Hollywood has killed the superhero movie, and there’ll only be another couple of movies before the genre dies entirely – at least temporarily. Those aren’t my thoughts, but those of X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn, who didn’t shy away from telling the LA Times’ Hero Complex blog that he’s making his contribution to the genre while he still has the chance:
I’ve always wanted to do a big-budget superhero film and I think we’ve kind of crossed the Rubicon with superhero films. I think [the opportunity to do one], it’s only going to be there two or three more times [and then] the genre is going to be dead for a while because the audience has just been pummeled too much.
I’ve been thinking that the superhero movie genre was due to burn out for awhile now – I had pretty much pegged last year’s Watchmen as the tipping point – but part of me wonders whether that’s even going to matter anymore, considering all the movies that are in the works, between Marvel’s Thor/Captain America: The First Avenger/The Avengers trilogy (and subsequent Runaways and Iron Man 3) and DC’s Green Lantern, Flash and Whatever The Dark Knight Follow-Up Is Going To Be Called. If there is an audience backlash, the sheer amount of movies already in various stages of production may end up riding over it and coming out the other side. But whether or not that’s the case, there’s something refreshing about Vaughn owning up to getting in while the going’s good. Wonder if this means he’ll not be making Kick-Ass 2, then…?
More On Techland:
Kick-Ass: Director Matthew Vaughn Talks Extended Scenes & The Greatness Of Hit Girl