Superhero films have recently seen a dip and Tom Hanks has a strong opinion about why the genre is failing. According to the Forrest Gump actress the magic of the superhero genre has been fading away. During his appearance on the Happy, Sad, Confused Podcast, Hanks recalled how in the ’70s and ’80s people tried to image TV versions of Captain America and Spider-Man and even Batman but the technology wasn’t fast enough.
“Now it does. You can do anything at all,” he said, noting that Christopher Reeve’s Superman was the first film that came close to using cutting-edge technology. “’You will believe a man can fly’ and, you know what… we all did when we saw it. It was quite extraordinary,” he added.
“I think we are now enjoying the luxury of riches because you can make anything happen on screen,” Hanks continued. When asked why those movies that people once fascinated over are not working anymore, the actor explained that the audience is now seeking depth in the content they consume.
“We are being brought back to the concept, ‘Okay, that’s true, but what is the story? What’s the story and what’s it going to be saying about us?’ That’s a good challenge for any filmmaker. It might just not land in the roundhouse for the industry,” he explained.
Hanks further quipped how filmmaking has become an unpredictable path to tread on. Earlier people used to say “Well, this works and it will work again” but now 20 to 30 years down the road, there are a lot of questions when a movie or series reaches audiences. The theme today has more or less become “And the point of this movie is what?'” according to Hanks.
He believes that consumers are far ahead and choose to skip familiar content as there are ample alternatives available. “It’s not just eye-popping stuff… it’s what’s the story? Tell me about myself. We’re in new territory,” he added.
When asked whether he’d like to be part of a superhero franchise like Marvel or DC, the Oscar winner said he’s open to it but has a lot in his mind that he wants to create in the future. “I’m not against it, I guess, but at the same time…I’ve got a lot of stuff that I’m dreaming of and trying to make happen,” he added.
