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'Blade' (1998) -

The popularity of superhero movies in the 21st century is arguably rooted in the Marvel film 'Blade,' which came out towards the end of the '90s. Upon its release, it got mixed, but mostly positive reviews from critics.

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'Blade' (1998) -

The film's success was a stark contrast to the critical and commercial reception of prior superhero films such as 'Steel' (1997), 'Spawn' (1997), and 'Batman and Robin' (1997). All of which were poorly received by critics and audiences alike.

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'X-Men' (2000) -

With the success of 'Blade' (1998) came not only two sequels but more successful superhero movies as well. Most notably, there was 'X-Men' (2000), which featured an ensemble cast with rising stars Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, and James Marsden.

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'X-Men (2000)' -

The movie had garnered so much success that it too spawned a whole trilogy, along with various spin-offs. More importantly, it brought on the superhero movie craze as we know it today.

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'Spider-Man' (2002) -

Two years later, the first 'Spider-Man' movie was released. It was met with enormous praise from critics and audiences alike, and, in the process, became the first movie ever to surpass US$100 million in a single weekend.

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'Spider-Man 2' (2004) -

The success of 'Spider-Man' and 'X-Men' led to the release of 'X2' (2003) and 'Spider-Man 2,' with the latter being so successful with both critics and audiences that it's regarded to this day as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. With this, modern superhero movies were going strong, and, at the time, it seemed that these movies were going to continue to be stellar from then on.

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'Fantastic Four' (2005) -

Of course, that was not to be the case. For instance, the 'Fantastic Four' movie from 2005 was panned by critics and reviled by audiences, especially fans of the source material.

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'Ghost Rider' (2007) -

The sequel, 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer' (2007), did not fare much better, nor did another Marvel flick released that same year: 'Ghost Rider.' It was also panned by critics and audiences. It was a horrible year for superhero movies in general, as even 'Spider-Man 3' was a letdown. It seemed that superhero movies were on the decline.

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'Iron Man' (2008) -

Enter 'Iron Man,' starring Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role. Not only was this film a comeback for Marvel movies, but it also spawned the highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe as well.

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'The Dark Knight' (2008) -

Meanwhile, DC was having major success with movies like 'The Dark Knight' (2008). Five years later, 'Man of Steel' would be released, and it seemed as if DC was riding high for awhile.

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'The Avengers' (2012) -

With the success of 'Iron Man,' its sequels, and other Marvel movies of the MCU, then came the ambitious crossover of 2012, 'The Avengers.' It was the most successful superhero movie ever at the time of its release, being highly praised by both critics and audiences alike.

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'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' (2016) -

While Marvel's Cinematic Universe was gaining more popularity, Warner Bros. was struggling heavily with its DCEU film franchise, with 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' becoming an infamous box-office failure, being poorly received by critics, and leaving audiences polarized too.

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'Suicide Squad' (2016) -

Unfortunately for DC, its woes didn't stop there. That same year, 'Suicide Squad' was released and was panned by both critics and audiences alike. After this, everyone began to speculate if DC was capable of reversing its fortunes.

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'Justice League' (2017) -

While 'Justice League' was more successful than the previous DCEU films, it simply wasn't enough to reverse the downward trend in box-office performance. Audiences complained that DC was trying to be too much like Marvel, and wanted the DCEU to be more original. Some were even saying that the DECU was on track to dying completely.

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'Avengers: Endgame' (2019) -

While DC was struggling, Marvel had finally wrapped up its MCU Infinity Saga with the climactic 2019 hit 'Avengers Endgame,' which for two years was the highest-grossing film of all time and was praised by critics and audiences alike.

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'Avengers: Endgame' (2019) -

It seemed that Marvel movies were going to dominate the superhero genre for a while and that the superhero craze was going to last for years on end. However, this didn't turn out to be the case, as soon after both Marvel and DC would make movies that garnered less-than-positive sales and reviews.

