Welcome back to The Dan Cave! Did you grow since I last saw you? You look taller. Either way, it’s really working for you. Don’t change a thing.
Last week, I feverishly updated a liveblog of the Marvel Event where they unveiled not just a new Avengers: Age of Ultron clip, but the entirety of their Phase III slate. There were so many people there excitedly Twittering away and Instagramming Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans introducing Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther that the free wi-fi Disney provided to press crashed, so I had to frantically pound out the article on my cell phone. Like many of you, I was initially ecstatic, then overwhelmed, then perplexed, and finally concerned. While I am beyond thrilled that we’ll be getting 30 superhero films over the next six years, I am also more than a little concerned that we’ll be getting 30 superhero films over the next six years. Just take a look at this visualized timeline for context.
That’s an awful lot, right? Well, friends, that’s exactly what we’re talking about on today’s episode of The Dan Cave — how much is too much? Are we oversaturated with superhero films? Is there never enough? When will Matter-Eater Lad get his own solo film?!
Many of you have been contacting me over Twitter about this very issue, so let’s continue that conversation. Let me know your thoughts on this deluge of spandex-clad superhero cinema in the comments below or tell me on Twitter (@Osteoferocious) using the hashtag #TheDanCave.
—
Want even more The Dan Cave? Check out last week’s spooktacular episode in which I count down 5 of the most unintentionally scary movies ever made.
[Infographic via ComicsAlliance]
Rad shirt Dan!
I blame the DC movies. They aren’t necessary and their characters, back stories, and afterthought vulnerabilities and hubris are booooooring.
I don’t feel that it’s an oversaturation of movies. It’s an oversaturation of marketing for these movies. For example, the Entertainment Weekly Summer Movie Preview had blurbs about 105 movies. Out of those 105 movies, 4 were about superheroes. (ASM2, DPFP, GoTG and TMNT) That means there were 101 other movies that came out that summer. But the reason we only think about the superhero movies is because they don’t let us forget. Food Tie ins, “trailer premieres,” etc. I mean, how can we NOT feel a tad overrun when ABC advertises for a week straight how they are going to show us two minutes of footage. They didn’t do that for Gone Girl, or John Wick. There are PLENTY more movies out there than superhero movies, they just don’t have the adverstising budgets.
The short answer? Yes. So goes the nature of pop culture and the clamoring masses. Zombies make a come-back? We shall have zombie everything. Superhero films become viable? Then it shall be Battle of the Sequels. Is it a bad thing? Ask the clamoring masses.
Aw, Hell no.
No we are not.
I think it’s fine, especially since they all offer different things. You don’t like typical superheroes? That’s fine, there are anti-heroes. You want some sci-fi as well? There’s GotG. You want some action, well there’s Wolverine. Oh you want comedy as well? Then there’s Deadpool. You want something with magic…Dr. Strange. You want a female led movie….well you get the idea. As long as they have quality and don’t try to cram everything into ONE movie, they should be fine. Spreading it out among different movies should be alright.
I’m thrilled and excited, but I also think we need to consider that there is also a new Harry Potter trilogy, the Star Was trilogy & stand alone films, and other projects like the new ghostbusters that add to this nerd move overload.
I’m excited and feel like our day has come to see everything we’ve wanted, but I share the slight concern that the general public that makes these movies blockbusters will grow tired of a nerd film overlaod.,
Don’t you think though that as the “nerdification” of culture becomes so common that it cheapens the experience? Like, in my eyes, one of the things that drew myself and perhaps most of us to nerd life was the community. The closeness of being in such a small minority of people and the acceptance that came with it is what separated from the jocks or the popular kids. I guess I belong to the school of thought that sees the cash grabbing that’s happening. Everyone wants a club and the nerd club is popular now. Who would have thought? But maybe that was the point, like you said, we have acceptance finally.
It’s actually that reason alone why I don’t identify as a “nerd” or “geek” anymore. It’s thrown around so loosely now that I feel like if I used that as a description of myself, people would reply, “Oh yeah, I watch Big Bang Theory too!” When in reality I can’t stand it and is one of the things I blame the most for trivializing nerd culture and making it pop culture. All I’m saying is clearly there has been a lot of bandwagoning going on in the nerd world. Good or bad, I feel like it didn’t exist 15 years ago.
I get where you’re coming from Jarvis but I guess all I can say is, take a deep breath and stop letting other people dictate your enjoyment. Yes, I hate things like Big Bang for the same reasons you do, but that doesn’t mean I’m not proud to be a nerd or love this fandom. Be secure in the knowledge that you loving the thing you love is what matters, and it’s cool that other people are interested even tangentially. Who cares if it’s only on the surface? That doesn’t make your deep love cheaper!
Lots of people keep jumping on the bandwagon, but we were there a long time ago, so just sit back in your primo seat and enjoy the people scrambling to catch up 🙂
I hate this type of thinking. To me, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when you think like this. Unless DC and Marvel start producing Spider-Man 3 quality movies, we should just shut up, sit back and enjoy.
I’m not counting Sony and Fox in this because their movies aren’t worth getting hyped up over, not yet anyway.