Ep. 136 The Marvels & The End Of The Superhero Era

In this emergency bonus episode, hosts Martin Kessler and Christopher Funderburg sit down to discuss Marvel’s The Marvels of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With an all-time low box office debut for an MCU film, the hosts use the film’s various artistic, conceptual and financial failures as a jumping off point to discuss the seeming impending end of the superhero era of blockbuster cinema. From the passive performances to shoddy special effects to audience fatigue, the Kessler and Funderburg look at the failures of the film not as a celebratory “ding dong the witch is dead” moment that so many Serious Cinephiles are receiving its flop as representing, but by placing the film in the context of the larger history of popular cinema and what it means when those popular eras come to a close. It's a diagnosis of what went wrong with the film that gives full respect to what has gone right with the superhero genre for the past 20 years. Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke The Pink Smoke site: www.thepinksmoke.com Movie Kessler on X: twitter.com/MovieKessler The Pink Smoke on X: twitter.com/thepinksmoke Christopher Funderburg on X: twitter.com/cfunderburg Intro music: Unleash the Bastards / “Tea for Two” Outro music: Marcus Pinn / “Vegas"