Tom Hanks might not be the first person you think about when it comes to comic book films. He has yet to star in a superhero movie, for example. But he does have an interesting take on where the superhero film genre is today, and why it might not be at its peak anymore.
Speaking to Comicbook.com, while promoting the new film, “Here,” Tom Hanks offered up his thoughts about superhero fatigue and how filmmakers might overcome it in the future. Basically, he thinks superhero films need to be more than flashy. They have to have heart and soul and be about something.
“I think there was a period of time, and I felt that way too, where we would see these fantastic movies either DC or MCU in order to see these better versions of ourselves,” explained Hanks. “’God, I feel like an X-Man sometimes. I’m as confused as Spider-Man. I’m as angry as Batman is, and I love my country as much as Captain America. I would like to emulate all those guys.’ I think we’ve been down that road and had probably 20 years, 15 years, to explore that kind of thing and now I think we’re in an evolutionary place of, ‘And the story is what? And the theme is what? And the point of this movie is what?’”
Hanks sees this situation now as a challenge for filmmakers. Not only do you have to make a visually stunning superhero film, but you have to really crack the story and make people invested in your film.
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“That’s a good challenge for any filmmaker, it might just not land in the roundhouse for the industry,” he added. “The industry often says, ‘Well, this works and it will work again.’ The audience is far ahead of it. They see the familiar and say, ‘I’ve seen that already. What’s next?’ It’s not just eye-popping stuff, it’s what’s the story? Tell me about myself. We’re in new territory.”
It’s hard to disagree with Hanks when he talks about this stuff. Of the superhero films that have succeeded in recent years, it definitely feels like they’re the ones with heart. Films like “Madame Web” and “Morbius” suffer, but films like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” thrive.
All superhero films are visually stunning. That’s what hundreds of millions of dollars will buy. But audiences expect something more. So, we’ll have to see if the studios are up to the task.
