Tom Hanks Shares His Thoughts on the Rise and Struggles of Superhero Cinema
Tom Hanks recently shared his thoughts on the rise and recent struggles of superhero cinema. Lots of talent in Hollywood have their opinions on these films and while some embrace it, others feel that it’s not real cinema.
Well, as for what Hanks thinks, his thoughts are in line with mine as he explains that the familiarity of these classic characters means they no longer make us feel the way they once did.
Because of that, fans and audiences want more from these superhero movies, and want stronger stories because the big VFX-fueled action sequences just don’t cut it.
Here’s what Hanks said:
"The thing is, it's actually meeting up right with the state of the art. Never mind the commerce. The state of the industry right now. The great thing that happened was...remember in the 1970s and 80s, they tried to do TV versions of Captain America and Spider-Man and even Batman. The Adam West Batman.
“The technology did not exist to make it look like it did in the comic books. Now it does. You can do anything at all. You could probably say the Christopher Reeve Superman was the first one that came close because the cutting edge of the technology right there allowed for wire removal. 'You will believe a man can fly' and, you know what, we all did when we saw. It was quite extraordinary."
"I think we are now enjoying the luxury of riches because you can make anything happen on screen. We are being brought back to the concept, 'Okay, that's true, but what is the story.'
“Without a doubt now, I've used this analogy before so I apologize, you can drain Lake Michigan and fill it with cuckoo clocks and form a three-headed dragon that breathes fire and destroys the city of Chicago.
“You can do that but to what purpose is the end of the day? What's the story and what's it going to be saying about us?
"I think there was a period of time, and I felt that way too, where we would see these fantastic movies either DC or MCU in order to see these better versions of ourselves. 'God, I feel like an X-Man sometimes. I'm as confused as Spider-Man. I'm as angry as Batman is and I love my country as much as Captain America.
“I would like to emulate all those guys.' I think we've been down that road and had probably 20 years, 15 years, to explore that kind of thing and now I think we're in an evolutionary place of, 'And the story is what? And the theme is what? And the point of this movie is what?'
"That's a good challenge for any filmmaker, it might just not land in the roundhouse for the industry. The industry often says, 'Well, this works and it will work again.'
“The audience is far ahead of it. They see the familiar and say, 'I've seen that already. What's next?' It's not just eye-popping stuff, it's what's the story? Tell me about myself. We're in new territory."
Hanks was then asked if he's ever met with Kevin Feige or James Gunn for possible Marvel or DC roles. His response…
"No. No, I think it's because...I'm not in their wheelhouse. I'm not against it, I guess, but at the same time...I will tell you this right now, my combo plate is quite full. I've got a lot of stuff that I'm dreaming of and trying to make happen."
What do you think about what Hanks had to say here about superhero movies?
You can watch the full interview with Hanks below.