Moviegoers ‘Can’t Be Sustained’ on ‘Easter Eggs’ and ‘Multiverse Stakes,’ Says ‘Spider-Verse’ Duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller

What superhero fatigue? Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse blasted past projections and opened to a huge $120 million. The animated multiverse epic has already earned over $230 million worldwide in less than a week of release. With the Spider-Verse sequel off to a massive start and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 about to cross $800 million worldwide, it appears comic book movies are back on track after box office disappointments like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Spider-Verse producers and writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller said superhero fatigue is not to blame for certain comic book movies falling below expectations.

I dont believe its super superhero fatigue, I believe its a movie that feels like a movie Ive seen a dozen times before fatigue, Miller said. If youre using the same story structure and the same style and the same tone and the same vibe as movies and shows that have come before, it doesnt matter what genre it is. Its going to be boring to people.

And the audience in the theater cannot be sustained on Easter eggs and reveals, Lord added. Or even these big, crazy multiverse stakes. They only care about, like, the relationship between Rocket Raccoon and Groot.

Miller and Lord credited Guardians writer-director James Gunn for crafting Marvel movies that prioritize characters over Easter eggs and big reveals. Miller said youre watching these movies because of the family element. The duo think thats also at the core of Spider-Verse.

This story is just so rooted in parents and kids. And Miles and his family, Lord said. With the last movie we showed it to some friends early on, and they were like, You have to get to like all these multiple Spider-People as quickly as possible. Thats the exciting thing. And we were like, we dont think so. Because the thing that everybody seems to enjoy is the quieter scenes with Miles and his mom and dad. They cant get enough of it. And Im so glad we stayed true to what the audience was telling us.

Gunn shared a similar view on superhero fatigue in his own Rolling Stone interview in April.

I think thereissuch a thing as superhero fatigue, Gunn said. I think it doesnt have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character. We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because theyre these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters nationwide.