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'Eternals' (2021) -

Two years later, Marvel would release three films in a row to kick off Phase Four of the MCU, one of which was 'Eternals.' It was the first MCU film to garner mostly negative reviews from critics, and arguably marked the turning point for superhero movies, as fatigue was finally beginning to set in.

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'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (2023) -

Enter 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,' which became the lowest-rated MCU movie of all time and was also a box-office bomb. With box-office drops and low-rated films, it became apparent that MCU fatigue was only getting worse, as was superhero fatigue at large.

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'Shazam: Fury of the Gods' (2023) -

Coinciding with Marvel's latest failures was the DC sequel 'Shazam: Fury of the Gods,' which garnered mixed reviews from critics and bombed at the box office as well.

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'The Flash' (2023) -

In a big gut punch, DC's 'The Flash' (2023) also bombed at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics. Indeed, both Marvel and DC movies were falling short of their predecessors, and with that further contributed to the superhero fatigue we see today.

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James Gunn -

With the rise and fall of the superhero movie craze covered, it's time to look at where James Gunn fits into all of this and how he might be able to reverse superhero fatigue. First, let's take a look at his body of work.

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'Scooby-Doo' (2000) -

When the superhero movie craze was really just beginning, James Gunn would enter the scene with a few movies of his own. But before he became the highly successful director we've come to know him as today, he had a few misses of his own. He started out as a screenwriter for movies, and worked on the live-action 'Scooby-Doo' films. Both of these were critical and commercial failures. Gunn would make a comeback in the industry in 2006 with his directorial debut film, 'Slither.'

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'Super' (2010) -

In 2010, James Gunn released his second film, 'Super', which was a comedic take on the superhero genre. However, it received mostly negative reviews from critics and very mixed reviews from audiences. So it's safe to say Gunn's early film career wasn't a stellar one, but he would continue to improve as time went on.

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'Super' (2010) -

'Super' was also James Gunn's first try at the superhero film genre, and, while it wasn't successful, it put him on the path for more superhero movies. Indeed, it wouldn't be long before he made another movie that would become both a critical and commercial hit.

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'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014) -

James Gunn's first serious superhero movie, the 2014 Marvel hit 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' received enormous praise for its great directing, special effects, and ensemble cast. This film saw James Gunn in the spotlight for the first time, and truly kick-started his career as a superhero movie director.

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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017) -

James Gunn's second major superhero movie was 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.' While it didn't receive as much praise as the first installment, both critics and audiences alike still very much loved it and wanted to see more of what James Gunn had to offer.

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James Gunn on the set of 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3' -

But in 2018, James Gunn got into major trouble when old and disturbing tweets he had made from 2008 to 2011 surrounding sensitive topics, such as rape and pedophilia, resurfaced. Disney commented on the matter and had him fired from directing 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3.' James Gunn was blacklisted from the film industry.

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'The Suicide Squad' (2021) -

James Gunn would later make a return to the industry, with the DCU film 'The Suicide Squad.' It was met with huge praise from critics and audiences alike, with both giving credit to James Gunn's incredible directing. Justin Chung of the Los Angeles Times called the film a "redemption for DC."

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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' (2023) -

In 2023, James Gunn's 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' hit the big screen, and became the most successful MCU film since 'Avengers: Endgame (2019),' both commercially and critically, with audiences wanting more from the acclaimed director.

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'Superman' -

As it stands, James Gunn is now at the helm of the rebooted DCU and is slated to release his latest film, 'Superman: Legacy,' in theaters sometime in 2025. Based on Gunn's track record, Henry Cavill's ousting in favor of David Corenswet likely won't have a negative impact on the film itself.

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The future looks bright -

For now, the future for James Gunn looks bright and it seems that there's hope yet for superhero movies, especially in the DC Universe.

Sources: (Variety) (Los Angeles Times) (The Hollywood Reporter)

See also: The best superhero films ever

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