2023 has been labeled by many as one of the worst years for superhero fiction in quite sometime. Despite hits on the big screen like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and great shows on streaming like Invincible, 2023 largely saw an alarming increase in the use of the term ‘superhero fatigue’ in online spaces.
While audiences at large were convinced that the genre was in decline, it turns out that it was just a case of bad superhero films being released. However, according to Bryan Singer, his X-Men franchise is one IP that does not have to bother with superhero fatigue.
Bryan Singer “did not see an exhaustion” for the X-Men films
Speaking with Heat Vision, Bryan Singer talked about how he thought that the X-Men might not be subject to any kind of exhaustion while talking about his then-upcoming film, X-Men: First Class. With regards to any exhaustion that the fans might feel with the IP, Singer said:
I don’t see an exhaustion. The X-Men universe is boundless. These are great characters. And as young characters, they are quite different than the characters we have seen in the contemporary movies
Bryan Singer believed that there was no way in which the X-Men could be a party to superhero fatigue, and to some extent that seems to be the case. Along with Invincible Season 2 Part 2, X-Men ’97 came out swinging with its characters and stories, at a time when the MCU desperately needed a win.
Will Deadpool & Wolverine prove Bryan Singer right once again?
Deadpool & Wolverine comes at a time when the ‘MCU is in decline’ sentiment seems to be ever-present, even if waning. 2024 has been a better year for superheroes altogether, with X-Men ’97 and Invincible Season 2 Part 2 holding the fort as fans gear up for the release of the next big MCU project. Bryan Singer might be proven right again, as an X-Men property might be what the MCU needed to bounce back from the supposed ‘fatigue’ that is gripping the genre.
While expectations for the film are high, and it is estimated that the film would do well, the MCU’s real challenge will be to get its three films in 2025 right, given that Captain America: Brave New World is rumored to begin assembling the Avengers, The Fantastic Four makes its debut opposite DC’s Superman, and Blade has been a long time coming ever since he was teased in Eternals, way back in 2021. These films need to pique fan interest and sustain it enough to keep the MCU afloat as a lucrative franchise.
Deadpool & Wolverine hits theatres on July 26, 2024
