The Marvels director Nia DaCosta has said superhero fatigue "absolutely exists", but insisted her new movie is different enough from what's gone before to stand out.
During an interview with Total Film, the Marvel filmmaker admitted superhero fatigue is a very real issue for comic book movies. “I think superhero fatigue absolutely exists,” she said.
However, DaCosta also believes The Marvels is different enough to stand out from the rest of the pack. “The biggest difference from the other MCU movies to date is that it’s really wacky, and silly,” explained DaCosta. “The worlds we go to in this movie are worlds unlike others you’ve seen in the MCU. Bright worlds that you haven’t seen before.”
Her comments echo frustrations recently aired by DC boss James Gunn, who said superhero fatigue has shaped his approach to the DCU.
“I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue,” said Gunn. “I think it doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character. We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts.”
The Marvels stars Brie Larson as Captain Marvel alongside Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. The upcoming movie pits the trio against an interesting problem: how do you continue being a superhero when you switch places with each other every time you use your powers?
The Captain Marvel sequel is the first time we’ve seen Carol Danvers since the events of Avengers: Endgame, and Larson recently explained where the ultra-powerful superhero has been all this time.
“The way I was able to tap into it and understand it is the concept that Carol kind of became a workaholic, and she lost touch with her heart and with family and friends,” said Larson. “That's certainly something I can relate to.”
The recent trailer gave us a better look at what we can expect in The Marvels as well as Zawe Ashton’s villainous Dar-Benn, a villain who seems to have a lot in common with Ms. Marvel, at least when it comes to the hero’s super-powered bangles. The Marvels is set to debut in theaters on November 10.
Want to read more about The Marvels? Check out the burning questions we have after Secret Invasion as well as everything you need to know about The Marvels.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
