Are Superhero films dying?

[Ruin Explorer]

I don't think the Marvels is going to do well, not because of the quality, but it isn't about DUUUUDES being cool. And I don't think it has the appeal of Barbie to overcome that.

That's definitely going to factor in, but I think another thing is that I don't think audiences are very into twee superhero movies, and the closest thing to a tone The Marvels seems to have (going from trailers and what people have said that is, I won't see it until it's on Disney+) is "twee".

It's a pity because neither Captain Marvel nor Spectrum aka also Captain Marvel are particularly twee characters, and Ms Marvel doesn't have to be.

 

[Rabulias]

I really enjoy a villain who chews the scenery. Would have loved to see Alan Rickman's take on a character like Doom.

Doom is going to be difficult to cast. Finding someone who can bring menace, with the ability to rise above the trope, and do it all behind a mask.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Doom is going to be difficult to cast. Finding someone who can bring menace, with the ability to rise above the trope, and do it all behind a mask.

A mask, you say? I'M IN!
-Tom Hardy, DEFINITELY!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Doom is going to be difficult to cast. Finding someone who can bring menace, with the ability to rise above the trope, and do it all behind a mask.

They might want to look primarily at voice actors (and/or normal actors who are good at voice work), honestly, and just get someone else to do the physical acting (I mean, it was good enough for Darth Vader, a very similar character in many ways), which will be CGI'd anyway because any practical version of that suit is going to be a disaster.

 

[MarkB]

This is spot on. Unfortunately it's difficult to capitalize on without risking making audiences groan at the obviousness of it, or going again into Pixar-ish territory, which we're already dangerously near. Yet if you move away from it, you potentially move away from the actual characters, and FWIW, MCU has mostly been pretty close to the comics, character personality wise, the biggest deviation I can immediately think of actually being Peter Parker, who had a rather different psychology to the previous Parkers (of comic and screen) until the events of the surprisingly decent No Way Home (instead of really being Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man, with grief/regret over losses he'd been involved with, and a determination to do better, he was more like a spider-themed Iron Man Jr, but that has now changed). I think with the FF you probably would have to move away a bit - going man-out-of-time/fish-out-of-water probably helps you there.

There's also something of a glut of found-family themes in movies these days, the Fast&Furious and Mission: Impossible series coming immediately to mind, so there's not necessarily a lot of new ground available to cover in terms of superheroes as a family unit, even if comparing only to other live-action properties.

 

[Ryujin]

A mask, you say? I'M IN!
-Tom Hardy, DEFINITELY!

As a film maker friend likes to say, < I'm going to do all my acting behind a mask! And we won't ADR anything! >

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

There's also something of a glut of found-family themes in movies these days, the Fast&Furious and Mission: Impossible series coming immediately to mind, so there's not necessarily a lot of new ground available to cover in terms of superheroes as a family unit, even if comparing only to other live-action properties.

Great, now I'm thinking about Reed Richards drinking a Corona and mumbling ... Family.

 

[Richards]

Doom is going to be difficult to cast. Finding someone who can bring menace, with the ability to rise above the trope, and do it all behind a mask.

The first name to pop into mind is Hugo Weaving, who managed to pull it off as both V in V for Vendetta and Red Skull in Captain America while acting behind masks the whole time. (Okay, we got to see what he looked like pre-Skull for a bit at first.)

And I'm genetically predisposed to liking the Fantastic Four, seeing as how I share a last name with half the group.

Johnathan

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

And I'm genetically predisposed to liking the Fantastic Four, seeing as how I share a last name with half the group.

Four?

Oh, you said half the group.

Two?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Four?

Oh, you said half the group.

Two?

I am thoroughly confused now, but appreciate this self-doxxing counter-measure.