“Superhero fatigue” is often used to describe a decline in audience interest in superhero movies and TV shows. Some argue that the reason people have become exhausted with the genre is due to the high volume of releases, while others think the primary issue is the repetitiveness of the storylines and the predictable plots that come from writers leaning on familiar tropes. Now,The Batman 2writerMattson Tomlinhas added his opinion to the debate, offering his take on what is behind the phenomenon and how to potentially prevent it.
The DC scribe is well-placed to know what could be causing superhero fatigue, as he is embedded in the genre himself, havingrecently completed the scriptfor the sequel to 2022’sThe BatmanalongsideMatt Reeves, which led one fan on X/Twitter to ask him whether he thinks superhero fatigue is an actual thing, or if the quality of superhero movies just needs to improve. Tomlin made some valid points in his response, as he suggested that too many characters are given their own movies without real purpose, causing an oversaturation.
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“The truth is not every character needs a movie,” Tomlin wrote in response. “But really… The film business in general has been fighting video games for 30 years and TikTok/YouTube/the internet is a whole next level battle. A film needs to justify its existence, superhero or not.”
Tomlin raises an interesting point as the movie industry as a whole has become deluged with spin-offs (not to mentionreboots and revivals) in recent years, with projects sometimes utilizing existing characters from previously established work. Studios have tried to navigate superhero fatigue and combat it by diversifying into different genres and focusing on less central characters. A prime example is HBO’s crime dramaThe Penguin,a spin-off fromThe Batmanthat follows Oz Cobb’s rise to power in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. The miniseries received consistently strong viewership and critical acclaim during its run, proving that it was successfully executed in a way that didn’t send audiences into a slumber.
Superhero Movies Are Starting to Soar Again
After a string of flops and failures, superhero movies are starting to soar again. Right from the outset,2025 looked to be a make-or-break yearfor comic book films, with two titles in particular having the potential to revitalize the genre. DC and Marvel Studios have been competing with major tentpoles releasing during the summer —Supermanfor the DCU andThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsfor the MCU — and both have enjoyed box office success, including the recently releasedFantastic Four,which stole the top spot fromSuperman.
WhileThe Fantastic Fourmanaged to top its superhero competitorto finish No. 1 with $118 million at the box office in the United States and Canada, it didn’t beat the new Man of Steel’s opening-weekend debut of $125 million.Superman, which hit theaters on July 11, has grossed nearly $511 million worldwide, whileThe Fantastic Four,which opened on July 24, currently sits at $241 million. It is too early in the race to declare one movie as being more triumphant than the other, but either way, both should be celebrated as successes within the genre.
The two superhero features are not only smashing it at the box office, they have both been met with a positive reception.Supermanboasts an 83% critics' score and 91% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, whileThe Fantastic Fourscored 86% on the Tomatometer and 92% on the Popcornmeter. Their performances commercially and critically prove that audiences have not grown tired of the genre, but quality is key. Hopefully, the future superhero slate, which includesThe Batman2in 2027, will now be able to keep the momentum going.
Source:X/Twitter
The Batman Part II
