Brutally Honest: Comic Movies Just A Phase?

In a recent interview with MTV, Joe Quesada discussed how the 4 billion dollar purchase of Marvel by The Walt Disney Company was a "perfect marriage." Marvel has for years been extremely successful in targeting the one demographic Disney hadn't been able to reach: the adolescent boy. Marvel has not only managed to reach that demographic time and again over the years, but they've done so with relative ease. Now, with Disney funding, Marvel can look to launch their properties on a variety of media platforms more easily- which might be the reason why we have seen a recent influx of Marvel movies and cartoons. But, it's not just Marvel getting in on the action of comic book film and television adaptations, oh no! DC Entertainment also plans to release a Green Lantern film next year, and are rumored to have already begun drafting a sequel to that film as well as draft The Flash movie.
 
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"It's a brave new world for Marvel. Now that we've been purchased by Disney, we're part of the disney family. Our strength, our leverage, is that much more. Disney's an international worldwide company. Marvel does things that Disney's had trouble doing- which is attracting a male audience. So, it's a perfect marriage. Now, for Marvel the benefits are amazing as well. We weren't, we didn't have a television network, and now we do. We're part of ABC family/ABC Studios...we're part of a bigger family, so this opens us up to so many incredible ideas and creators that want to work with us. Not just in comics and film, but also in animation."

I think comic movies have become so popular as of late because of the advancement of technology.The very first Hulk Movie,the very first Batman movie with Adam West is nothing in comparison to what those franchise have become recently on the big screen.I think this is here to say.Comic movies are big business.Little kids will see it because superheroes are fascinating, people my age will see it for nostalgia purposes having grown up with the heroes and possibly the same for people older than I am. That's why alot of movies get revamped for the future because nostalgia is a powerful thing.

I think they are here to stay

If they are a phase I hope it's here to say and as for the flash movie I'll believe it when I see it

Here to stay. maybe it will die down a bit, but it wont go away anytime soon. It is just another outlet for films. Like books, short stories, plays, musicals, all genres that get turned into movies on a regular basis.  Maybe people might get sick of superhero films, but not based off of horror, drama sci fi, comedy. There an endless source for material.

"If they are a phase I hope it's here to say and as for the flash movie I'll believe it when I see it "

" My sentiments exactly:   " *coughFOXSTUDIOScough.*    "    Regardless of the reasoning why more comic book movies are getting made, I am just frikkin' happy they ARE.  :) "

People don't like Iron Man or Batman because they are realistic but because they are a big spectacle being real is not the key.  
 
I do think that it's popularity will go down but not completely gone big heroes will still get movies but just like Scott Pilgrim not everyone cares about every superhero we will see Green Lantern, Thor and Captain America and one of them is bound to fail as well. 

Oh no, this trend did not start with Iron Man just two years ago. That was only one of the most recent in a long line of successful superhero franchises (and not even one of Marvel's first, just their first independently financed). 
 
If this is a phase than it is a very long one with no signs of abating. If we are talking all comic book adaptations than I don't see any reason to think it is going to stop entirely, even if superhero movies were to eventually go out of fashion. Comics are incredibly diverse. I would not call The Walking Dead, 300, Road to Perdition or Scott Pilgrim part of the same trend as Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men or Batman, and yet they are all comic book adaptations. They just don't all target the same audiences or demographics (some of whom may not even realize they are watching a comic to screen adaptation in some instances). 

you and I have never been so much on agreement since the death of hawkman and hawkgirl scene in the blackest night!

" People don't like Iron Man or Batman because they are realistic 

I don't know, Babs. I think everything fluctuates. After Batman and Robin, superheroes on the big screen were out for a few years. Really Batman Forever started the downfall. And I think it could be easily argue that yes, they're absolutely saturating the screens now, but how many are actually quality films? For every Dark Knight and Iron Man, how many Jonah Hex's and Spider-Man 3's do we have to endure? And of course there are folk who do like those films, but I'm just talking straight majority here. We're just one Batman and Robin away from temporarily shelving the super-genre away from the mainstream. I think the important thing, in the end, is that we have proven with leaps and bounds that superheroes aren't merely juvinile kids stuff. They're capable of winning Hugo's and Oscars, a legitimate form of storytelling with no less merit or intellect. Geek is sheik and dorks are wearing designer labels these days, but in the end, in or out of popularity, what really matters is that it's who we are, constant cool or frivolous fad. It's what we authentically enjoy. And that will never change so long as we're true to ourselves.

O yea totally all movie Genres are all in a state of flux in and out of the public consciousness just look at Westerns, Kujio, Action films things go in and out all the time 
 
the only one that seems to be a constant is really Rom Coms.....dont ask me why well actually its casue more women go to movies then guys on average 

i just want to say that i love the x-men movies and the spider-man movies. and those are the two comics that i read the most of.

 After Batman and Robin, superheroes on the big screen were out for a few years. 

