Superhero fatigue is real.
With every new superhero film that comes out, audiences are getting tired of the increasingly diluted genre.
This is primarily because the studios making these movies are prioritizing quantity over quality, a reality that even Disney CEO Bob Iger was forced to admit.
Now, a major Marvel star is tacitly acknowledging that the superhero genre is in trouble.
Chris Evans, known for his role as Captain America/Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently spoke about the state of comic-book movies. While giving lip service to the genre overall, he said his “personal favorite” MCU film, which he starred in, came out over a decade ago — which many fans took as a subtle critique of more modern superhero film offerings.
That film was none other than 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” produced at a time when Marvel Studios was cranking out success after success.
“It’s my personal favorite Marvel movie that I was a part of. It’s not just for the movie itself but the experience,” Evans said during an appearance at Emerald City Con 2024 earlier this month, according to Variety.
“The first film, I was so nervous. You know what you’re stepping into and as a result you’re playing defense and you’re playing not to lose,” he added. “When ‘Winter Soldier’ came around, we were playing to win. And it’s the first movie with the Russo Brothers. We were taking more risks, and the character felt more fleshed out. It was one of the more satisfying experiences I’ve had in my Marvel run.”
Chris Evans says ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ is his favorite MCU movie that he’s been a part of
(via @laughing_place) pic.twitter.com/WCtTG1GrS1
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) March 4, 2024
Have you liked any MCU movies from the last few years?
Yes: 14% (12 Votes)
No: 86% (72 Votes)
Evans left the role of Captain America after 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” Before that, he played Johnny Storm/Human Torch in 2005’s “Fantastic Four” and 2007’s “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.”
The former Marvel actor made a showing of throwing support behind superhero movies, saying they’re harder to make than fans — and critics — probably think.
“Comic book movies in general, for whatever reason, don’t always get the credit I think they deserve,” he said. “They are these big, giant movies. There’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen. But the empirical evidence is in: They are not easy to make. If it was easier, there would be a lot more good ones.
“I’m not throwing shade! I’ve been a part of a few that missed. It happens. Making a movie is tough. More cooks in the kitchen doesn’t make it easier. I don’t want to highlight specific films in the Marvel catalogue but some of them are phenomenal. Like independently, objectively great movies, and I think they deserve a little more credit.”
That sounds like he’s making excuses for mediocrity. And the fact that he wouldn’t name an actual movie he thought was “independently, objectively great” adds more than a grain of salt to what’s supposed to be praise. Together, combined with a statement that his favorite Marvel movie came out a full decade ago, it’s a bleak depiction of the Marvel landscape.
Evans’ comments come as the MCU has lost cultural relevance following multiple box-office flops over the past three years, the most recent one being the creatively bankrupt “The Marvels.”
Released in November, the sequel to 2019’s “Captain Marvel” ended its box-office run as the lowest-grossing MCU movie in history. After four weeks in theaters, “The Marvels” brought in roughly $200 million. The movie’s production and marketing cost about $300 million.
Marvel Studios’ Disney+ shows aren’t faring too well either.
“Echo” received little fanfare upon its January release, although YouTube reviewers such as The Critical Drinker and Nerdrotic heavily criticized the streaming series. Critically, it remained relatively strong at 71 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. However, only 85 reviews contributed to that score.
The next original Disney+ series produced by Marvel Studios is the animated “X-Men ’97,” a continuation of the renowned 1990s cartoon “X-Men: The Animated Series.” Fans have largely criticized the upcoming reboot, worrying it will be another woke Disney failure, while critics who saw the first few episodes early have reacted positively.
Audiences won’t have to wait long before they can judge the project for themselves. The two-episode premiere of Disney+ series “X-Men ’97” was released on Wednesday.
