural spectacles. 

X-Men (2000) explored the politics of identity by portraying the mutants not just as heroes, but as metaphors that reflected society's deepest fractures and prompted real-world questions with complicated answers.

The Dark Knight (2008) wrestled with chaos and order post-9/11, it asked what justice looks like in a time shaped by terrorism, steeped in the anxieties that defined the subsequent ‘war on terror’.

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Iron Man (2008) launched a universe by putting character first. 

It gave the audience a superhero who was flawed, it grounded the plot in real-world consequences, and it brought credibility and maturity to the genre. 

But somewhere along the way, the stories stopped saying anything new.

Instead of evolving, the genre doubled down on nostalgia, fan service, and connecting dots in a giant cinematic spreadsheet.

The emotional core gets replaced by multiverse logic and cameos; it stops feeling like storytelling and starts feeling like you have to work to enjoy the film.

Redefining what a superhero film can be

Meanwhile, the films that do cut through—Logan (2017), Joker (2019), The Batman (2022)—don’t succeed because they reject the genre.

They succeed because they dig deeper into what it’s actually for: they experiment with tone, take real risks and remember that the best superhero stories aren’t about powers—they’re about people.

An example of truly genre-bending superhero fiction is Amazon Prime Video’s original series The Boys (2019).

Far more subversive and socially charged, The Boys reimagines the genre as a brutal satire wrapped in a political thriller.

It blends dark humour, body horror, and ultraviolence with surprisingly grounded emotional arcs, creating a bold, unflinching commentary on power, corruption, and control that has earned widespread critical acclaim.   

Hope and heartache

The recent critical success of Thunderbolts* proves that audiences aren’t done with the genre—they’re just done with being talked down to.

What worked in Thunderbolts* wasn’t the familiar faces or franchise ties; it was the tonal shift.

It was grittier, character-driven, leaning into moral ambiguity, and finally gave its characters room to breathe.

But unfortunately, it was still a box office failure.

Thunderbolts* made about $378 million globally before leaving cinemas, falling short of the $425 million needed to break even. 

This is a letdown for a franchise that once easily topped half a billion, but one that reflects the damage done by a string of recent subpar Marvel films that left audiences sceptical. 

Look, superhero stories aren’t dead. They can still hit hard, still matter, still reflect the world in ways other genres can’t.

But it’s time to stop trying to recapture old highs and start chasing new ones.

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