rewrite this title James Gunn says “superhero fatigue” isn’t the problem – mediocre movies and studios that don’t take risks are

When it comes down to it, we movie fans want to be entertained. And for a while there, it was as simple for many as throwing a dude in a cape on the big screen and letting him fly around in front of a green screen. It’s part of why the MCU expanded into a multibillion dollar franchise. But at a certain point came what came to be known as “superhero fatigue.” Now, your belief or disbelief in it may actually have less to do with Marvel and DC than the inability to make a captivating movie.

James Gunn has spoken about the phenomenon plenty of times before. But in his most recent stance, he says it not only doesn’t exist in the way we label it, but it’s mid movies of any genre that are part of the problem. “I don’t believe in superhero fatigue. I think there’s, you know, mediocre movie fatigue. I think you can tell stories about anything. If you see the same gangster movie over and over, you’re gonna get so bored. But if you see different types of criminals doing different things that are involved in different activities, different levels of morality, different styles, it’s not ever gonna get boring.”

Gunn would add that this sort of fatigue is essentially being attached to superhero movies as a way for audiences to express their dissatisfaction. “If the only thing we have to offer is one character showing up and seeing two characters together that we’ve never seen on screen before – that was really exciting when it first happened – nobody cares anymore. This concept of ‘superhero fatigue’ in one way is real because there have been a lot of superhero movies that maybe haven’t been up to what they should have been or what the audience wanted. You see the same thing happening across the board with movies in general. That people are not making the movies that need to bring people into the cinemas.” That’s an excellent point for sure – and we all know we need people to keep going to the theater – but considering Gunn has a lot riding on superhero movies by being the co-CEO of DC Studios and having Superman in theaters right now, there might also be some deflecting on his part…

Gunn next cited Barbie as a prime example of something relatively unique (despite being based on one of the most iconic properties ever), further naming directors like its own Greta Gerwig and The Batman’s Matt Reeves as bringing accessible pop to the movie theaters but doing so in imaginative ways that make people want to buy tickets. (Of note, Barbie was the highest-grossing movie of 2023, while The Batman hit #7.) As part of his argument, Gunn said that it doesn’t matter if you ended up liking the film or not, it’s that those directors are taking risks.

Concluding his position on the state of movies, Gunn said, “I want the cinemagoing experience to continue. I want my nephews and nieces and their children to be able to experience what I’ve been able to experience: going to a theater and seeing the magic of cinema. I just think we need to take risks. It hasn’t been happening because people are so afraid of making a mistake. I think we should make a lot more mistakes.”

What do you make of James Gunn’s extensive thoughts on superhero fatigue and the current state of moviegoing? Where are his most valid points?