Ever since the ealry 2000’s with Spiderman (that’s the Toby MacGuire version) superhero movies have skyrocketed in popularity, proliferation, and profit. When asked about the success of the genre, Steven Spielberg shared some interesting thoughts on the matter, comparing them to the Westerner of the mid-20th century. As asked by the Associated Press:
AP: You caused a stir two years ago when you predicted Hollywood was headed toward an “implosion” because of the over-abundance of mega-budget movies. Do you still feel that way?
Spielberg: I do. I still feel that way. We were around when the Western died and there will be a time when the superhero movie goes the way of the Western. It doesn’t mean there won’t be another occasion where the Western comes back and the superhero movie someday returns. Of course, right now the superhero movie is alive and thriving. I’m only saying that these cycles have a finite time in popular culture. There will come a day when the mythological stories are supplanted by some other genre that possibly some young filmmaker is just thinking about discovering for all of us.
While it doesn’t look like it’ll happen any time soon, it’s definitely an interesting comparison. How do you think about the recent push into superhero films? Do you think that their time is coming to a close soon, or will we live to see the 20th reboot of Spiderman?