Summary
What makes a good superhero movie? Why do so many Marvel and DC projects fail to hit the mark with fans? According to X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn, the answer is surprisingly simple.
As well as working on the X-Men prequel, Vaughn also dipped into the world of comic books by developing Mark Miller’s Kick-Ass and Kingsman graphic novels into successful movies, so he does know a thing or two about the genre and what makes it tick. While speaking to Screen Rant during New York Comic-Con, Vaughn explained his thoughts on how to make a superhero movie that works. He said:
“When you’re making a superhero movie, you sort of have to work harder because you’ve got to make people believe it. That’s why X-Men First Class was pretty grounded. We set it in the Cuban Missile Crisis; they had relatable human problems. And it wasn’t relying on the CG. I think CG’s f–ked up everything as well, because you feel like you’re watching a video game. You’re not with the characters.”
Vaughn continued to share his feelings about James Gunn’s upcoming role as one half of DC Studios’ leadership team, and Kevin Feige’s ongoing role at Marvel Studios. He added:
“Apart from Guardians, I still think Groot and the raccoon are f–king pieces of genius, that I feel so much for them. So I’ll be intrigued. I think at least DC is under; I think James Gunn and Saffron they’ve got a good chance of popping, and hopefully, Feige will go back to less is more and make less films and concentrate on making them great.”
Related: Kingsman 3 Is Happening, Matthew Vaughn Confirms: ‘We Are Working on That at the Moment’
Now that the writer’s strike is over and the actor’s strike can only a short while in following suit, long-gestating projects are finally getting the wheels moving again. Among them are a reboot of the Kick-Ass franchise, a sequel to The King’s Man and Kingsman 3, and Vaughn seems to be champing at the bit to get on with making them.
During recent interviews, the director revealed that he is planning on making a new Kick-Ass movie and the third Kingsman movie in 2024. He said during his NYCC appearance:
“Next year we’re rebooting Kick-Ass and we’re making Kingsman 3… Kick-Ass sort of changed people’s perception of what a superhero film is at that time. So we’re doing it again. So it’s none of the characters from the other Kick-Ass. We’d like to bring them back after the reboot, but this reboot is just going off on a tangent that I really can’t talk about. But it’s fun.”
Along with this, Vaughn added that the script for a sequel to The King’s Man is already complete and will have a storyline that centers on the rise of Hitler, and “how Hitler did come to power and basically was supported by the English aristocracy.” Although these movies are all still some way off, fans of Vaughn’s work will first see his new movie, Argylle, hit Apple TV+ in February 2024.
Matthew Vaughn also shared his belief that Marvel Studios will soon return to a “less is more” style of filmmaking. Read More