Tom Hanks is the latest A-list actor to join the anti-superhero movie campaign. Despite hitting a commercial snag over the last few years, the comic book movie genre is still booming, with the MCU holding steady and the DC Universe about to receive a fresh coat of paint from James Gunn and Peter Safran. While comic book fans are elated about the genre’s slow return to form, Hanks and a consortium of other actors and filmmakers are desperately awaiting the genre’s dominance to be over.
Speaking to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to promote his new movie Here, Hanks criticized the still ongoing trend of superhero movies dominating at the box office. Unlike other filmmakers and actors who seemed to be taking a pure contrarian stance, Hanks revealed that he once loved the genre because it evoked real emotions. “There was a period of time, and I felt this way too, where we would see DC and MCU movies in order to see these better versions of ourselves,” he said. However, the actor believes that modern superhero movies have lost the personal touch, and studios are favoring CGI spectacle over character-based stories. He continued:
“God, I feel like an X-Men sometime. I am as confused as Spider-Man. I am as angry as Batman is. I love my country as much as Captain America. We’ve been down that road. We’ve had 20 years to explore that kind of thing, and now we’re in an evolution and place where it’s: And the story is what? The theme is what? The point of this movie is what?”
Do You Agree With Tom Hanks’ Assessment of Superhero Movies?
Tom Hanks summed up his point by expressing that modern superhero movies are made with the sole intention of turning a profit, rather than telling a beautiful story. “The industry often says if this works it will work again. But the audience is way ahead of it. They see the familiar, and they say, ‘I’ve seen that already. What’s next?'” he continued. Hanks believes that the modern marvel of CGI has overly informed the type of movies that studios will make. He joked:
“You can dream Lake Michigan and fill it with cuckoo clocks that form a three-headed dragon that breathes fire and destroys Chicago. You can do that. But to what purpose? What is the story and what is it going to be saying about us?”
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The internet has a habit of being contrarian to illicit attention. The moment a franchise like Marvel hits the big time, people will come out and say that it’s not “real cinema” or that it was never any good just for the sake of it. However, sometimes actors, critics, and audiences make surprisingly bang on points about the state of the industry (who knew?). In this case, Tom Hanks’ comments appear to come from a place of love for the genre, as is evident by his previous connections with characters like Spider-Man. However, with the state of big blockbuster franchises in the 2020s, Hanks’ comments mirror the infamous critique by Martin Scorsese, which feels more and more accurate as the years go on.
A young couple expecting their first child takes in the husband’s estranged, ailing mother. Set in a single room, the story spans multiple generations, capturing moments of love, loss, and everyday life in the same space. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and featuring performances by Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Paul Bettany, the film uses groundbreaking technology to de-age actors and presents a unique, stationary camera perspective throughout its runtime.
- Release Date
- November 1, 2024
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Robin Wright , Paul Bettany , Kelly Reilly , Albie Salter , Michelle Dockery , Gwilym Lee , Nicholas Pinnock , Nikki Amuka-Bird , Cache Vanderpuye , Keith Bartlett , Daniel Betts , Leslie Zemeckis , Alfie Todd , Ellis Grunsell , Zsa Zsa Zemeckis , Teddy Russell , Finn Guegan , Callum Macreadie , Lauren McQueen , Grace Lyra , Jemima Macintyre , Billie Gadsdon , Beau Gadsdon , Harry Marcus , Diego Scott , Logan Challis , Albie Mander , Eloísa Ferreira , Eliza Daley , Elodie Crapper , Faith Delaney
- Runtime
- 104 Minutes
- Studio(s)
- MiraMax , Playtone , ImageMovers
- Distributor(s)
- TriStar Pictures
- Character(s)
- Richard , Margaret , Al , Rose , Jimmy , Pauline Harter , John Harter , Devon Harris , Helen Harris , Justin Harris , Benjamin Franklin , William Franklin , Elizabeth Franklin , Billy Franklin , Young Richard , Vanessa