Tom Hanks Questions Superhero Movies: What’s the Real Story Here?

In a recent episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Tom Hanks clarified that he has not met with Kevin Feige to discuss joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, nor has he had talks with James Gunn about the new DC universe. However, the actor expressed that while he has no qualms with comic book films, he’s noticed that the audience is moving away from purely visually spectacular superhero movies to those that offer substantial storytelling.

“Remember the 1970s and 1980s when they attempted to create TV versions of Captain America and Spider-Man? Even Batman, the Adam West version. The technology just wasn’t there to make it look like what we saw in the comics, and now that’s changed,” Hanks explained (via Variety). “You can do anything now. You might say Christopher Reeve’s Superman was the first to come close, thanks to cutting-edge technology that removed the wires. We all believed [a man could fly] when we saw it. It was quite extraordinary.”

He continued: “Now that we enjoy the luxury of technological advancements, and anything you can imagine can be brought to life on screen, we circle back to the core question of ‘OK, that’s cool, but what’s the story?’. You can imagine Lake Michigan filled with cuckoo clocks forming a three-headed dragon breathing fire and destroying Chicago. You can make it happen. But why? What’s the story and what does it say about us? There was a time, and I felt this too, when we watched DC and MCU films to see these better versions of ourselves. My goodness, sometimes I feel like an X-Men. I’m as puzzled as Spider-Man. I’m as angry as Batman. I love my country as much as Captain America. We’ve been down that road. We’ve had 20 years to explore these themes, and now we’re at a point where we need to ask: ‘What about the story? What’s the theme? What’s the purpose of this movie?’”

It’s true, the superhero/comic book genre has struggled at the box office in recent years, with titles like Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, and The Marvels all flopping in 2023. This year, films like Madame Web and Joker: Folie à Deux faced similar fates. Venom: The Last Dance just debuted with the lowest figures in the trilogy. Yet, Deadpool & Wolverine stands as the second highest grossing film of 2024 and the biggest R-rated release in history with $1.3 billion in revenue. So not all hope is lost, but according to Tom Hanks, moviegoers are no longer just interested in flashy effects; they now crave a richer narrative as well.

“The industry often says that if something works, it will work again. But audiences are ahead of the game,” the Oscar-winning actor stated. “They recognize what is familiar to them and think: ‘I’ve seen this before. What’s next?’ and it’s not just about stunning sights. It’s more like, ‘What’s the story? Tell me about me.’ It feels like we’re exploring new ground in this regard every year.”

Find the complete remarks from Tom Hanks in the video below: