Movie Moan - The End Of The Comic Book Movie
Mon, January 13, 2014 
It's not a prediction, nor a forecast. It's a debate to settle once and for all........and a man's life is at stake.
Namely our special guest Mr Randall Maynard who swears that, if the Marvel Cinematic Universe falls apart anytime soon, he will kill himself.
Those are the stakes this week as prosecuting attorney Jamie Williams tries to make the case that the comic book movie genre has reached its peak and will end very shortly making way for an implosion of the current studio system and a way forward for more original productions.
Standing opposed is hotshot defence lawyer Phil Gee who stands utterly opposed to this argument and will provide strong and damning evidence that proves the genre will survive and thrive, specifically because the alternative, the end of blockbusters as we know them, is not an option.
Providing sound and wise judgement over the proceedings is the honourable Spencer Perry who will decide the final verdict and we find out who has won........and who is dead.
It's the debate to end all debates. Whether you're sick of comic book movies or devour them, you'll want to listen.
And there's even time for some Movie Moan randomness as we listen to what the guys sound like when they're just chatting before the show starts and don't think that Phil is recording them.
Play the podcast via Soundcloud or download the MP3 version right here:
Reader Comments (5)
Both Phil and Jamie made excellent points but I go with the ruling that Phil wins! But Jamie wasn't exactly wrong either.
PS: I loved that Star Wars discussion at the end. So that is the kind of discussions you guys have after each show?
Very nice discussion. I tend to side more with you, Phil, but I do think all it would take would be, say, two big superhero films flopping in quick succession to really rock/threaten the genre's stability and viability.
That bonus stuff at the end was priceless, by the way.
A2theH
And before, and during. One of the reasons we've never got bored of doing what we do is because every Sunday is brightened by talking to these wonderful people when we record.
I think both sides are right. I don't know if 2012 was the "peak" of the genre, but it was kind of the end of that phase. And I'm not talking Marvel/Disney jargon. Since roughly X-Men in 2000 or Spider-Man in 2002, the superhero genre has been one thing. Certain filmmakers like Nolan elevated it to art on occasion, but the movies were mostly origin formulae and "superhero movies" first (with again certain exceptions like The Dark Knight sequels). 2012 saw the fruition of that with The Avengers with TDKR being the more ambitious alternative.
Now that the classical superhero movie feels almost saturated, Marvel is trying to take it in different directions and prove they can be more than just about a hero balancing superpowers with romance. That is what Thor 2 and Iron Man 3 tried and kind of failed at, and what Captain America 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy are trying to expand upon. Whether 2012 is looked back as the peak or just the end of that initial wave will depend how successful Disney and WB are going forward at diversifying these films.
But either way, they're here to stay for at least 10-ish years, even if they go down hill and audiences turn on them. While I could see Sony scrapping Spider-Man sequels if that series starts to nosedive at the box office, Disney, Fox and WB are too invested in their "plans." There will be superhero movies at least through 2019. If they start bombing in quick succession though in the near future, that line-up will eventually fail and studios will move on. In fact, this could be Spielberg's envisioned implosion, as those movies are so set in stone for the studio spreadsheets that we will DEFINITELY see Marvel's Phase 3 and WB at least get to their Justice League film.
Eventually audiences will grow fatigued, but I don't think it is going to be in this decade. So, I imagine we'll see at least Phase 4 and Justice League spin-offs too before it is all over.
I think we will see a lull in comic movies in the next few years. I also think that it will follow what Phil said. He's right that really we've never gone more than a couple of years without one,but if you think about the current slate of comic films, where there are 3-4 per year, a drop to one or two every 1-2 years will be quite noticeable.