Marvel, DC and others try everything from standalone films to sequels stuffed with stars. But could genre experimentation be the trick that keeps the action going – and audiences watching?
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“The superhero movie is dead.” “Actually, cinema is dead! (And superhero flops are to blame).” “Can Deadpool save Marvel?” “Can James Gunn save DC?” “Can anyone save us from our own conjecture?!” Those are just some of the increasingly, hyperventilatingly high-stakes headlines that have accompanied each dud superhero release of the last few years (and there have been plenty).
No need to panic, though – these films are unlikely to ever go away. But they do need to go somewhere. And Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, out now and predicted to have the biggest opening weekend in history for an R-rated movie, has left me wondering where.