While it's very clear that superhero movies, in general, are not the massive box office draw they once were, every so often a blockbuster like Spider-Man: Brand New Day comes along to prove that there's still plenty of life in the genre.
You'll still see some outlets returning to the "superhero fatigue" excuse when something like Supergirl crashes and burns, but just because audiences are no longer packing the theaters for anything DC or Marvel Studios rolls out, it doesn't mean they won't show up when a marquee character like Spider-Man features in a damn good movie.
Ms. Marvel and The Marvels star Iman Vellani spoke about Brand New Day - which is already on its way to grossing $2 billion worldwide - during an appearance on Revenge of the Podcast, and she believes that the movie's box office success proves that superhero fatigue simply doesn't exist.
"People showed up on the first week," Vellani said. "Nobody really believed in superhero fatigue. Nobody really believed that this movie was going to fail and they were over [superhero movies]. They wanted it to succeed. I think we’re so used to being cynical and assuming that everything new coming out is going to suck and it’s all propaganda, or people’s attention spans are low. No, we can appreciate a good thing when we see it."
Of course, one could argue that cinemagoers don't always show up for a "good" superhero movie, but it may simply be a case of a major A-list hero like Spider-Man encouraging more people to see their film on the big screen rather than waiting for it to hit streaming.
Following the record-breaking success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins a brand new chapter for Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult and living alone after erasing himself and the memories of him from those he loves. In a New York that no longer knows his name, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to protecting his city as Spider-Man full-time.
But as the demands on him grow, he is put under increasing pressure. This triggers an unexpected physical change that threatens his existence, while a strange wave of crime emerges - and gives rise to one of the most dangerous threats he has ever faced.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers. The film is produced by Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad and Rachel O'Connor. The cast includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando and Mark Ruffalo.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now in theaters.