Recently, both Steven Spielberg and Zack Snyder caused some controversy with their comments about the superhero movie genre. The Jurassic Park director made some pretty bold claims that he believes comic book adaptations will one day soon go the way of the Western, while Snyder referred to Ant-Man as a “flavour of the month” superhero when talking about the long standing popularity of Batman and Superman.
When Kevin Feige was asked in a recent interview for his take on how long the superhero movie boom can last, he was positive that it’s a genre which is very much here to stay.
“People have been asking me that for 15 years. In 2001, 2002, 2003 there were two Marvel movies, three Marvel movies, and I still believe the same thing, which is as long as the ones that we can control are as good as they can be, that’s all that I care about. I think we’ve been doing pretty well. I’m very confident in the films we’ve announced that we have coming forward that they’re going to be surprising and different and unique. I’ve said a lot: I don’t believe in the comic book genre. I don’t believe in the superhero genre. I believe that each of our films can be very different.”
Pushed specifically for his feelings about Spielberg’s comments, Feige agreed that it’s a possibility, but made a great point about why such a thing happening is still a long way off.
“It could, but the Western lasted 40-50 years, and they still pop up occasionally. It’s been, what, eight years since [Iron Man] if we count that, which I do, as the beginning of our MCU? Maybe [the superhero genre] will only last another 42 years.”
Now, when it comes to Snyder’s remarks, no doubt some of you are hoping that the Marvel Studios President has a comeback which would put both Batman and Superman in their place. However, he took the high ground and instead emphasized the fact that it’s silly to try and compare a hero like Ant-Man to a member of the Justice League, or any other Marvel release for that matter.
“Those are all very different movies. They all happen to be based on Marvel characters and Marvel comics, but from a genre and a cinematic perspective, they’re all very unique. Civil War may as well be a different genre from Age of Ultron. The way Winter Soldier was a political thriller, I think there is a more emotional and more geopolitical and real world through line through Civil War than there was in the broader Age of Ultron with the killer A.I, Tony Stark invention.”
However, perhaps as a way of rubbing a little salt in the wound, Feige didn’t hesitate to point out what a great couple of years Marvel has had, a claim Warner Bros. can not yet make.
“The year went very well for us, the way we wanted it to: big giant movie with huge expectations that met those expectations with Age of Ultron, and a crazy movie that no one had heard of with a character that people were dubious of that also became a big hit with Ant-Man. That had happened the year before with Winter Soldier and Guardians, so for us that very much is in keeping. Next year, we hope same thing for Civil War and Doctor Strange. It is, as it often is with us, sticking to the plan and continuing to follow through on what we’ve laid out.”
What do you think about Feige’s response to Spielberg and Snyder? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!