Superhero Fatigue Or Unoriginality? The Boys’ Antony Starr Has the Perfect Way for the MCU to Get Back on Track.
Even the once-indomitable Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t bulletproof to superhero fatigue, at least not anymore.
The MCU went from making cinematic behemoths to box-office failures, an unfortunate yet conspicuous development that has taken place in recent years. But what is being labeled as superhero fatigue – the supposed culprit behind the studio’s morbid flops – isn’t the actual root of the problem. And The Boys‘ Antony Starr has the perfect solution for giants like Marvel Studios to fix that.
Considering how Marvel went from being the most successful superhero brand to seeing miserable days at theatres, it might do Kevin Feige some good to take notes.
Antony Starr Addresses the Infamous Superhero Fatigue
Portraying a superhero on-screen for the past five years, Antony Starr is well aware of the woeful state of some industry giants like the MCU suffering because audiences are less and less receptive to superhero films. Or at least that’s what the general assumption is.
But Starr – who plays the sadistic but unrivaled antagonist Homelander in The Boys – is certain that superhero fatigue is not to blame for the lamentable condition of studios; it’s not that fans are bored of superhero content, it’s that they’ve become jaded thanks to drab and unoriginal material. Kevin Feige should probably pay attention to this part (via CinemaBlend).
The Banshee star put forth a compelling argument on the subject, remarking how despite being a superhero show, Eric Kripke’s The Boys (adapted from the comic book series of the same name) has been a raging success thanks to the ingenious storyline. The key is simply creating original and as Starr very aptly pointed out, “fresh” content.
Marvel President Kevin Feige Can Still Salvage the Studio
It was under Feige’s rein that the MCU built an unshakeable foundation of revolutionary, critically acclaimed knockouts like the Robert Downey Jr. phenomenon Iron Man or fan-favorite The Avengers: Endgame. Then came the year of darkness, starting with Nia DaCosta’s sequel to 2019’s phenomenally successful Captain Marvel.
The Marvels witnessed the most egregious box-office debut that any MCU film has ever had with a depressing opening weekend of $46 million domestically, ultimately making a paltry sum of $206 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). But it wasn’t the first of Marvel projects to suffer and it wouldn’t be the last.
Before The Marvels‘ disaster in November, the studio had already come face-to-face with a box-office washout in the form of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, grossing just above $476 million globally (via Box Office Mojo).
In an interview with Empire, both Feige and Marvel’s co-president Louis D’Esposito expressed their views on the “rough time” the studio was treading through. Despite their theatrical plights, however, the studio bosses are optimistic about the MCU’s future with D’Esposito making it clear that they’ve learned from their mistakes. “We learned our lesson,” he said.
Perhaps the Shawn Levy-helmed tentpole Deadpool & Wolverine will change the course for the MCU for the better. In any case, at a time when the studio needs a big win to get back in the game, Feige’s best bet, as Starr highlighted, is “fresh,” riveting content.