It's a phase. Hollywood is always changing. Looking back at its history, you can see the various periods of different genres. A film strikes big and every studio looks to strike while the iron is hot then they completely over-saturate the market with similar films. Right now? Comic book movies are hot because the writing is done, they're easily adaptable, and they make bank at the box office. Eventually, there will be some stinkers which will coincide with some hot new trend and it'll go back to how it once was - a Batman movie here, a Superman movie here, but not every book under the sun getting a greenlight.

IMO they've been popular before Ironman. But yes I have seen and bought several comic clothing from Bluenotes and American Eagle.

" @MysterioMaximus said:

 After Batman and Robin, superheroes on the big screen were out for a few years. 

I wonder if we will ever see Robin in another movie?  "

The reason for "more" comic book movies (I'd just say higher profile) is boring business reasons.  This is really Marvel's story because DC has consistently been making superhero films, as if on a clock, ever since Superman.
 
In the late 80s through the 90s Marvel was hemorrhaging stock value (and creative talent, seven top artists leaving to found Image) until it declared bankruptcy in 1996.  In such a weak position it would do anything to stay afloat from teaming up with DC in the "Versus" and Amalgam books to exploitative swimsuit issues and holographic cardstock covers to jettisoning it's most precious properties in completely asymmetrical deals (Spidey to Sony, X-Men & FF to FOX, etc).  The catalyst for change, strangely enough, was Blade... a small property and cheap film that was relatively successful and extremely profitable compared to its costs.  Blade inspired FOX to dust off their rights to the X-Men franchise and put it into production and inspired Marvel to revise the Marvel line with Marvel Knights (emphasizing other "small" properties / characters that could be turned into films where they still owned the rights and/or had more favorable licensing agreements) and other line diversifications.  Meanwhile X-Men was a success and thus Sony began to look at their Spider-Man license. 
 
The diversification strategy along with the success of the films seemed sound and Marvel's stock began to rise again giving them the capital to begin to recapture lost rights or shore up ones that they still owned.  With the creation of Marvel Studios, their strategy was to mirror the success of Blade, X-Men, Spidey, etc. except cutting out studio's take as their own... Marvel's stock quadrupled in price making investors, like myself, ecstatic.  That said, the market shared the same fears as in Sara's article, so the stock price leveled out (the fear is, essentially, that no win streak can last forever... eventually there might be a bomb- a film that tanks... and with the soring budgets and profiles the risk was high... this is the same basic reason that Pixar overcame it's objections to be acquired by Disney) and Marvel maneuvered itself to be acquired by Disney as well. 
 
In a stronger bargaining position and consolidating more of it's licensed out IP over time, Marvel is just going to keep at churning out films until the shareholders/board say "No more." because it's not viable.  Likewise, FOX and Sony won't stop until Disney/ABC/Marvel can afford to buy them out (basically once the film rights lose their value enough and they don't think they can resurrect the franchise) which seems a long ways off. 
 
So why are there more films?  Finally, Marvel is in a position to make them, the rights were put into the hands of people who could make them (before selling off the licenses at bedrock prices to big studios, no one could afford to make a decent Marvel film) during Marvel's economic distress, and FOX, Sony, etc. feel they are viable and don't want to lose the rights (their licenses require the IP to be used to keep it). 
 
As for whether they'll keep coming?  So long as they're viable.  They might slow down a bit if the risk is too high (or have smaller budgets) but on the business end there's no reason to stop.  Creatively, they'll keep coming because comic books are a powerful storyboard and unless comics get more depressed than ever before there will always be creative fodder enough to justify them.

" People don't like Iron Man or Batman because they are realistic but because they are a big spectacle being real is not the key.  "

If quality movies are being put out, then comic book movies will continue to be made.

They'll stay. There's so much characters yet to have a movie, and they will get around to all of them eventually.

Another reason superhero films will stay viable for ages is that they're modern mythology with "disposable" audiences.  People grow into and out of comics so you can tell and retell the same story again and again every so often (say 5 to 20 years depending).  Consider how many animated shows Batman has graced or been lead by Spider-Man.  Each series is considered as targeting a new audience even if there's overlap between some dedicated fans. 
 
So if studios can calculate the ideal relaunch arc (maximizing the exposure to a given audience for a series of films over a certain period) then they can begin the cycle anew soon after. 
 
Simply put... so long as we keep making 'em (adolescent boys) they'll keep making 'em.

As long as Disney has it's clutches on Marvel, there will always be comic movies

If this is just a phase then I guess the Cold War was... just a phase. 
 
Long live good comic book movies! Err... scratch that. Long live GREAT Comic Book movies!!!

i'm just wondering when a real nerd will grab hollywood and make a movie that is pure cannon. i'm tired of "organic web shooters"

they should do Planetary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As long as there is quality in the medium, Hollywood will continue to adapt its properties.

Comic book movies aren't a phase.  The influx of them is a phase, but comic book movies have been coming out for a loooooooong time.  They may not have been good, but they were still coming out.  Hell, go back to The Crow and you'll see that comic book movies have been taken seriously in the past.  Even going back to Swamp Thing and The Incredible Hulk as TV shows, comic books in visual media have always been taken seriously in some way, whether we felt they were cheesy or not. 
 
