Do Movies now have far too much influence over what people think of superheroes?

[Chrysalis_Changling]

all it takes is one bad movie and suddenly the character is a joke in the eyes of the public no matter if everything else about them has been great

[Jabare]

I mean most people don't read comics or follow superheroes so big screen movies generally have the widest audience and give the character the most exposure. There are some exceptions. I don't know if you can really factor in fair or foul for fictional characters

[ed2962]

I think it might depend on the character. Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man and maybe the Hulk have all been in movies that the general public thought were bad, but it didn't affect their opinion of those characters. But those are "icon" characters, so the public's perception of them isn't based on one movie. It's like say the Lone Ranger, Sherlock Holmes, and Tarzan have all had bad movies based on them, but people don't think those characters inherently suck.

[Carabas]

all it takes is one bad movie and suddenly the character is a joke in the eyes of the public no matter if everything else about them has been great

While previously it was bad comics that turned characters into jokes, which happened, and still happens, a whole lot more often.

But comics are a small niche genre with very little appeal to the masses, so what happens in actual mass media like television and movies is going to have more influence on people who are not comicbook fans. I say comicbook superhero fans, not superhero fans in general.

Anyway, this seems a bit of an odd thing to be worried about because the only example I can think of is the old Superfriends version of Aquaman.

[MRP]

If it weren't for movies (and television) most people wouldn't think of super-heroes at all. So what's worse-the chance a rep is ruined by a bad film or total irrelevance? No rewards without risk. If super-heores play it safe, then they're doomed to irrelevance.

-M

[Arfguy]

Maybe for the general audience. Not for people who actually read the comics, I don't think so.

[bloodofthegods]

For as long as they last perhaps. But just like westerns when they are out of the limelight people's impressions of them will fade like the movies themselves. Some genres will never be "mainstream".

[Paradox]

MRP notes:

If it weren't for movies (and television) most people wouldn't think of super-heroes at all.

That was more or less the case prior to the 2000's glut of super-hero movies starting with Spider-Man. In those days, if you mentioned comics, someone would be likely to ask "They still make those?"

As to "too much"? No, of course not. They have what influence they have. The world influences super-heroes and how they're perceived. It isn't possible for it to be "too much" or "too little". It's just "what is".

[The Darknight Detective]

Everyone watches movies but not everyone reads comics.


Yes, Movies now have far too much influence over what people think of superheroes

It's always been that way, too. As far back as the early '40s, radio, films, and television have stirred the superhero drink more often than the comics themselves.

[MindofShadow]

Whatever gets eyeballs dicates what the general population thinks.

Aquaman still hasn't recovered in the publics eye due to the cartoons.

[Chrysalis_Changling]

and the fantastic four will never recover from that last horrific botch of a film

[t hedge coke]

and the fantastic four will never recover from that last horrific botch of a film

Which one?

But, I kid. I like all four FF movies well enough, and tbh, the last one was actually as close to your average FF comic as any of them have come. It's not that the movies didn't get FF, it's that most people don't want what Fantastic Four usually is. They want The Incredibles or Lost in Space. Which, we actually already have, so FF doesn't need to be that.

They're never going to get a huge successful flick out of the Fantastic Four without drastic alterations. It's glory period has passed. It's a niche among niches.

[lalalei2001]

Not really. Superfriends ruined poor Aquaman for decades.

[t hedge coke]

all it takes is one bad movie and suddenly the character is a joke in the eyes of the public no matter if everything else about them has been great

All it takes in comics fandom is one shitty comic, and not even that. Characters "become jokes," because of a perception from anywhere. "Ms Marvel is fat" became a running joke amongst comics fans (less so, Carol fans). That "whores whores whores" joke about Frank Miller is based not in any comic or movie but in public perception. Why do we say Writer X "needs a strong editor to keep them in line," but Artist X gets a cover altered or bounced by an editor and it's "censorship!!!!!!"? Because of public perception. Period.

Movies aren't going to ruin superheroes. Or, no more so than anything else can.

[Mr. Mastermind]

They probably do but this rarely has any strong impact on the comics so I'm not sure what the big deal is.

Which one?

But, I kid. I like all four FF movies well enough, and tbh, the last one was actually as close to your average FF comic as any of them have come. It's not that the movies didn't get FF, it's that most people don't want what Fantastic Four usually is. They want The Incredibles or Lost in Space. Which, we actually already have, so FF doesn't need to be that.

They're never going to get a huge successful flick out of the Fantastic Four without drastic alterations. It's glory period has passed. It's a niche among niches.

I only watched the last FF movie to see how bad it was and I got exactly what I expected. Not sure how anyone can like what is essentially two different films mashed together to make an incomplete rushed POS. If you want a Cronenberg style FF film you'll love two scenes in this whole movie! If you love a generic superhero movie about a bad guy who creates a wormhole, marvel at it done with a low budget in the dark in under 20 minutes! Not insulting you but I have no idea how someone can like that.