‘Watchmen’ Writer Alan Moore Says Superhero FIlms Have “Blighted Cinema & Culture”

Alan Moore might not be a name that means very much to people outside of the comic book community. But for those of us that grew up reading his stories and adored superheroes, Moore is nothing short of a legend, with iconic stories featuring Batman, Superman, and more (he also co-created “Watchmen,” “V for Vendetta,” and “From Hell“). Someone that rightfully belongs on the comic book Mt. Rushmore alongside Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and others. But make no mistake, Alan Moore is not a champion of comic books, as they exist now, catering to middle-aged folks instead of children. And he’s damn sure not a fan of superhero films.

Speaking to Deadline, while promoting his upcoming film, “The Show,” Moore talked about the current state of superhero storytelling and how he’s disgusted by the rise of superhero films.

“I haven’t seen a superhero movie since the first Tim Burton ‘Batman’ film,” said the legendary comic book writer. “They have blighted cinema, and also blighted culture to a degree. Several years ago I said I thought it was a really worrying sign, that hundreds of thousands of adults were queuing up to see characters that were created 50 years ago to entertain 12-year-old boys. That seemed to speak to some kind of longing to escape from the complexities of the modern world, and go back to a nostalgic, remembered childhood. That seemed dangerous, it was infantilizing the population.”

Moore, while continuing his admonishment of superhero movies, also thinks there might be parallels between the societal issues that resulted in Trump taking over the US Presidency and the rise of comic book films.

“This may be entirely coincidence but in 2016 when the American people elected a National Socialist satsuma and the UK voted to leave the European Union, six of the top 12 highest-grossing films were superhero movies,” he said. “Not to say that one causes the other but I think they’re both symptoms of the same thing – a denial of reality and an urge for simplistic and sensational solutions.”

So, if a man that has made his career writing comic books isn’t a fan of the films that have been inspired by them, particularly when so many of them borrow from the stories he created, there has to be a reason right? Well, Moore didn’t pull punches when explaining why he’s avoiding all sorts of superhero films over the decades.

“Oh christ no I don’t watch any of them. All of these characters have been stolen from their original creators, all of them,” he said. “They have a long line of ghosts standing behind them…I have no interest in superheroes, they were a thing that was invented in the late 1930s for children, and they are perfectly good as children’s entertainment. But if you try to make them for the adult world then I think it becomes kind of grotesque.”

There’s really not much else to add after that, huh? As you can readily see, Alan Moore is very much done with comic book storytelling and superheroes in general. So, for those hoping to see him somehow make a comeback in that medium or hear his thoughts on “Avengers: Endgame” or any other superhero feature, you’d probably be better off just moving along and speculating about something else.

If you’re interested in his most recent project, you can see a trailer for “The Show,” a new feature film that he wrote and stars in, below: