The Superhero Film is Dead
By Samuel Ellis
The superhero movie cried out in agony this year. A last moment, clinging desperately to life. Many people heard the cries and rushed to the source. In a hospital bed, alone, they found the sub-genre, deceased. This patient had been admitted five years ago and during that time had endured a rapid decline in health. A terminal illness had taken hold. There were moments of hope, maybe it could pull through… but it didn’t.
Strangely, it became apparent that death had not been natural. The disease had not been the murderer. Something else… something sudden had taken its life.
It became understood that the patient had been bludgeoned to death by two individuals. Identification rolled in; a god-awful ‘Superman’ film and a ‘Fantastic Four’ film that arrived four whole years too late (just like the MCU X-men).
The patient was weak. The damage caused by the year 2025 was too much.
Right of the bat (man), I’ll confess that the superhero film is not something I’m in love with. I admit it’s a weak sub-genre populated by below average films. I find that the ‘superhero’ films I like are best described as belonging to another genre. Mostly, I marvel (no pun intended) at the narrative excellence of the early Marvel Cinematic Universe and its true culmination with Avengers: Infinity War (something I am in love with).
Nevertheless, it’s obvious that the superhero film has become an ageing disaster. According to the numbers, ‘2024 was the worst year for superhero movies since 1997’[1] and ‘the combined might of Superman, The Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, and Captain America haven’t been able to beat titles like A Minecraft Movie, Lilo & Stitch, and Jurassic World: Rebirth’.[1]
How embarrassing.
The superhero movie has seen a decline in interest due to over-saturation and a decline in quality that has killed the golden goose, ‘with none of 2025’s releases set to reach $700 million, this is the first time since 2011 (14 years ago) … that a superhero movie has failed to reach that figure’. [7]
Three marvel films have released this year. ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ (I liked it, sue me), ‘Thunderbolts’ and ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’. Captain America grossed only $200 million [2] at the domestic box office and a low $413 million [2] globally. It’s budget being ‘closer to the $300 million mark’ [3] this film without any comparisons is a catastrophic failure. I really want to kill this bird, so let’s make some comparisons.
The previous two Captain America movies prove embarrassing for the new release (somewhat understandably due to the passing of the torch) with ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ hitting $259 million (domestic), $714 million (global), and ‘Captain America: Civil War’ increased its profits with $408 million (domestic) and over 1 billion globally [2]. With budgets ranging from ‘$170,000,000’ to ‘$250,000,000’ each made immense profits. [2]
The ultimate insult comes when comparing the new movie to the original, ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ a film notorious for its low box office at MCU standards. The film made ‘$176,654,505’ domestically and ‘$370,569,776’ globally [2]. These numbers are shockingly close to the release this year. Its budget being likely less than half of Brave New World at $140 million it’s also more profitable. [2]
Thunderbolts surpassed this by grossing $190 million domestically and $382 million [2] globally. The fantastic four grossed $250 million domestically and $471 million [2] globally. When compared with Marvel’s pre-Endgame era, and with bizarre flicks like ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’, which trumps both at the global box office and matches each at the domestic box office, and Doctor Strange with $232 million domestically and $676 million globally on a lower budget of $165 million [2]. At best you could make the argument that domestic (US) interest is unchanged (if a little injured), but global interest is undeniably highly diminished.
DC studios has it’s own problems.
The former DC on-screen superhero universe, the DC Extended Universe, was essentially a 10-year string of relative to cataclysmic failures, representing possibly the worst period in their history.
DC’s solution was to hire marvel alumni James Gunn to head a new cinematic universe, one that promised to take advantage of Marvel’s misfortune, and maybe make some money this time around.
Instead, they made Superman ’25. I will hear no attempt to defend this film.
Deservedly, the film has been less than a success.
Grossing $256 million internationally [4] it proves a monumental drop from previous superman movie ‘Man of Steel’ (which rocks) releasing in 2013 to $376 million internationally. [5]
Despite being more successful at home in the US with $343 million [4] versus 2013’s $291 million [5], the total box office shows a $70 million drop between movies.
When inflation is factored in, things get worse for Superman ’25.
Superman achieved little more than ‘Iron Man’ did in 2008, (Superman- $599 million [4], Iron Man $584 million [6]) a c-list superhero unfamiliar to general audiences before its release. This is Superman- the superhero.
The decline is obvious.
Oh God, just please let it end.
You must understand, the superhero movie is deader than dead. The sub-genre is archaic. With the increased commodification of the superhero idea, it’s become tired. Everybody’s cashed in. It’s time to cash out.
I groan when I see a poster for a new superhero movie. I groan when the idea is floated of a new dc universe. I groan when marvel studios vomits out a new computer-generated hellscape. A lot of people I’ve spoken with feel the same.
It’s time to move on. There’s so much more to see than spandex and spider-webs.
The Superhero movie is dead and I’ll pass on the funeral.
Sources:
- Fink, Richard. “2025 Superheroes Reach a Troubling 14 Year Box Office Milestone That Has Fans Worried”. Movieweb. August 22, 2025. https://movieweb.com/2025-superheroes-superman-fantastic-four-troubling-box-office-milestone/
- The Numbers. “Box Office History for Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies”. https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Marvel-Cinematic-Universe#tab=summary
- Cassidy, Mark. “CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD’s Actual Budget Could Be Closer To $300 Million After Reshoots”. ComicBookMovie.com. February 14, 2025. https://comicbookmovie.com/captain-america/captain-america-brave-new-world/captain-america-brave-new-worlds-actual-budget-could-be-closer-to-300-million-after-reshoots-a216208
- The Numbers. “Superman (2025)”. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Superman-(2025)#tab=summary
- The Numbers. “Man of Steel (2013)”. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Man-of-Steel#tab=international
- The Numbers. “Iron Man (2008) https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Iron-Man#tab=summary
- Wilding, Josh.”2025 Will Be First Time Since 2011 A Superhero Movie Hasn’t Reached $700 Million At The Worldwide Box Office”. August 21, 2025. https://comicbookmovie.com/superman/2025-will-be-first-time-since-2011-a-superhero-movie-hasnt-reached-700-million-at-the-worldwide-box-office-a223453
