I think my problem is that I like superheroes, I just don't really like the commodified approach to Superheroes™ that seems to have taken theaters by storm since 2008.
It was absolutely there before 2008, but it wasn’t as polished. As bland as they usually are, I’m going to have to defend Marvel movies (specifically, the team-ups) as marginally better than your average superhero flick. It
does have something to do with the ridiculous thread title.
The typical comic book movie promotes the idea of one strong man delivering the world. It’s a fun power fantasy with some avenues worth exploring, but it’s also no accident that the genre exploded in popularity post-9/11 along with a general rise in authoritarian sentiment. The superhero genre, to some extent, is Messianic indulgence for atheists and an indicator of low confidence in the power of communities to do good.
Marvel movies are incredibly formulaic and it’s obviously fine to hate them, but the Avengers franchise has one thing going for it that most comic book movies don’t: it celebrates the power of a group.
Endgame is dumb fun about a family, and that is more interesting than the millionth origin story of Some Guy.
Poll
