Same formula, different superhero

With the coming release of “Captain America: Civil War,” it’s once again time to be barraged with the incessant marketing that comes with the release of a new superhero movie.

Just a few months ago, it was nearly impossible to watch TV or enter a gas station without being attacked by some form of advertisement for “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and I say that with only a slight degree of hyperbole. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t help but feel that superhero films have reached their saturation point.

 

It wasn’t long ago that Marvel Studios announced they had mapped out over 14 years of movies, as ridiculous as that sounds. Yes, we have reached a point where sequels are announced before a film is even released.

15 years ago, I remember shaking with excitement at the idea that my favorite superhero Spider-Man would be making his much-anticipated Hollywood debut. Now, I’m just keeping my fingers crossed the series isn’t beat to death more than it already has been. I was of course only nine years-old, but superhero franchises then weren’t quite what they are now.

Yes, we got sequels, but we didn’t get the bloated cash cows that seem only to exist to generate more cash.

 

Back in the day, I felt like superhero films actually captured the charm of the comic stories they were based on. Tim Burton’s Batman perfectly recreated the essence of reading a Batman comic, while “Batman V Superman” stumbled over it’s own weight.

There have been some exceptions — “Deadpool” was refreshingly funny and entertaining, as was “Guardians of the Galaxy” back in 2014 — but I’m grasping for straws to come up with more than that.

 

I can’t blame Hollywood for wanting to cash in on some of these enormous franchises — I just wish they would bring us more than just origin stories. I think we all know by now that Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed and that a radioactive spider bit Peter Parker. Uncle Ben doesn’t need to die again.

While we are seeing some studios touch up on lesser-known comics like “Suicide Squad” and “Doctor Strange,” let’s not ignore the fact we’ve seen Robert Downey Jr. suit up as Iron Man almost six times. So while everyone is enjoying their superhero summer at the movies, I’ll be home, perfectly content with never watching another Batman or Spiderman reboot again.