It wasn't until Marvel turned it into a multi-million dollar ordeal that people paid attention.

It's just a phase by 2012 or 2020, I guarantee they'll go the way of 80's action movies if Hollywood doesn't slow down with this massive influx of comic movies

Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Swamp Thing (1982), Superman III (1983), Howard the Duck (1986), Superman IV (1987), Batman-Punisher-Return of Swamp Thing (1989), Dick Tracy-Captain America (1990),  The Rocketeer (1991), Batman Returns (1992), Shadow (1994),  Batman Forever (1995), Phantom (1996), Batman & Robin-Steel (1997), Blade (1998), X-men (2000), Blade II-Spider-Man (2002), X2-Daredevil-Hulk (2003), Blade: Trinity (2004), Batman Begins-Elektra-Fantastic Four (2005), V for Vendetta-X3-Superman Returns (2006), Spider-Man III-Ghost Rider (2007), Iron Man- Incredible Hulk-Dark Knight (2008), Watchmen (2009), Iron Man II-Jonah Hex-Kick Ass-The Losers (2010). It's not a fad. It's not a passing phase. It has been it's own genre of film... like the western or the chick flick.... for over three decades. They're never going to stop making comic books films. Never. Never ever.

If people are still not   getting  sick and tired of vampires or slasher  movies then I am sure superheroes film should be the same way ha ha you know. Even western films are still there and not a  lot of modern audiences are in to that genre as a matter of fact I think the western movies are the true dying genre. 

I think it really started with Spider-man way back when. You can say what you want about the sequels, but the first movie was pretty good and i think audiences have really been hurting for a decent hero movie since then. Then Iron Man and The Dark Knight and other really well done adaptations hit theaters and audiences go nuts

The late 90's were the death of comic based movies. I think studios have learned their lessons & comic movies are here to stay for a lot longer time period.

comic book movies have always been made, this isnt a new thing, movies like The Hulk and Green hornet have always been made Capt American has had tons of movies, same with all the Supermans and Batmans. Blade, Daredevil, Thor, they have all had movies. Comic based movies have ALWAYS been around. The stories are awesome and people want to see them, thats all.

Unfortunately, I'm almost positive that this is just a phase. It won't be long before superhero films over-saturate the market (we're already looking at like 12 different origin stories in the next 2 years alone) and once that happens people will understandably lose interest. Literally the EXACT same thing happened to the Western film in the mid-to-late 1970s. We'll probably get a film adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns 15 years from now, long after superhero flicks have fallen to the wayside, and I bet it'll play out a lot like Unforgiven - a bittersweet, eloquently weary eulogy to a dead genre. 

The only thing superhero films have going for it - unless the studios pull back on the sheer number being produced at once, which they of course won't - is the now largely Glee-fueled cultural zeitgeist we currently live in where it's trendy to be a geek. I wonder, though, since this zeitgeist was by-and-large started by superhero films in the early 2000s (namely the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises) finding enormous success with the "mainstream", will the collapse of the superhero film genre drag this current "geek-chic" fad down with it, kicking and screaming?
 

They'll keep pumping them out, but as for the mass interest in them i'll say its likely a phase in that it'll die down a bit 
but then return later at full steam. That's always been the trend with superhero's in comics, and its where we get " ages "
from. What goes up must come down, yadda. Consistently happens with any and every movie genre anyways. 
 
As long as they make a She-Ra movie before it slides off i'll die a happy man.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Did I say that out loud?

Hollywood works in phases. They test a big name like Spider Man, then when that blows away the box offices they move down the line with The Batmans, The Super Mans etc. Then they move into the lesser known but still know properties with Hulk, X-men, Flash, Green Lantern etc. Then after that they just go down the list until they stop making money. 
 
I think there will almost always be a movie about some new hot comic book being made at one point or another, but it will taper off and we wont be seeing it always be like it is now with 2-3 movies in production with a dozen or so waiting to come along right behind it. The bubble always bursts, but there is always hanger ons left behind when it does.

Since there aren't any good original movies these days (it's just adaptations of comics, books, games, tvshows, remakes of older flicks, etc..) and comic book movies make so much money..
I guess we won't see the end of the adaptations until the mainsteam audience is tired of it!
 
(seriously though, where are the Ghostbusters, Back To the future, Groundhog day of this generation?)

How many westerns are made today?

I'm cool with it even if it's just a passing phase. Because we get to enjoy the ride while it lasts. The whole comic book movie craze has afforded me the opportunity to introduce my friends to comics in a completely mainstream and acceptable way that I don't think was possible just a few years ago. Comics still have a strange stigma in the eyes of the general public, but once you can relate them to movies it becomes less awkward for new comic readers. I think it's great because I get to enjoy great adaptations, make fun of terrible ones, and have an easy way to indoctrinate people into loving comics. So i think its a win/win/win scenario!