Having seen both films within the same weekend, I cannot help but feel that the creatives behind both films are still failing to recognize a key factor in the eyeroll-inducing exasperation and fatigue comic book movie audiences are experiencing. While The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman attempt to provide much-needed creative facelifts to both cinematic universes, albeit with varied results, one big problem persists. In both films, a large portion of the runtime is devoted to setting up future entries in the respective franchises, replacing what could have been (and should have been) compelling, quality storytelling with the introduction of underdeveloped supporting comic book characters and easter eggs that only a small subset of the audience can appreciate.
Essentially, both films are already trying to generate buzz for the next movie while you, the audience member, are just trying to enjoy the current one. Marvel and DC convinced you to come to the theater with exhausting and overblown marketing campaigns, and you don’t actually get a movie; you get part of one, plus a glorified advertisement for the next one.
The Creative Directions of Superman and The Fantastic Four
Before we dive into all that is still wrong with superhero movies of late, let’s first acknowledge the efforts of the creatives behind the Marvel and DC cinematic universes to improve and revitalize their images. With Superman, writer/director James Gunn brings back a sense of humor and vibrant color to the rebranding of Man of Steel. Much of the success of Superman comes from the chemistry of its leads (the charming and well-cast David Corensweat and Rachel Brosnahan), the crowd-pleasing, feel-good nature of the film’s social themes, and a decent plot that manages to include enough character development without retelling the same origin story we have seen time and time again.
The Fantastic Four also leans into color, allowing for a more nostalgic and playful aesthetic. In this iteration of the superhuman family, the production design and costumes heavily rely on 1960s period imagery. That angle is more true to the comics and differentiates this foursome from those of the critically reviled adaptations of the 2000s and 2010s.
However, despite the fact that this Fantastic Four holds a similar Metacritic average as Superman, I found the film to be far less successful precisely because of the reasons why aspects of Superman worked for me. Unfortunately, the casting of the central characters did not work. All the actors seemed to be in different films, and while they have dynamic screen presences, their acting styles did not cohere in the ways that the performances in Superman meshed well together. Furthermore, while Superman managed to pull off a reboot without retelling its protagonist’s origin story, I found myself wanting more backstory in Fantastic Four.
Finally, the story engine of Superman worked much more effectively because of Lex Luthor’s distinct goal and characterization. Meanwhile, in Fantastic Four, the lack of specificity in Galactus’s character development ultimately hurt the stakes of the film’s plot. He just came across as another ultimate Marvel bad guy. Still, none of these more minor critiques compare to the unrelenting wave of easter eggs and franchise-building sprinkled throughout both of these movies.
The Exhausting Advertising in Franchise Films
It has become customary for superhero movies to set up the next potential sequel towards the end of the film. Marvel and DC have become known for their end-credit sequences, and yes, both Fantastic Four and Superman tease future storylines in their final moments. But not just in those final moments; they’re all over the place in these movies. Sure, one might argue that this was unavoidable. Since both films are setting up new chapters in their respective franchises, the d*e-hard fans are expecting these easter eggs.
However, at the end of the day, these movies suffer because they devote too many moments to incorporating comic book lore, all of which has nothing to do with the central plot. The presence of the Justice Gang in Superman and Mole Man in The Fantastic Four are just two examples of choices that come across as forced. It all goes against the classic rules of storytelling that if a character, subplot, or scene can be excised from the story altogether and the whole engine still holds, then it shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
These moments might satisfy the core fanbase of Marvel and DC, but given that both franchises are having trouble generating mass appeal, you would think that creatives and studio executives would consider toning down the references that few audience members will enjoy. For the rest of us, these easter eggs come across as confusing at best and alienating at worst, muddying up whatever other narrative we’re supposed to be following with unnecessary information. Many of us paid to see a fun superhero movie with a beginning, middle, and end. We did not pay to see half of a fun superhero movie sandwiched between advertisements for the next one. If these executives want to drum up excitement for what they have in the pipeline, then just include a short trailer among the 30 previews we already have to sit through before the movie begins. Once the movie starts, let us merely enjoy the story we came to see.
via @JuanEdits